The herald., 1896-03-15
II am glad these are les


II do mean it; and you are glad,
too"
Then blue eyes passed her scrapbook
to black eyes and pointed to page
containing several clippings telling OF
the killing of their father in Virginia
battle.
Soon after the misleading obituaries
had been read. probably for the hun
dredth time, delegation Of f1ve-blue
eyes and black eyes, reinforced by
curly haired boy and two other girls
trooped into my home workshop, de-
manded an unconditional surrender
and directed me to tell again, after
having told it many time before, the
story which gave excuse for those feel
ing obituary notices. j surrendered
had to.-though the demand came in
far more pleasing way than certain
order of surrender which every now
and then comes back and sets me to
thinking of long ago events.
4 Il 4
The interest manifested by that del
egatiun of blue aud gray-olue eyes
and gray-and black, too-leads me to
thing. that maybe the story is worth
telling In the Times Herald. 1t is 30
personal to my self that 1 suppose more
than one good soul will ask why
didn't he let come one else tell that
story to the public?" But never mind.
A living man ought to be privileged to
furnish proof to clear himself of the
charge Of having been killed in battle,
even at this late day.
4 4 &
The late Gen. John A. Kellogg, OF the
Sixth regiment, had been assigned to
command the iron Brigade. He took
me along as his adjntsnt-general. 1t
made me vain. ] confess 1t. The first
order L signed in the new capacity
stared me in the eye and seemed to say,
,'Yes, you are great man, now. You
we're in at the birth OF the brigade as
private, over three years ago; now look
/ at you. Bat don't get proud, boy;
don't get proud. 1t is something to
succeed such men as Bob Chandler,
Frank Haskill, j. ID. Wood and Bob
Montieth, but don't get proud" The
injunction was needed and my vanity
disappeared. The ruomont that first
order was passed to the clerk with
directions to mako copies Of it to be
| sent to the several regiments of the
all soldiers came to have decided dis
like fora full grown, rugged, COM
pletely developed premoniton. l tried
all sorts of schemes to get rid Of the
unwelcome guest; even went 80 far as
to sit up all night, once, in company
with the general, Captain Garfield and
/ Lieutenant Atherton, in an attempt to
drown him ia some terrible stuff that
! had come to headquarters in canteens.
! The premonition only laughed at ME in
the III 1rning when, with slivers in my
| eyes and a com missary ache In my
head, | asked him if he proposed to
hang about fellow who had no use for
him aud would like to show him the
door. Sleeping or waking, writing or
talking, walking or riding, that pre-
monition stuck closer than bark to a
tree couldn't get anything specific
1 from the tormentur. 1t might mean
capture. "A wound, death or what to me
seemed, then, worse-a blunder or
,eries of blunders, such as ] had heard
of chiefs of staff falling into. l was
ready to chance death, but objected to
the torment of premonition.
When tho brigade pulled out on
March 90. b, the day General Grant bs-
Z III his closing campaign eg INST Lee.
and swung around to the left flank Of
the army, and two days later massed
in piece Of woods about midway be-
tween Graveley Run and White Oak
road, there was not, | guess, a happier
man in the brigade than myself. The
dreadful premonition had left my side.
III ALT an hour later McGowen's two
brigades of five or Elk regiments each
bonnde1 over the breastworks beyond
White Oak road, and came yelling and
running in our direction. They drove
in the skirmish line before our brig ade
could deploy and establish line of
battle in the edge of another piece of
woods, the right regiment extending
field iu their front. Before we had
faced to the front and were ready for
business MEG owens South Carolinia ans
and Virglnians poured volley right
into US. Colonel Tom Kerr of the
Sixth had original ways. He never
was much on dress parade. buta butch
er's bulldog could not do better fight
ing. That volley from the enemy, be-
fore his regiment was quite ready,
made the fighting Irishmsn very mad.
Dignitied, cool-headed General Bragg.
a former colonel, would have said:
"Steady, Sixth! Ready, aim, Fire
Fire at willr' Colonel Kerr said: go
at thin. b'ys; give thin hell for hop
ping onto to us that way" and the
'b'ys" obeyed.
"Adjutant, see how the new regiment
I is getting along" said Commander KeI-
logg
The Ninety-ffth had not open cd yet.
As l rode in front of their line and
looked into the woods and heavy under
brush l heard suspicious noises. Dis
mounting and getting on my hands
and knees l looked in the same direc-
ton, but closer to the ground. One
| look was enough. The enemy was
! creeping up stealthily with heavy
line. 1t was the Ninety -hfth's first
| fight. Realizing that it would not do
to have the enemy turn loose first,
urged the colonel to order volley
at the oncoming host. He seemed to
resent instructions from boy, where
upon the boy struck his dignity, assert
ed his right as chief OF staff and said:
'.Send a volley down there or l will" I"
/ The volley was sent. 1t was rattler
and did terrible work. Then the new
regiment kept firing like veterans. A
| little later McGowen had gotten around
on both fianks of the brigade and still
had a strong force in our front. The
three fires, fl INKS and in 'front.' we're too
much. A retreat was ordered. Cen
|