The Portland daily press., 1896-02-08
AND we cross our own doorsill
We'll tell our chi1dher's childher
OF the fight On Shiloh Eli.

OF the fight on Shiloh hill.
After this T saw no more Of Kelley
till September of the same year, when
our garrisons at Iuka and Corinth were
being made ready for the expected at-
tack of the enemy under Price and Van
Dorm. was riding with an order to
General Hamilton S headquarters when
I passed on the dusty road an sSs, shah
billy dressed man. I recognize%she face
in an instant, though it was covered
with stubble of gray beard The high
hat and the blue coat were Exchanged
for worn costume consistinGof Fed
eral infantryman's blouse, Confederate
cavalry trousers and skullcap The
old ballad singer limped and carried
crutch. pulled in and called out;
"Hello, Kelley! When were you
wounded?s
He drew himself up, gave me salute
in excellent style, and said: Sure, it's
shame for young man like you for to
be maxim game Of an ould man Like me.
All! I wish this blessed minute that i
was able to be wounded. But it's the
rheumatics, sir, and begorra, they've
most kilt me-.
In reply to my question as to where
he had been since he wrote the ballad of
"Shiloh Hill," he said that he had been
"hidin away, sick, God help me-" He
asked where General Rosecrans could be
found, and directed him. Then he
evinced great alarm as to the safety of
the garrisons at Iuka and Corinth.
"Faith, I'm afraid we won't be able to
hold our own agin the inimy when they
come," he said. laughed at his fears,
but I refused to give him my reasons for
my confidence.
That was season of constant changes
and ceaseless action. thought no more
Of the old ballad singer till just before
that magnificent fight at Corinth, the
outcome Of which established enduring
" Rosecrans' fame as fighter.
The few cavalry then in northern Mis-
sissippi were worked down to skin and
bone with their ceaseless watching OF
the enemy. AT this time printed de-
scription Of Kelley was sent from head
quarters, with orders to hang him when
ever and wherever be was caught. do
not recall ever having whispered my
suspicious OF the ola man TO another, but
/ know congratulated myself on my
penetration in this case and my ability
to read character.
On the eve Of that battle, when every
available man was down in Corinth to
be ready for the onset that must inevi-
tally result in thorough defeat Of She
enemy or an irretrievable disaster to
ourselves, heard from companion
that Kelley, the Song Man. Kelley,
the spy, had been caught and hanged by
some Of Grierson' 3 -asn.
In speaking Of these events there is a
strong temptation to ignore for the time
the subject Of this sketch and to describe
for I recall the whole scene as if it
had happened yesterday-the mad as
saults Of Price and Van Dorm on cur in
ferior force ct Corinth. Bloodier battles
than that were fought before and after
ward, but doubt if in any contest the
enemy lost more heavily fer the number
engaged. Net even at Gettysburg did
Longstreet's veterans exhibit more
reckless valor than did the gray brigades
which Van Dorm hurled over tho OBJ
structions and against the all devouring
batteries Of Corinth.
There for the first time I heard Union
troops cheering the desperate but futile
valor of the Confederates. This was
when the Texan General Rodgers, fol-