The National tribune., 1893-10-19
Where is Mr.. watkins {?
AT CANE RIVER.
Sad Scenes that Came to a Veterans Notice
There.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: During the
first artillery duel between the Union troops
and rebels at the battle of Cane River, La,
in, 1 think, April, 1864 there came young
negro to one of our Generals, who told him
of q ford a short distance down the river
where we could cross and come up in the
rear of the rebels.
We Ia part of the Nineteenth Corps and
the remnant of the Thirteenth Corps were
soon on the march for the said ford, which
we found and commenced the passage of.
How cold that water was But we put
arms, ammunition and "grpb" above our
heads and succeeded in wading across safely,
and commenced our march IN line of battle
up long, low bluff thickly covered with
trees, fallen logs and underbrush.
At the summit of this hill, or bluff, we
surprised the rebel rear guard, who fired
few shots and started on the run down the
opposite slope onto and across little valley
about one-half mile in width, closely pur-
sued by the Nineteenth Corps boys, who
were ordered to charge them, closely fol-
lowed by our Thirteenth Corps boys.
During this charge, and while the Thir-
teenth Corps was following closely upon the
heels of the Nineteenth Corps, / came upon
a little dry run with here and there quite
high banks, and just as l crossed this run /
met two men with wounded comrade from
some Maine regiment. | helped them to get
him into the run behind one of the high
banks for protection, and got our Assistant
Surgeon, DIR. 0. II. Wood, to come and dress
his wound This comrade was shot in the
forehead his brains were oozing out of the
wound and the nose. He kept asking the
Doctor if he thought he would live. 1t
seems he was the only son of a widowed
mother, who, together with one daughter,
were dependent upon him for support He
told the Doctor that he had a few days before
received furlough for 80 or so days to go
home and visit mother and sister.
Although so used and hardened to scenes
of that kind, it is as wildly impressed upon
my mind as though but yesterday. If this
should fall under the eye Of his comrades
or his family, would like to know his name
and regiment. OF course we know that
there were thousands of Just such cases, but
they seldom fell under the notice of any one
man, hence were not so realistic TO him.
There is also one other little episode of
which / would like to speak connected with
this same battle. After having crossed this
valley, and while ascending very steep
bluff, heavily covered with timber brush
and rocks, found wounded rebel sitting
with his back against tree. heard him
cursng and grooming. 1 got Comrade G.. A.
Langdon, fiter of my company, to go with
me and see who he was. When / got
to him l asked him where he was hit.
His reply was: In my stomach" He was
conscripted from Richmond, Va, and sent
away down into Texas and Louisiana, so he
could not easily get away. At least, that
was his version of it. He told Comrade
Langdon and me that he had a wife and two
children back in Richmond, but had not
heard word from them for over two years.
We fixed him up as comfortable as we
could, gave him canteen about half-full of
water, and as we turned to leave him he told
rs that he would like to ask a favor of us.
We said to be quick about it, as the troops
were getting quite long ways from us. He
thereupOn pulled out housewife" such as
our mothers, sisters and sweethearts used to
make for us, which contained the pictures
of his wife and two children. That and
few trinkets that he had saved to send some
day to his wife and children he handed to
Comrade LangdOn, and asked him. if he
lived until after the war was over, to send to
his wife, whose name and address was upon
the back of her picture. After this we left
him to die.
After the war was over and we came home,
COmrade Langdon wrote to the address and
received very nice letter in return with in
structions where and how to send the trink-
cts.
may some day write my version of this
battle as l saw it. l would like to say fur
Their, as one of the young soldiers, that l
was born on March Is, 1847, and enlisted
on the 18th day Of December, 1868, being then
16 years, nine months and two days old.
A. CRANDALL Co F, 23d Wis, Hope, Idaho.