Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1899-11-23
BLUE AND THE GRAY
eRAvE MEN WHO MET ON THE
FIELD OF Battle.

Thrilling et1ries Of the RebeIiien-
Old soldieEs and Sailors Relate Remi.
absences Of Life I'm Camp and ON
the Field-Incidents Of tho War.
Oshkosh and Fond du Lac, Wis.,,
scorch each other through the press,
but let disaster overtake either and
see how quickly the other goes to the
rescue. In 1859 Oshkosh had great
fire. She appealed to Fond du Lac for
help. A little lawyer was captain or
No. 2. The engine made the run OF
seventeen miles In twenty-three min
utes. Like hurricane the Fond du
Lac boys swept over the bridge to
Main street, where they saw flames
flashing the. street through which they.
must take their machine. The lawyer
captain counted the chances and cost
and made up his mind that he could
90 through the cloud of smoke and
fame, and his shrill voice rang out:
Forward, No. q" And No. went
forward like the wind. A little later,
with hair singed and hands and faces
blistered, the men, cheered by thou
sands of Oshkoshians, were doing fine
service in checking the fire.
During the next six years the little
lawyer was placed In many far more
difficult positions than that Of flying
through smoke and fame on an Osh-
kosh street. recall several Of them.
He was Lieutenant Colonel Of West
ern regiment the morning Of Sept. II,
1862, when McClellan's army, at An
tietam, was awakened by Lees guns.
The second shell exploded In his regi-
ment, killing and wounding fifteen
men, poor Young losing both arms.
Those who have witnessed such a
scene do not need to be told that there
was CONSERVATION and show Of de-
moralization In the ranks The little
lawyers penetrating voice, full Of con-
fdence, rang out: STEADY, men Of the
Sixth; steady, there, mem" The men
knew that voice. They had heard it in
the rattle, rumble and roar Of battle
at Gainesville, Second Bull Run and
South Mountain, and in an instant ev-
cry man was in his place and all ap-
pearance Of CONSERVATION and demon
alization had disappeared. heard
General John Gibbon, Of the regular
army, now retired, who commanded
the brigade at Antietam, say, In speak
ing Of the incident: 1T was one of the
most trying moments Of my military
career. 1 knew that Ifs that regiment
broke it would endanger the whole
brigade line, and when / saw the little
Colonel hold his regiment / felt like
huRging him; but q moment later we
were all too busy making history that
will thrill American hearts as long as
there are American hearts to thrill to
think of anything else"
The captain of No. was Brigadier
General the 18th Of June, 1864. His
brigade led In charge at Petersburg.
While close to the line, with shot, shell,
canister and bullets flying faster than
swarm of bees and making million
times more noise, a shell struck tree
just above his head and the shock
tumbled him from his horse. Many of
his men saw him fall. There is little
that is more demoralizing in battle
than to see a popular leader killed or
disabled. There were evidences Of wa
vering in the line. The little generals
eyes opened very wide, his wits return
ed to him quickly, and, while resting
on his elbows, he gave an aid this or
der: Tell the brigade to hold its posi-
| ton until order 1t back" Before the
aid reached the line the general was
climbing onto his horse, when he rode
along the line to disprove the report
that he had been killed That ride was
as good as the enforcement Of a
regiment. The little lawyer was Gen
eral Edward s. Bragg, Of Fond du Lac
Chicago Times Herald.
The "Greenback Raid"
Once Mosby, while unattended by
any Of his command, captured two
Federal cavalrymen. This story Is
thus related by Williamson:
He stopped at farm house John
Coleman's), for the purpose of making
some inquiries, when hearing noisein
his rear, he turned and perceived two
Federal cavalrymen picking cherries
from tree. Riding to where the two
| men were standing, he asked, What
regiment do you belong tor" The wa
terproof which Mosby had thrown over
his shoulders to protect him from the
drizzling rain, hid his gray uniform,
and the cavalrymen, not suspecting
who he was, answered that they were
from the Fifth New York. He told
them who he was and demanded their
surrender. AS they were unarmed and
had only struggled from their camp
near by, there was no alternative and
they yielded.
Coming In sight Of the pike heA dis