The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-10-06
FIGHTING THEM OVER.
ThatGur Veterans Have to Say About
Their Old Campaigns
THEN AND NOW.
Old BattIefields Revisited BY a Maine


Old Battlefelds Revisited BY a Maine Bat
teryman.
- Y Oct 10, 1864, the Nineteenth Corps
3 commanded by Gen. Emery, wa
living behind breastworks at Ceda
Creek Va and the LIST Me. battery
10 which ] was attached, constituted portion
of that corps The Eighth Corps lay along on
left. These troops, forming part OF Sheridsn'
command. had fallen back to this point after
brisk raid up the Shenandoah Valley in Early
wake That raid had been thoroughly success
ful, and achieved all that was expected; bu
Early. receiving achievements. followed oul
return 10 Cedar Greek, and while Sheridan was
at Washington surprised and attacked the
Eighth Corps at the break of day.
The field was uneven and hilly, with small
interval on the farther side of the creek
The Eighth Corps was driven back by Early's
onslaught aud retiring left our left flank ex'
posed. The fight then grew bitter not in front
Of that 1ank alone, not in the presence OF any
one body of troops not at any particular ln'
slant but on the whole ground and constantly,
The surprise of the Eighth Corps was total and
utter. Ii amounted TO stampede. Artillery,
infantry, and wagons whirled backward, min
sled, intermingled, confounded and bewil-
dered. Notwithstanding the sturdy efforts oil
Gen. Hayes, afterward President, and of Gen.
Crook, who won later renown fighting the In
dians the startled heroes of many other earlier
and later fields stood irresolute or, fighting,
failed in that energy which unlocks victory.
The rout of the Eighth Corps devolved grave,
instant and perempt0ry duty on the Nine
teenth. 1t must fall back. In pursuance OF
this unwelcome necessity just after sunrise
received orders to retreat. As our battery
started to the rear one of my horses was killed
and another wounded. / was myself wounded
in the leg by piece of flying shell, in the
breast by mimic bali, and in the arm by a
minie-ball, when, falling upon the ground, l
was taken prisoner Captured, but not removed,
all the battle lay before me like an opera or a
painting. ! was no longer a participant, but a
spectator, and as such studied with unwonted
interest the retreat the advance, the approach
ing roar of artillery. the fusllade of infantry,
and speculated coolly upon an issue to which
could no longer contribute anything but my
prayers As the moments sped / grew fainter
from the loss of blood; thirst seized me like a
giant, and the blazing sun helped weakness
forward. Before insensibility had brought such
relief as il has in store the stragglers who
always follow an army in time of war, as vul-
lures wounded quarry, made their appear
ance.
"Yank," said one, al want that overcoat."
@Yank," said another, Il want them boots,
but don't know as | can wear EN-"
"Yank," said a third, Il would like to trade
hats with you. but its a-kind against my princi-
pies TO take anything away from wounded
man" / traded my hat with him for s conch-
shell full of water.
About o'clock p. NJ. rebel ambulance re-
moved me across the creek to a spot where
they had located field hospital, and deposited
me on tue ground. Soon after this the tide of
battle had evidently turned. Weak, wounded,
and captive as / was my blood found q quicker
Jump aud my nerves a new tension from hear
ing the artillery begin to belch with louder
and quicker roar and from seeing consterna-
zion aud alarm settling upon my captors. First
q rebel doctor asserted: Boys, it's another
Stampede"
Then 1 saw 1.50o Union captives hurried
past, en- route for Libby Prison. Next the
wounded rebels lying near called out: 30,
Doc can't you carry me away? don't want
the Yanks TO have me-"
Then the rebels in front Of me unlimbered a
battery aud began to Sire at an advancing
Union force, whose number and destination
were unknown to me. The sun was setting in full
efulgcnec. and l saw it shining upon the bayo.
nets OF the boys in blue and reflected from
1000 barrels pushed to the charge. On came
the heroes steadily on, sweeping resistance
from their path like eobweb. They charged
the battery at run. They captured the guns.
The discounted rebels who were trying to
hold our forces in check, leaving their guns,
ran. Gen. Early endeavored to rally and re-
organize them In the immediate vicinity to
where j was lying. Our boys, turning the
guns they had captured, began to fire shells
upon the rebels whom Early was attempting to
lnspirit The light of the flying shells marked
their passage Through the heavens to me. /
cast my eyes to the right There saw body
of cavalry come up out of the creek and charge
the retIeating rebels An officer who rode in
front asked me- WHO are you: rebel or
Yank2"
"a Yank, /" was my reply.
"Look out. boys. came the rejoinder; there's
one Of our own men,"
And they passed on TO complete the day.
And So night went slowly on-a night ac-
compaDied by frost BY own suffering in
creased with the hours. With nothing but the
bare earth for my bed, and nothing but the
cold night for covering, wearied by long ex-
posure, and spent with the loss of blood,
slowly lapsed to Inconsistencies and was left
lying for dead. When consciousness returned
one man was rubbing one arm and another an
other. and coffee was boiling over an impro-
vised campfire. Sensation flowed into me with
the glorious beverage. An ambulance was
called and bore me to biiddletown where was
deposited in the church-yard. That was the
location Of the Surgical Corps. Side By side
lay long lines Of the wounded, and they filed
the church. The Surgeons tables were erected
agains, the trees in the church-yard. Opera
tions were constantly going on, and the Sur
geons were SO busily employed that il was night
before the ball in my arm was removed. There
1 was obliged to lie through the whole of an
other long and cold night. unprotected save by
q bundle of hay which some soldier Samaritan
shook over me. About o'clock in the after
noon j was placed in an ambulance and started
for Martinsburg. The progress was slow
through constant rain over rough roads, and it
was not until 10 o'clock OF the following day
that my destination was reached. There fell
In with MY regiment-the 18th Mc.-and was
taken care of. That care was not common and
it was needed by man grievously wounded
who had been exposed for more than three sue
cessive days.
Then-AOw.
Sept. Il. 1892 at 2:1s p m. left my home at
Spring Lake, Mich. and after pleasant run
arrived IN Washington at 8 p. N. of the 18th
On the 18th visited the Capitol and other
scenes around the city On the goth marched
in the Grand Review OF the Grand Army. On