The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-03-04
BATTLE OF OHIOKAbIAUGA,

Incident About q South Carolina
Soiiior.
mrs. WI FELTON, in Atlanta Constitution.
As the government has already made
tmatntery park OF the battlefield OF
SSnioamauga ~, ,,ag and monuments donated
ny various States are being greeted in
memory OF those who died in the car.
mage OF civil war, it is evident that
everything OF value to the future his.
torlan should be recorded before the
persons who lived and were ncto-a =,
| Ihose stirring times have passed awav.
Ihls 1s true OF the various occurrences
passing events-as we'll as tho statis.
.lcs ol Inc armies themselves and the
mands. WV"
lved near where now reside when
General Bragg's army came out nf
Chattanooga to defend Georgia from
Cen. Rosecreans' advance. EVervbodv
know great battle was impendinc
General Burnside had passed through
Cumberland Gap, occupying East Ten.
| nessee, and Confederate communica-
tion by tho railroad running through
Knoxville to Virginia was cut off. It
became necessity to hold the State
road or give up Georgia to tho enemy.
a long drought had prevailed and the
atmosphere was full Of dust, as troops
and wagon trains passed and repassed,
supplemented by refugee travel south
ward.
General Bragg expected to hold the
country and make decisive engage.
ment, entrenched in the coves and
great valleys of northwest Georgia,
and protected by the mountains and
ridges that had only few accessible
gaps or outlets. AS the summer began
n nk,1i hat
to be in every one's mind and on every
body's tongue. The air was surcharged
with excitement, and the country
Hooded with sensations and rumors.
AS q people, the Confederates were
blindly sanguine, and to look back at
that crisis 1T would seem that we had
really nothing to expect but defeat, as
tho Gordon was drawn closer in every
direction about us, while the outside
foe had unlimited liberty, supplies, am
munltion and men to subjugate the
South.
l remember how confident we be-
came when tho first loaded train passed
along, filled with troops, carrying Cen
ernl James Longstreev's army corps to
General Bragg's relief Tho worry next
day, If mistake not, one of these load
ed trains collided atoStigall's station,
now called Emerson, and eighteen
mangled soldiers were taken out OF the
wreck, and the dangerously wounded
were carried into Cartersville TO be
cared for. The survivors we're hurried
! away to Ringgold, to become food for
| powder and bullets. In o few days the
trains began to come hack filled with
wounded mon taken directly from the
| battle field and carried to the Atlanta
! hospitals. Every sort of car was pushed
| inf loo ot,I I A. E ElIi.
! cattle cars, open to tho weather, filled
to overlooking, with bloody men, who
had ridden all the way amid sitting
clouds OF dust and under scorching
sun at midday. No doubt this discom
fort was OF small moment to those who
had been for days undert he storm OF
shot and shell. The citizens hastened to
their relief with food and fresh water.
Day after day we gathered at the
depot to haul out such supplies to the
hungry and suffering men. Sometimes
the roofs Of the box cars were crowded
| with federal prisoners, as we clamber.
ed inside to feed and give water to the
wounded OF our own army.
One day, after l had done all l coulG
In this line, l saw red silk handker
chief luttoring on tho aide OF boz
car where an opening had been rudclS
made to give air to some wounded sol
diers on the inside. The handkerchie
} was an improvised curtain to shut Of
tho glaring sunlight. 1 climbed ny
, and peeped in to find an officer In uni
, form painting with fcver from a severe
wound in his body. He said his com
wator and he could not cat | begged
him to get of and go to my,home until ht
: was botter. No, he was too sick, ant
| his TREND had boon detailed to 90 t.
Atlanta with him. Ho said his mother
was in Texas, cut off from him and M
Y letter could roach her. AS began to
cry, he caught my hand and eaid 81
0 would like to got wcll to stand in de
. lenso for you good women in the
Y South" [ waited until his comrade
returned and from his whispered word,
\ [ knew there was no hope. The brave
+ officer WAS dead before the trail n reach
0 ed Atlanta and he was an adjutant of ,
: Texas brigade.
: The next day, as the train moved
/, southward, | was attracted by soldier
IN cattle car calling, Lady! lady!"
s found ho was trying to mako me under
! stand that he had laid his comrade of
in the dust because he was dying ant
prayed to be put off that he might die
, in quiet and the shade. rushed arount
as soon as tho track was clear TO find
tho poor man had been lifted into the
, piazza Of q little store near by. HI
was we'll dressed and his Negro servan
| was absolutely daft with fright and OK
citcment. The soldier, I found, wa.
desperately i'll with pneu monia, apt
had lain on the battlefield all tho time
Great shots cut off the tops OF the trees
and the mimic balls fell like hail on tn.
leaves as the lines swept forward ant
backward over and around his pallet.
He was speechless and his tongu,
| was cracked and parched with fever
His own mother would not have know
wero his features, his hair and clothes
with the allpervading dust, which was
shoe-mouth deep in our streets. l pu
tne half-crazed darkey to beating the
dust out OF tho blankets to make more