Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-08-16

Confcdcratos from middle Tennessee In
May aud June. lie commanded the out
pot at Franklin for time. When tho
army moved 70 battle. the One Hundred
and Twcnty-nfth Joined liarksr's brigade,
Of Woods division. under Thomas Al
Chlckamauga Thomas held the left, 10
history snys, while the center and right
were swept hack In wild disorder
Woods division Joined on 10 the broken
line at the center Thomas saw the ilisas
ter creeping toward him ~ the COnfe,lcr.
ntes walked over the brigadcs and III
visions beyond. To Opdyckc he said, indl
eating ri1rc where the Ohiouns lay. This
polnt must iio hcldf' "wcli hold IL or 20
10 heaven from it, was the reply
opdycko then told his men to TX bayoncts,
made speech u Nix words md started
In to clear the ground Of the encroaching
enemy.
A second Confederate column founded
forward. seeming TO want the position Hs
badly as did Thomas. Opdycke made an.
other speech. longer than the nrt by ten
wor,ls and coolly rode up and down the
line. tho only mounted officer In sight. The
charge was rcpolled and In the midst ~ II
the old Fofty-tlrst Ohio reached the scene
at double quick. The men recognized
their shiloh hero and sct mp a wild cheer
The newcomers took their place on the
lee of tho one Hundred and Twenty.
and the two regiments stuck together like
twins during the rest Of the fight n chlnk
at least In the rock that buirctul disaster
that day along the "Riycr of Death"
A modern army does not travel on en-
thuslasm. 20 the emotion is extra powerful
when n str9k Of II lights upon favored
company Of soldiers. Opdyckc aroused en
thu-iRsm. not by being camp fire favor.
lie, for he was just the contrnry-a rigid
nascctic-bn, by the muchdecried quail
ny Of oauestnoss. The speeches skipped
In this story, " put in cold type. would
read ~ fat "a n last years sermon, but on
the lips " lion hearted soldier standing
ut the lannon's mouth, they moved the
heart Ne ficry eloquence.
In the next battle Col. Oplyoke led
dcmibtgnde u i've regiments. IL was NJ
Mission Ridge, and he told his officers that
when the word came to go" he purposed
taking his men up the heights whether
the rcst Of the army not there or not
True 10 his word, he led ON up the noun.
tain. took the first crest without u halt
aud pushed on to the second, capturing
the headquarters Of thu Confederate gen
tlNA anu NfNtu fANNhHf NllN hAINAANl hlh
GERS asked for his promotion. but II did not
come until the Atlanta campaign WIS half
over. IN the meantime he hsurcd Ia n
daring exploit with his own Ohio boys
II twas ut Rocky Face Ridge, Georgia, May
10, 1874.
The enemy held spur Of the mountain
that iu,ted out into the valley, forming an
abrupt angle Tho crust was 100 feet above
the base, the slope. PERCEPTIONS aud rocky.
Opdyckc was ordered 10 scale Il with his
300 men. The details were loft to him.
The valley around the ridge was neutral
ground, aud ho led his little column to the
foot Of the eastern slope, opened fire aud
threw out skipnlshcrs Ms u make believe,
Then Withdrawing the bulk Of his forlorn
band, he hurried around the point 60 the
western slope. mounted the steep and rocky
side, bis very huldncss paralyzing The Con
fcdcratcs, who were rallying TO drive him
back.
10 the enemy II looked like nm attack
front mad rear, and the narrow ridge wasn't
n good place to bc In that case, so they
skodaddloG along the crest To the main.
laud, leaving the ohioans clean sweep to
cruw over.
Four days after the mountain exploit
Opdycke was wounded and carried to the
rear. Recovering self control ho Instantly
rode back 10 bis pl o In the line. After