Evening star., 1898-03-05

c. F. MnndersOn
Indiana and the 10Th Ohio, and we were
charging the enemies works. As / fell
some of the men ran out and bore me back
to the line. They stretched a blanket be-
tween their guns, and upon this carried me
to the rear. There surgeon examined
me. and upon my asking him whether 1
was going TO die, he said that if the bullet
lad not gone into TIE interior walls of the
body might live, but that l would prob
ably be paralyzed. That night / was car
ried to Atlanta, and later on jolted in
hospital train to Chattanooga, and thence
to Philadelphia. My wound healed, but /
have been troubled with it more or less
ever since then. Surgeon General Baxter
once told me that he believed if President
Garfield'S wound had been left alone as
mine was, he probably might have recov-
cred"
Gen. Alger's Escape.
Gen. Russell A. Alger, now Secretary of
War, had a number Of narrow escapes
during his service. One OF his most des-
| perate engagements was at Bonneville
Miss, in July, 1862 1t was shortly after
his appointment Secretary of War that
he told nle the story of his engagement
1t has never been published, but l think
my memoly will cradle NE to give it sub
stantially as he told ii TO me. Said he:
Il Was captain at the time, under Col
Phil Sheridan, commander. We had al
tcgether about 800 men and were at Boone
Vile, when about 1000 confederates under
Gen. Ch2lmers attacked us. The evening
before the battle, / remember / did not
feel at all well. l was suffering from
jaundice and was as yellow as saffron. /
was lying down in my tent when Sheridan
came in. He was then only colonel but
he had the same habits that he afterward
olsplayed He was, you know, very quiet
and backward, except when a possible
| night at hand 'Thap tic u-ln
seemed TO change. His eyes would flash
lie would become profane and would use
expressions which he never uttered in his
quieter moments. He asked me how /
Wis. I replied that did not feel well. hut
that | could do anything he wanted done.
Well said he, 4 do want a Job done.
Gen. Chalmers is coming against us with
fis army. He is almost upon us now and
we must stampede him. l want You to
take all the men You can get and quietly
move around back Of the rebels and with
IN IN an hour from now want you to charge
INTO them yith a yell and knock h out of
them. We will hear your yell and viii
cnarge at them in front at the same time
After a few words further we shook
n hands. Col. Sheridan saying he thought
1t might probably be for the last time |
called my men together. We were about
hundred In all. We went around
through the woods and got behind the con-
1ederates, and then made dash right IN
the road, which was filled with them.
IOSS.
we gave a yell as we charged We had
men in the woods at the sides of the road
aid the cheer went up from US all as we
galloped down on the surprised confederates.
We went SO fast that in passing between
two 'confederates l remember I had both
my knees skinned. We lost half our force
within less than two minutes but the rush
and surprise was such that We stampe,led
the rebels and went almost through them
In the meantime Sheridan had attacked
in front and was forcing them in the back
we could see them coming and l ordered
my men to turn and retreat as / saw we
were being swallowed up by the men com
ing toward u.s. The road was filled, and
We had to go into the woods to get out of
the way Ny horse carried me against the
nmp OF a tree, which caught me in the
ribs. twisting and breaking my left leg
mad no use of that leg for the next ten
years, but it is now all right again. The
blow knocked me off my horse and as I
stood there, l received several thrusts of
the rebel soldiers going past me- 1 was a
1alriy good swordsman, however. and par
ried them. Then l noted an old tree with
some grape vines about it. / threw myself
down into the vines and tainted. l must
nave lain there an hour, for when I came
to there was no one in sight 1t was very
quiet. l dragged myself slowly up and
crawled along to the road. 1 was stag
gertng down this when 1 saw some cav
airy coming. 1 thought it might perhaps
VIC lLS TtDtiS, SO 1 MA Dehlnd tree, As
they came nearer, however l saw they
were our troops. 1t was the I'd Iowa. i
came out. and as the men saw me thew
gave cheer. They carried me back to
camp, and after a time 1 got well again
1t was that battle that made Sheridan a
brigadier general, and it was upon his
recommendation for my services in it that
l was promoted to be major and later on
made lieutenant colonel of the 9th Michi-
gan Cavalry
Secretary Sherman's Nerve.
Secretary Sherman has never been in the
army, but had he entered the service he
would undoubtedly have shown as much
bravery as did his famous brother, the
general. He has never been afraid of dam
ger During his first days in Congress.
now almost forty years ago, he went out to
Kansas to take testimony in the congress
sional investigation of the Kansas-Nebras-
ka troubles. The western frontier was
then filled with ruffians Assassinations
were frequent, and Congressman Sherman
was again and again threatened with death.
He told me once that the committee often
found warnings, the paper above which was
ornamented with cofins and pictures of
skulls and cross-bones. Now and then the
witnesses swore vociferously at the con-
gresham and nearly every other man had
revolver at his belt When Sherman re-