The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1895-10-25

%J II NtN ancleng HSntlng
reput a ton to
'F'''-' maintain. So her
gallant sons mutinied when the war
drum throbbed wildly for other ears and
rushed into the field some of the sturdi-
est bands of fighters of purely American
blood mustered in either army. For this
reason the hearty handshaking between
the blue and the gray, which was a
feature Of the G.. A. r. encampment at
Louisville, has significance. There
was no politics in it, neither forced nor
morbid sentimentality in the demon
stration. In social and public sense
the Union veterans were the guests of
the men who fought them 80 years ago.
Not that Kentucky was one sided in the
conflict Her sons served in both armies
the horrors Of civil war, families and
neighbors pitted against one another,
made the contest for them one of terri
BILE fierceness.
For Kentuckians fought each other
face to face. On the field of Shiloh ia
Their belonging to the Sixth Kentucky,
Union, lay dead facing the body of his
son, belonging to the Fourth Kentucky
of the other side. Upon that bloody spot
Kentuckians contended with Kentuck-
ians with all the fierceness Of their
race. Trabue's Confederate brigade, con-
tanning four Kentucky regiments and
two Kentucky batteries, stood in the
pathway of Hazen's Union brigade as
it led Nelson g column in the grand adj
vance the second day. Hazen charged up
to the muzzles of the guns and captured
two of them after fierce struggle with
the cannoneers and Trabue's infantry.
Trabue's Kentuckians were of the Third,
Fourth, Fifth and Sixth regiments;
Hazen's of tho Sixth. The Union Sixth
and the Confederate Sixth met in the
struggle over Cobb's guns. Two of the
guns were taken, but over third most
terrible combat was waged between
Kentuckians only. During the melee
Private Young of Company A, Sixth
Union regiment, spiked the third piece
when he saw that his comrades were not
able to hold it. The Confederate Ken
tuckians rallied to defend it and finally
gained control Private Irving. also of
Company A, Union Sixth, killed five of
the enemy. Colonel Whitaker of that
regiment seized bowie knife from the
hands of Confederate Kentuckian and
cut down one Of Cobb's cannoneers.
Lieutenant Chiffon of the same regiment
was taken prisoner by six Kentuc1ians
in gray. Two of his comrades rushed to
his aid, and the trio killed all of Chill
ton s captors, he himself dispatching one
with a revolver The Fifth Kentucky,
Confederate, lost four color corporals
killed and three wounded during that
fight and color sergeant killed. Cobb's
battery lost 81 men killed and wounded.
In that same remarkable combat the
Confederate governor (provisionaD OF
Kentucky, George W. johnson, was
killed. Realizing the desperate nature
of the southern cause when the battle
opened that morning, with heavy odds
to contend against, he took a musket in
his hands and Joined the ranks Of
Trabue He fell in the struggle over the
guns, where the ground was three times
lost and won again by Trabue's men,
only to be surrendered at last.
1t was at Stone River that Trabue's
Kentuckians next met with antagonists
from the blue grass country. Meanwhile
Kentucky valor had displayed itself on
the Union side at Perryville. One of
the regiments in Rousseau division in
the terrible fight ON Chaplin hills was
the Fifteenth Kentucky organized and
led by Curran Pope, West Point grad
uate. 1t is matter of history that the
Union line that day was caught mapping
and literally run down by overwhelm-
ing numbers of Confederates exulting
in their easy success. Without a mo-
ment's warning the enemy broke from
cover on charge and opened fire upon
Rousseau's men, most Of whom were
away from their gun stacks, getting
water from creek between the lines.
An officer of the Fifteenth, describing
the fight, says: 1.-THE regiment was ly-
ing ON the side of road in rear of a
rail fence with stone fence a short
distance in front. A barn of logs and
boards partly sheltered the position.
The enemy advanced to the stone fence
and took shelter behind it. Here the
battle ragged from o'clock until dark;
he rail fence was almost demolished
by the enemy's artillery and the barn
BET ON fire. Notwithstanding the Fiji
teenth held its ground. The color guard,
comprising nine corporals and sergeants,
was cut to pieces. As each successive
color bearer was shot down his comrade
took the standard. The fight was so
fierce and continuous that the colors were
completely riddled and the flagstaff shot
In two. As the staff was severed and
the colors fell Captain James b. For
man of Company G grasped them. The
staff had been cut off so short that the
banner could not be made visible, and
be mounted the rail fence, waving it
and cheering the men to continued re-
Sstance.
"At almost the first shot Colonel
Pope's horse was killed under him. The
colonel Immediately moved along the
line patting the men on the back, cheer
Ing them and encouraging them to fight
TO the end. He received a wound to