The San Francisco call., 1896-01-25
RETREAT OF A HORSE.
Gunpowder and Bullets Not in the Lik
ing of General Kellogg's Roam.


ing of General KelIogg's Roam.
"Let me tell about one of the trials of a
good soldier with bad horse during the
war;" said a veteran few days ago upon
hearing a tale of different nature. The
late General John A. Kellogg, who fought
his way from a lieutenant of a company to
commander of q brigade, bought mag
niticent roam a few days before General
Grant began the closing campaign. Itwas
o highspirited creature, tall, powerful and
speedy. Kellogg was greatly pleased with
his new possession. His staff had to do
good deal of fast riding for week before
the closing scenes of the great contest be-
gan. The general seemed to want every
one in the Fifth Corps to see his handsome
roam, so he rode from camp to camp max
ing social calls, his staff, made up largely
of new riders, bobbing and jolting after
him. There was not a man of Kellogg S
military family but regretted the birth of
that roam. He was iolting their young
lives away.
The day of reckoning came at the battle
of Gravelly Run, or, as some call it, White
Oak Road, March 81, 1865. kellogg
massed his brigade in piece of woods.
About 10 o'clock it became necessary to
move quickly to better position and get
4llbO 11hC VI OdbGtC 1OI 1iu1lGQ business,
for division of the other folks was coming
that way, practicing on their famous
Yell song. Just as the brigade was in
line, and almost before il had got its beat
ing heart well under foot, the enemy
poured vast sheet of LEAD at US. STAND
fast, men; hold your ground" COM
manded Kellogg from his prancing
That, with the roar and battle oil
the Union guns, was too much for
the roam. He bounded into the air and
seemed to turn around, facing the rear.
before he struck the ground. In spite oi
Kellogg's weight on the bits and his
frantic whoas, the roam ''limbered'' to the
rear at greater speed than he had ever
travelled, while churning the staff into a
sideacbe.. Away they dashed, horse and
rider, and at most critical time. It was
| hot fight, and no time for the general to
| timber to the rear. Just as the chief of
staff directed an orderly to go to the gen.
erals rescue, and gave him a safe horse. I
saw Kellogg slide down the tail of the fiy-
ing roam and start on dead run for the
line of battle. The hot comments General
kellogg made on his roam that and the
next day would make thick book, wholly
unfit for family and church use
1t was due to the equine population to
say that 1t was very uncommon thing
for horse to try to get away from battle.
A thousand men longingly looked for a
chance to climber to the rear and 'scooI
coffee" during fight where one horse
even tried to escape bullets. The man
reasoned and the horse didn't. Most
horses in battle, unless wounded, were as
unconcerned, apparently, as if they had
been pulling plows or reapers, The man
IN battle who was unconcerned as one
holding plow or driving reaper was a
fool. Men who say they were as hapnv
and contented in battle as while at home
on the farm or eating Christmas dinner
lie. Such thing is impossible unless the
man is a fool, and fools don't enlist.-Chi-
cago Times Herald