The record-union., 1897-06-11

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. the enemy on the right opposite, drew
the fire of a Confederate battery, and
the old log church came in for a share
of its compliments. This duel had not
lasted more than ten minutes when
Confederate shell struck a calsson IN
our battery, and an explosion took
place, which made things IN that spot
exceedingly uncomfortable. The Gap
tain was killed, and his Lieutenant
thinking that he had done his duty,
and doubtless, satisfied in his own mlno
that the war was over SO far as ne was
concerned, limbered up his remaining
pieces, and, with such horses as ne hao'
galloped to the rear and was not seen
at any other time I believe, during the
two days engagement.
By this time the enemy was press
ing closely on my left flank, and Shiloh
Church. with its ancient logs was no
more a desirable place for military oo-
eervat,on hurried over to the head
quarters of the Seventieth Ohio Regl-
ment taking advantage OF such IrieiuiS
trees as presented themselves on the
line of my movement, and there Iouho
a state of disorder. The tents were
pretty we'll ripped with shell ana pui-
lets. and wounded men were pelng car
ried past me to the rear. AS sloou
there, debating in my nina Whether
to ioin my fathers command or con-
finue nv independent action, three men
approached. carrying a sorely wounded
officer in a blanket. They called me
to assist them, and as my place really
was with the hospital corps. being
,,a11ciniQn cOmDDGQ
with their request. We carried the poor
fellow some distance to the rear
through thick wood, and found there
a scene of disorder, not to say panic
Men were flying in every direction,
commissary wagons were Struggling
through the underbrush, and the ROADS
were packed with fugitives ana Dag-
gage trains, trying to carry on the I'M
pedmenta of the army. Finding COM
paratively empty wagon, we placed our
wounded officer inside, and then, lett at
liberty. / started on down toward the
Tennessee River / had not proceeded
more than a mile when | encountered
brigade of Illinois troops drawn up in
battle array. apparently waiting for or
ders. 1t was General McArthur's High
land Brigade. the members OF Whlch
wore Scotch caps, and l must say tnat
a handsomer body of troops never saw.
These fellows had been at Fort Donel-
son, and they counted themselves as
veterans They had their regimental
band with them, their flags were all
unfurled, and they were really dancing
impatiently to the music of the battle
in front of them. AS I sauntered by,
a clipper young Lieutenant, sword in
hand, stopped me and said:
Where do you belong?"
'I belong to Ohio" was my reply.
"Wen, Ohio is making bad show of
itself here to-day" he said. Il have
seen stragglers from a dozen Ohio regi-
ments going past here for half an hour.
Ohio expects better work from her sons
than this
AS I was one of Ohio's youngest sons,
my State pride was touched.
do you want to come and fight with
us?" he said
l responded that l was willing to take
a temporary berth in his regiment. he
asked me my name, and especially in
quired whether / had any friends on
the field. l gave my fathers name and
regiment, and saw him make a careful
entry in little passbook which he af-
terward placed in the bosom of his coat,
as he rather sympathetically informed
me that my friends should know of it.
Thus l became temporarily attached to
Company B. of the Ninth Illinois Regi-
ment McArthur's brigade. Several
other men from other regiments who
had been touched by this young offi-
GERS patriotic appeal also took places In
our ranks.
Rather a strange situation that for
boy-enlisting on the battlefield, in a
command where there was not face
that he had ever seen before; only one
face, indeed, that had any touch
of sympathy in it, and that belonging
to the young officer who had mustered
him.
We waited here for three quarters of
an hour before receiving the command
to move. During that time, one of the
regimental bands played Hail Colum-
bia." 1t was the first and only time that
I heard music on a battlefield and soon
afterward I saw that heroic band play
ing "Over the Hills and Far Away"
That is to say, they would have gone
over the hills if there had been any in
came to move to the front. BY this
time the stream of fugitives on the
road rendered it almost impossible, but
we forced our way through them, and
in due time reached the point where our
men were being severely driven. At
first. we were sent to strengthen the
line from point to point. and twice that
morning our brigade was moved up to
support field batteries, which service, l
must say from my brief experience, is
the most annoying in modern warfare.
| These batteries drew not only the ar
tillery fire of the enemy, but they fur
nished a point for the concentrated fire
of all the infantry in front. To be in
supporting position was to receive all
| the bullets that were aimed at the bat
terry, and which, of course, usually vex
the rear. The shells intended for the
| battery in your front have habit al
ways of flying too high or bursting just
high enough in air to make 1t pleasant
for the troops who are hald in compar-
ative inactivity. Under these conditions
we hugged the ground very closely, and
fallen timber of every kind was most
gratefully and thankfully recognized.
1t is amazing how rapidly time flies
under these circumstances / am sure
there were occasions that morning
when twenty minutes exposure to fire
behind these field batteries seemed to
me an entire week. Everything looked
weird and unnatural The very leaves
on the trees, though scarcely out OF
the bud, seemed greener than l had
ever seen leaves, and larger. The faces
of the men about me looked like no
faces that I had ever seen on earth.