The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-06-13

no hurt except the slight one early il
the day. but my hat and clothes wer
perforated with bullets in several places
1t probably was an exemplifcation 0
the old axiom Slightly changed) tha
"a man born to be hanged will neve
be shot" AT any rate, | was glad tt
get off so easily, and have never founC
reason to feel otherwise.
On my way back to the field hospita
for something to eat / encountered ;
number of artillerymen RECALLING them
selves on horse-steak broiled over the
Goals. | was courteously invited to par
ticipate and did take mouthful, bu
was hardly starved enough at that time
to enjoy it. Under similar circum
stances | think l would not again refuse
for horse meat is wholesome and really
not unpleasant to the palate.
The night wore away and before day
light the lines Of the entire army were re-
adjusted and we were confronting Bragg
with full determination to stand by oul
guns and fight the battle through. A:
Gen. Rosecrans expressed it, Bragg was
a good dog, but Holdfast was better.
The second day was passed in COM
parative quiet, each army sullenly glar-
ing at the other and each receiving
fresh ammunition and rationS. Friday,
the third day, opened with spiteful can
nonade and musketry, and
WHEN THE SUN WENT DOWN
the rebel right was broken, and but for
darkness coming their whole army
would have been driven back in utter
route and large portion of it captured.
OF Breckinridge's famous charge on
our left l shall not speak in detail, but
for determination and gallantry it was
a most remarkable movement. 1t was
failure, and the terrible destruction
caused by the Union guns massed on a
knoll commanding the ford of Stones
River and tie ground beyond has few
parallels.
Our pursuit that nj ght and the splen-
did work done by Gen. Jno. F. Miller's
Brigade are matters of history, and need
not have special mention here. The
rebel cannon had been trained on the
river crossing to protect the retreat of
Breckinridge's men, and L remember
wondering whether | could get across
the river between flashes. Darkness was
coming on, and by the flashes we could
gage the rapidity of the firing. l was
fortunate enough to cross without injury,
and was very thankful therefor.
That night the rain again fell, and
continued without intermission all the
next day. As soon as it was light enough
to see objects distinctly l rode over the
field, and more terrible sight / never
witnessed. Our artillery had been terri
bly, destructive, and Breckinridge's men
were piled up in all conceivable ways,
and there lay ghastly in death, with the
pouring rain their last requiem.
War is terrible in its mildest form,
and after the lapse of years can hardly
imagine how we could have viewed death
in its many horrible phases as calmly
as we did.
Saturday night the rebels retreated
UNDER COVER OF DARKNESS,
and the victory was ours. Our regiment
had covered itself with glory and had
done not little towards the success final
ly won, but we had lost 1S9 men killed and
out Of 40 engaged, and each
mourned some of It's bravest
and best.
] think we had few skulkers-every
regiment had some; for the most part
We all did our full duty. The good
soldier tries to protect his life so far as
possible, aud when the time comes for
action sets his face to the front through
sense of duty and not because he loves
lighting. | take little stock in those
who say they would rather fight than
eat, and am free to say that every time
went into battle ] would rather have
been excused. Pride and a sense Of
1uty, however, kept me facing the right
way, and tried to do my best.
| have written entirely from memory,
md if ] have not always been histori-
ally accurate ill my statements / trust
ny comrades will make due allowance
or me. OF one thing | am sure, and
hat is that my heart beats most warmly
or my comrades Of the old 18th, and
know no better regiment ever followed
he flag or wore the blue.
THE MONROE DOCTRINE.