The National tribune., 1893-03-09

BATTLE OF STONE RIVER.
How the Overcoats of the 10Th u. s. Saved
the Lives of Many Soldiers.

| How the Oyercoats of the 18th u. s. Saved
the Lives of Many Soldiers.
] The Regular Brigade, Fourteenth Corps, stood
| in line of battle at Stone River from o'clock
| in the morning. Dec 81, 1862, and it being very
| cold we wore our overcoats, the accouterments
! being outside and in this shape we marched to
/ the front on the main pike filed to the right
| and occupied Il small knoll with an open field
| in our front with cedar thicket beyond We
| lay in this position long time while tho battle
| was raging most desperately on our right and
| from the sound we could easily tell that our
| men were being steadily driven back. until the
sound came direct from our rear, telling us too
| plainly that the battle was against us and that
| our line of retreat would soon be cut off.
| Gen. L. III. Rousseau came riding up and gave
| orders to Mai. Carpenter to take his regiment
| to the front and occupy position ID the cedar
| tlicket and hold it for 10 minutes. We sprang
| to our feet and were ordered to take of our
| oyercoats. We did so, throwing them OH the
ground as we stood in line. We were marched
| to the 'front.' taking position some eight or l0
rods in the cedars. where we lay down, with
orders TO keep quiet and not fire until ordered
| Presently the bullets began to zip over our
heads and we sprang TO our feet and began fir
| ing. The Jolnnies were close III our front,
right and left. advancing rapidly. Maj. Car.
penter gave the command: About face
| Double quick March," and attempted to
with shot aud fell back dead.
AS | turned TO run, something struck my
right leg hastily looking down, discovered
was wounded, and being crippled, l lost ground
trying to keep up with the boys. who were fir
ing and retreating rapidly, leaving me between
two fires / concluded the best thing for me to
do was to lie down, and | did so. The rebeis
came up aud halted within three or four rods
| of me- heard one reb say I'VE have given
them Yanks hell" coufess | felt like | had
| got a bad dose of something, and the rebs were
| getting uncomfortaby close but they did not
| STAY there long. Our battleline had been ad-
| .iusted and artillery and infantry opened on
| them with terrific force; shot and she'll passed
over and around me, cutting the weeds close to
my head.
| In short time the firing ceased, and l got
up. The boastful rebs had disappeared in the
cedar thicket; so taking my gun for crutch |
hobbIed to the rear as fast as could, and found
| that our boys had formed in line to the left and
rear of where we had left our overcoats.
| The night coming on, cold and dreary, the
| bows began to wish for their overcoats. Some
of the moro daring fellows concluded to creep
out in front and find them. But alas the rebel
artillery had seen that line of blue overcoats and
| had wasted enough ammunition to tear them
| to shreds, rendering them unfit for further use.
| We always felt we received some compensation
for the loss Of those overcoats, for while the
| rebs were wasting ammunition upon Jhem they
were not adding to our long list of killed and
wounded.
1t nearly always rained during battle, and
this was no exception. While standing in the
trenches in the rain aud mud the boys would
get very tired, so Corp'l John Wendell concluded
| he would try and find some place to sit down
and rest his weary limbs. Consequ he
crawled up the bank. and ON looking around
| he saw what he thought was big, black stump.
So he walked mp, turned around and sat down
| in pool of water. Well, he just made things
| blue, declaring he wouldn't live in such
Godforsaken country where you couldn't find
| a stump to rest on when tired.
| finally landed in the United States Marine
Hospital Cincinnati o., and had life and
death struggle with gangrene in my wound.
Finally, in the Spring of 1864, / rejoined my
regiment near Graysyille, Ga, and was with
the boys rs far as Pumpkin Vine Creek, where 1
was knocked out again but still survive, and
draw my pension as regular as the time comes
around.
| l hope many of the old boys are readers of
the soldiers best friend, THE NATIONAL TRIB.
usE. 1t would afford me much pleasure to
have them with me.-J. L. b. HARNDEN, AL
| lerfon Iowa.