The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1897-06-04
BATTLE-FIELDS.

soLDIERS TALK OVER
ARMY EXPERIENCES.
ne and the Gray Review Incl
of the Late War, and in
,;c and Interesting Manner
r. ca,np, March and Battle.
memorable May of '64.
y-three years ago Tuesday
o. May 4, 1864, Grant in vir-
md Sherman in the Southwest,
upon the closing campaign of
lat war.
be speak of the army served in
Potomac. 1t was then camped at
Ter. Brandy Station, and on the
of the Rappahannock River.
Bwere struck, wagons loaded and
sops in line ready to move before
hit. 1t was a warm, sunshiny
Jay.
h the rise of ground to the east
peper. one could see, in all direc-
THAT moving army-infantry, ar
cavalry-followed by thousands
6yas-covered wagons bearing ra-
ammunition and camp equip
Hi was an army Of fully 100000
4 The march to the Rapidan was
av made and a crossing effected
Int serious difficulty, and before
most of the troops had reached
filderness. The men had muskets
edfellows.
pems but yesterday that Grant, a
man just past AZ, with his glo-
lieutenants, Meade, Hancock,
len, Sedgwick and Burnside. back
! dauntless thousands, plunged in
q Wilderness the 9TH and fought
Ii the bloodiest battles Of the war,
d is Il third of a century. What
hs together it was! The two
Ks had rested for several months;
khot been in great battle since
Fought at Gettysburg the July be-
Except Longstreet's corps, which
Bragg at Chickamauga.
Earmies We're in the best of spin
Both had the utmost confidence in
leaders; both fought with a ten
thay had never before exhibited,
sMhcn the blackness of night fell
Ethem and the roar of battle ceased
Survivors, exhausted, fell asleep
tine groans of the wounded, with
and dying about them. In that
work more than 10000 men died
ERE wounded. 1t was a drawn bat
Neither side could claim a victory.
bat mighty work there was for
ht and his generals between sun
b May 5 and sunrise May 6. So
Lee and his generals great tasks
erform. The wounded had to be
pyed from the field to hospitals.
lines had to be rearranged and
flied with ammunition. Divisions
had lost their command
New ones had to be provided; col
s of regiments had been killed or
hded and new commanders had to
sSigned. During most Of the night
rt was busy receiving reports and
ng orders for the next days finch,
ch began before sunrise with an
ck that for hours promised disas-
+ results to the army Of the Foto-
T 1t was Longstreet's men against
lcock's and a portion of Warre1l's
)S How those men in blue alld
fought in that smoky forest!
be second days fight was really
Eat for the Union army. It had been
fen back after first driving, and suf-
h great loss, but it had also infiict-
peayy punishment upon the enemy.
gstreet was seriously wounded and
psandS Of Lees best men were mus
d out.
pere was feeling throughout the
mat May Z would witness the
y OF the Potomac on the way back
PsS the Rapidan- What gloom it
puced. A fraction Of that army had
to Manassas, in 1861, been whip
and rushed back to Washington; it
gone to the peninsula and worked
70 the back door Of Richmond, and
4 without excuse, fallen back, after
ps nearly $4,000 men in three
plIls' 1t had gone the second time
planassas and suffered defeat; it
crossed the river at Fredericks-
+ ana lost $4,000 men in killed and
|iaed without gaining point, and
/ marched back between two days.
F'u crossed the Rappahannock and
hapldan under Hooker, with
IT, olast of trumpets, met Lee and
lost at charlottesville, lost $4,000
4 "aa then, in the dark, swept back
|as SIDE OF safety. After Gettysburg
I''u moved out to the Rappahannock
tien as suddenly flown back, close
PEV,oWed by Lees legions. A few
F''NS later it went forth to Mine
i remained. in line of battle two or
f. uays and again crept back to
"tnly made up Of other than
'Nah cltlZens would have been
EF'0tallzed after so many mismoves,
|oE; V"i armies We're not made up of
I'Nes, they We're composed of men
'o'ed their country and who knew
l. pe'1e = at stake. But that night of