Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-07-29

of Woods division, under Thomas. AT
Chickamauga Thomas held the left, SO
history says, while the center and right
were swept back in wild disorder.
Wood division Joined on to the broken
line at the center. Thomas saw the disas
ter creeping toward him as tue Confeder
ates walked over the brigades and di
visions beyond. To Opdycke he said, indi
eating ridge where the Ohioans lay, This
point must be heldr' We'll hold it or go
to heaven from it," was the reply
Opdycke then told his men to fix bayonets.
made a speech of six words and started
in to clear the ground of the encroaching
enemy.
A second Confederate column bounded
Forward, seeming to want the position as
badly as did Thomas. Opdycke made an
other speech, longer than the first by ten
words, and coolly rode up and down the
line, the only mounted officer in sight. The
charge was repealed and in the midst of it
the old Forty-frst Ohio reached the scene
at double quick. The men recognized
their Shiloh hero and set up wild cheer
The newcomers took their place on the
left of the One Hundred and Twenty fifth
and the two regiments stuck together like
twins during the rest of the fight, a chink
at least in the rock that buffeted disaster
that day along the "River of Death"
A modern army does not travel on en-
thusiasm, so the emotion is extra powerful
when streak of it lights upon favored
company of soldiers. Opdycke aroused en-
thusasm, not by being camp fire favor
lite, for he was just the contrary-a rigid,
stern ascetic-but by the much decried quail
ity of earnestness. The speeches skipped
in this story, If put in cold type, would
read as fiat as a last years sermon, but on|
the lips of lion hearted soldier, standing|
at the lannon's mouth, they moved the|
heart as fiery eloquence.
In the next battle Col. Opdycke led al
demibrigade of five regiments 1t was atI
Mission Ridge and he told his officers that
when the word came to 'go" he purposeC}
taking his men up the heights whether
the rest of the army got there or not
True to his word, he led on up the noun
tain, took the first crest without a hal !
and pushed on to the second, capturing
the headquarters of the Confederate gen |
eral and seven cannon. His superior Off |
GERS asked for his promotion. but it did no !
come until the Atlanta campaign was hal
over In the meantime he figured in
daring exploit with his own Ohio boys
1t was at Rocky Face Ridge, Georgia, Ma
10, 1864.
The enemy held spur of the mountai
that jutted out into the valley forming
abrupt angle. The crest was 500 feet abov
the base, the slopes precipitous and rocky
Opdycke was ordered to scale it with hi
500 men. The details We're left to him
The valley around the ridge was neutra
ground, and he led his little column to tn
foot of the eastern slope, opened fire an
threw out skirmishers as make believe
Then withdrawing the bulk of his forlor
band he hurried around the point to tn
western slope, mounted the steep and rock
side, his very boldness paralyzing the Cor
federates, who were rallying to drive hii
back.
To the enemy it looked like an attac
front and rear, and the narrow ridge WASH
good place to be in that case, so the
skedadded along the crest to the mai
land, leaving the Ohioans clean sweep
crow over.
Four days after the mountain explo
Opdycke was wounded and carried to I'll
rear. Recovering self control he instant
rode back to his place in the line. Aft