The Van Buren press., 1895-09-21
FORDYCEs STORY.
He Was the First Federal Soldier
Wounded in Kentucky.

In the midst Of busy day Colonel s.
Cotton Belt Road, and another Chicka-
mauga veteran on the Federal side,
turned back 30 years In the book Of life
and told Of some interesting incidents
connected with that battle.
Colonel Fordyce was In the cavalry
service under General Stanley. For
several days before the great battle he,
with his men, skirmished about the
field.
One Sunday morning. the first day Of
the battle, they were massed In q
timber ready to fight. General Stanley
had been taken sick, and General
Mitchell, an infantry. officer, was put
In command Of the cavalry. He was
not experienced in cavalry tactics, and
the position the cavalry held was very
dangerous one.
The enemy was on the other side OF
the timber behind q ravine, and they
almost completely routed the Federal
cavalrymen.
"Exultant with their victory. said
Colonel Fordyce, ''some of the Con-
federates rushed over into our lines.
Among them was an Irishman whose
face was ablaze with the joy Of the
successfully fought fight.
".I'll have to arrest you, said ! to
my friend from Erin. Where do you
belongf' -
II belong to Hindman's brigade,
and didn't we come a.bulgin' - cried
the Irishman.
"'I'm sorry that you are ON the
wrong side Of the fight. said I, as
placed him under arrest.
I: .O am Just now, sure enough,
answered the doughty Irishman, never
losing his wits In the dilemma.
1.-The next day, Monday, we were
again in the heat Of the fight and Lost
men fast. General George Crook wai
in command. Some Confederate prison.
ers were taken and Crook went up and
talked with some of them about affairt
on the other side.
| Zone Of the Confederates Informed
him that Colonel Hood had been killed
In the fight. noticed that Crook WA
greatly affected by this intelligence an(
rode away in silence.
| when he had been away for quite ,
while followed him, and found tina
he had been crying.
II held out my hand In sympathy
and he told me that Hood was one Of hil
warmest friends. They had been a
West Point together, and subsequently
went out to California, where at tn
beginning of the war they were raising
a wheat crop jointly.
.s'I sold that wheat before I cam,
East, and have since sent him his shsr,
of the money through the Confederat,
\ Nuau ouiH NrooE
1T proved Afterwards that Hood hat
been shot in the leg, but not killed.
1.-THE day after the battle / was SEN
over to General Reynolds division o
Indiana on some business. There ! me
General Turchin, and when addresse,
him, found that he could not speak
His wife was with him, and she told M
that the Generals horse had been shO
under him, the shell exploding In tn
body Of the horse. The shock threw tn
General several feet into the air, An,
for q time rendered him speechless
That faculty came back to him afte
awhile, but it was terrible sight seeing
the poor man struggle for speech
which he feared he had lost forever.
Were you wounded In the Chicka
mauga fight, Coloneli'' asked tn
reporter.
mo, strange to say, came out o
that battle all right. I had beel
wounded before. In fact, was tn
first Federal who was wounded Il
Kentucky, and then I got two NOR
bullets. one ut the Battle Of Corinth
and another at Stone River. The wount
at Stone River was pretty bad, and
was not expected to pull through. Blu
here am to tell the tale. -
! Captain Fordyces wife is th
daughter Of q Confederate Colonel, an
the romance Of those early war days
often the subject of conversation
between them and their handsom
children.
II is our pleasure to know Colone
Fordyce and more liberal, thorough
genial gentleman will not be found 4
the State. The above is from the st
Louis Republic Of Sunday.