The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1897-09-09
THE BATTLE-FIELDS
OLD SOLDIERS TALK OVER
ARMY EXPERIENCES.
The Blue and the Gray Review Incl
dents of the Late War, aud in n
Graphic and Interesting Manner
Tell of Camp, March and Battle.
An Innocent Boy SDy.

|
Shiloh supplies for the army were haul
ed by team from Pittsburg Landing
Our regiment had sent three teams fol
rations. My company was doing pro
vost duty in Corinth when the teams
returned. | noticed little boy on &
load of hard tack. He was covered
with dust: his hat was badly torn and
his clothes were ragged. When the
team stopped in front of my quarters
he called out: Hello, Uncle Sam,
guess you don't know me-
Il didn't, but said. Come here He
climbed down from the wagon and
tmidly came to my side. Then | recog-
niZed him. He was my brothers boy
the brother then living in Galena. ] said
to him: What on earth are you doing
down here, Albert?'
We'll, uncle. wanted to see fight
and father wouldn't let me go to the
war; he said l was not old enough to
be soldier. so | ran away
| How did you manage to get here? T
81 crawled out of the window at
night and went to the depot and laid in
with the engineer, and he took me to
Chicago, and then Clipped in with an
other engineer who took me to st.
Louis. There l got on board of the
steamer John Warner. The captain
was going to put me off at Cairo, but |
| hid away in Il bunk and he couldn't
out and told the captain l wanted to
find the Eighteenth Wisconsin: that
my Uncle Sam was in that regiment,
and if l could find him he would pay
for my passage. The captain told me
that the Eighteenth was at Corinth,
twenty miles from the river. When
got off the boat at the landing 1 asked
some men if they knew where the
Eighteenth was camped. and one of
them said he belonged to that regiment,
so | piled onto his wagon and came
with him. Uncle Sam, do you think
you fellows will have fight here
soon? l want to see fight awful bad
81 can't tell. We may and we may
not
After he had cleaned up little the
boys got him some supper and then he
lay down and was soon fast asleep.
wrote to his father telling him that his
boy was with me and would go back
home as soon as he saw fight He re-
manned with me until October before
he had chance to see fight. About
the LIST of October he came to me and
said: Uncle Sam. want to get out into
the country and see what can find out
there l had bought him some new
clothes, regular butternut suit. and
he being a small, thin, sallOw- looking
boy, one would bet he was Johnny's
son. He was only 13 years old and quite
small for his age. / told him did not
like to have him go away alone. But
he was bound to go. | saw no more of
him for four days. l was greatly alarm
ed. On the fourth day he came back.
He had three chickens and a lot of
dried peaches tied up in woman's
skirt. l asked him where he had been.
I have been to Ripley That was about
twenty miles from Corinth. 4 saw
Price and Van Dorm Both were there
l stayed all night with one of the Ar
Kansas regiments. The Colonel's name
Is Rogers. / was close to Price. He is
quite an old man and fat. Van Dorm
Is a young man, tall and slim. with
dark hair and chin whiskers, with
mustache. They are coming to fight
you; soon. too. and they are coming by
way of Chewalla. l heard them talking
1t over. They have lots of soldiers
there, too. and cannon and horses
Il became convinced that he was tell
Ing the truth. so went with him to see
General Rosecrans. The General had
long talk with the little fellow and WAS
much interested in him and his story.
He said TO me: Captain. this boy is n
hero. and | want you to let him stav
with me. l can make good use of him,
l told him fe was not my boy and |
couldn't do it.
In few days, sure enough. Price
and Van Dorm made an attack on onr
outpost at Chewalla. Then came tbe
battle of COrinth. During the hottest
of the fight Albert came to the front
Here, Uncle Sam, is some water for
you and the boys He had four can
teens. 1t was what the men most want
ed. l scolded the little rascal and sent
him to the rear He did not go far.
saw him behind a big tree watcbipo
the fight.
The day after the battle. and while
we were walking over the field We saw
a wounded Johnny sitting under tree
in the brush. He had been shot
through the leg. We took him TO tho
hospital, where his wound was dressed
l often called to see him afterward.
One day, while talking with him. he
said to me: 1 saw that boy of yours
over at Ripley few days before the
battle
"'Oh. | guess you are mistaken
But l know | did: he's the same
boy that stayed all night with u.s.
while in Missouri some eight years
ago | met Johnnie who had lost an |
arm at Nicksburg. He said: Say. Cap |
tain. think l know you. Wasn't you
at the battle of Corinth:'
81 was
Didn't you have a boy there?
My brothers boy was with me-
" 1 am the fellow you found in the
woods shot through the leg. Cap, you
know l told you l saw that boy at Rip
ley before the battle. And so l did. as
sure as you live
Z" I guess you are right. Johnnie. The
boy told me he was there. but didn't
want to own it at that time
"A week after Corinth Albert came
10 me and said: Uncle Sam, I've seen
a battle, and now I'm ready to go
home and the next day he started for
Galena, as proud a boy as you ever
saw. He grew to honorable manhood.
but was mustered with the majority
years agO."-J. A. Watrous, in Chicago
Herald.
What Pa Wanted.
Many ludicrous episode enlivened
he lives of the soldiers during the Civ
| War. and one told on a Louisianian is
good enough to rank with the best. |