The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-12
SENATOR HARRIS IN BATTLE.
How He Got the Green Tennessee Mi
Iitia to Fight at Shiloh.
Washington Letter in New York World.

Washington Letter in New York World.
No man will be more missed from public
life by the newspaper correspondents than
the late Senator Harris, Of Tennessee, al
though he had an intense hatred of all
newspapers and most newspaper men. He
once said: If | could have my way would
melt all the type into bullets and turn all
the paper into wads and all the presses
into guns and would shoot the heads off
every editor in the United States"
TO newspaper man who asked him for
the grounds on which he opposed the con-
1irmation of nomination pending before
the Senate ne said: Young man, II by say
ing one word / could prevent the wreckage
of time and eternity and all the worlds I'll
be blankety-blanked if l would say ii.
A Southern woman, a relative of the dead
senator. tells the following stories illustrat-
ing some of his pecuarties:
"A short time ago | was spending the
WheI he suddenly asked: Did / ever tell
you how | managed to make the Tennessee
militia fight at the battle of Shiloh?"
Il said no with as much enthusiasm as
could put into the monosylable, for l knew
the old war Governor of Tennessee could
once got started. He commanded ex olficio,
the militia Of the State during the war,
and would delegate that duty to no one If
he could help it. His friends often told
him he was TOO useful in the State Capitol
to risk his life in battle, he relentlessly
did every time he went on the field. He
. "A day or two before the battle of Shi-
lob General Albert Sidney Johnson, who,
Dy the way, was, next 10 Lee, the great
est general we had, wrote me that we need
ed achievements l reached the field with
about three regiments of the greatest re-
cruits you ever saw. They were from the
mountains and the pillow. They knew how
to shoot well enough, but they had no dis
cipline and / hadn't had the time to put
them through the drill. L saw a battle was
imminent.
Il confess was nervous when l rode
into the fight with those men. / made
them a short talk before things got hot,
and promised them 1 would not ask them
to go where l was afraid to lead them.
Later the bullets began TO fly, and l was
ordered to advance on the enemys left
flank. My three regiments OF recruits were
in front. / held them up in fair order until
the bullets began to fall like haistones.
Then they turned and ran like turkeys.
galloped after them, cursed them well and
reminded them that they held the honor of
Tennessee in their hands. think the ours
ing brought them to their senses, and they
got in shape and advanced again. When
the firing became severe they ran again.
SWore at them in vain.
g Finally l remembered that raw men
had been known to fight well behind breast
l got them behind it. You remember what an
awful battle Shiloh was. Well, those men
seemed inspired from the time they got
behind the fence They took deliberate aim
and fired with telling effect. The enemy
was advancing, and l knew that in a few
moments they would have to be ordered to
throw the fence and charge bayonets.
Would they do it? 1 kept asking myself:
g The order came. They had learned to
HSnl, ndQ lOSl SlSlL Ol OdUSel III the ell
thusiasm of battle. l gloried in them as
they threw down the frail barrier and
rushed to a bayOnet charge with the cour-
age of veterans They were fighting like
demons, and | realized that it was safe for
me to leave them to go to another part of
the field.
"'As [ rode off I saw Albert Sidney John
son reel in his saddle. l fastened to his
side. He told me he was wounded. l helped
him dismount placed him comfortably I'M
der a tree and gave him a drink out of my
canteen which L always kept filled with
whisky instead of water The battle was
raging, and he insisted that there was not
much the matter with him. He persuaded
me to leave him, as he thought my presence
was needed elsewhere. When l returned 1
found he dying from loss of blood. A
ball had severed an artery in the leg, which
could have been closed easily and q most
valuable life saved. He was the most gal
liant soldier 1 ever knew, and L loved him as
l did a brother
Senator Harris was three times elected
Governor of Tennessee, and has served in
the Senate ever since he left Nashville. His
father and mother left North Carolina a
few months before he was born. He always
spoke affectionately of that State as his
Weste Harris, of the North Carolina Con-
tinental line.
He was approached in the rotunda once
by very young page, who asked: Senator
has the Senate adjourned?
" Not yet was the answer; and before
we do adjourn we are going to pass bill
to hang all the impudent young pages in the
Senate
He was very fond of a game of poker
but he would not play unless there was a
small amount of money up to make il in
tereSting. "