The National tribune., 1899-12-21
FIGHTING THEM OVER.
What the Veterans Have to Say
About Their Campaigns.
A WOUNDED MAN AT SHILOH.
Lying in Ravire for Many Hours, He Wit
messed Desperate fighting on Two Days.

Lying in Ravire for Many Hours. He Wit
messed Desperate fighting on Two Days.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Some
weeks ago, your paper contained an articl'
| by Comrade OaleS on the part played by
| the 9th ILL., at tine battle of Shiloh, whici
attracted my attention and awakened
| memories that, while Slumbering, are as
vivid as though the events were but oi
Yesterday. Those terrible days-ApriI
| 6 and Z, 1S62-were filed with events
bringing suffering to many thousands
and carrying sorrow TO hearts i'll both the
North and the South that still bleed because
of the misery then begun.
1t is not my intention to go over all the
steps leading up TO the battle, but rather tc
refer To some events chiefly inside the
enemy's lines that fell under my observa'
ton. Ny regiment, the same of when
Comrade Oates wrote, was among those
first debarked at the Landing, and wen'
into camp not far from the position occu
pied by Sherman at the close Of the first
DAYS battle On Friday the 4th orders
were received to be prepared to march AT q
moments notice with three days cooked
rations, and by night the rations were
ready, and supply of cooked ratlonS was
kent on hand, so that when we fell lntC
ranks Sunday morning each man could
march TO the field abundantly prepared.
Early that morning the sound of flrlne
on the lines at our front had attracted
attention. and, coupled with the knowledge
of skirmishing on previous days, we IN
ferred that Il battle Of large proportions
| was on.
Just as the drums had sounded fol
| gllard-mouniing an Orderly dashed into
camp, and in a moment the long roll sound
! ed from the drum at headquarters. Long
| before Stragglers, some Of them wounded
had begun passing through our camp
| bringing stories Of disaster ut the front, bu'
| instead of filling our boys with fear, they
| only served to inspire them with desire
| 10 go to the front which amounted. II
| some cases, almost to a frenzy. and Tho
| sound OF the drum was met by glad shouts
| from one end of the regiment to the other.
quote from my diary, which is at hand
rs | write: In less than four minutes by the
| watch from the beginning Of the long roll,
| tae regiment WIS formed on the color-line,
| waiting the order 10 march to the field.
| As We stood some of the straggiers Were
induced to fall in with u.s. and one young
man stepped into the ranks at my side,
marched 10 the field, and fought like a
hero till we were driven out OF our flfSt
position.
Without Dwelling upon details Of our
getting into the action, SO graphically
given by Comrade Oa.es, / will say that
We entered il at what became the famous
Hornets Nest. near the bloody pool. Our
DJsitiOn was in a rdvlne, the right being
fairly we'll protected; the lett, being farther
DOWN, had Il hill behind which we could
retire to load. Soon men began to fall,
for the firing on both sides was terrible.
rs | was ascending the hill to fire Paul
Walters, who, in the confusion, had drlfted
from his position farther to the right, came
tumbllng back into my arms, the first man
shot near to where | stood. We carried
him to a pool Of water near by, where he
could quench his thirst, and returned TO
our place and work in the line.
After hours which seemed to multiply
in length, we at the left noticed confusion
TO the right Of our line. The line had been
broken by the falling back of our supports,
and. being charged from front and flank,
u retreat had been ordered, but before we
knew OF it the right was far advanced to-
wards the rear.
Starting back we found in ravine at
our rear the 32d H., which had come to our
support. Here | met Capt. Armstrong,
Lieut.. Cogill, Abner Clotfelter, and one
or two others of my company. We halted
for time, but seeing that the body of the
regiment had gone still farther towards
the rear, Capt. Armstrong ordered us to join
them. AS | was ascending the hill, only
a few steps to the rear, a ball glanced across
my left shoulder, tearing the clothing and
the skin for eight or ten inches,
burning like Il hot iron.
Only a step or two farther, and another
struck my right hip. tearing its way through
about II inches of flesh, striking two bones
on the way, thus giving me my pension"
in earnest. | had but barely struck the
ground as | fell, when a third shot. partly
spent, entered my right hand. sSDat. spat
the bullets fell all around, each threaten
ing death To even those already wounded.
Being unable to rise. / rolled over and
over for several feet till | found myself III a
little hollow. ont OF Immediate danger.
Divesting myself of haversack and car
and placing my canteen under
my head for a pillow, | tried TO make myself
and began looking about me.
] discovered that the charge which had
driven lis from our position had been partici-
pated in by three regiments Of Johnnies,
one of which had come from our Immediate
front; the other, marching obliquely, had
come from our right, and the other, hy a like
had come from our left, all
three passing in sight of where | lay, one
If them making n stand in the same ravine.
Our boys had evidently made stand not
far towards the rear, for those who made
their halt here were solidly checked, and
were driven back in Il few minutes. leaving
rs who lay there between the lines OF fire.
A gain they advanced, and again made
heir stand on the same ground. our boys
lighting bravely, evidently, for their halt
vas again a prolonged one before they
spranG to another charge, driving our lines
ill farther rearward.
Being now wholly within the rebel lines
md away from the line Of fire. there was
ime to look around and take i'll the situation.
n this ravne. pierced by the crosSfre from
hree charging lines. more than 50 men lay
lead or wounded. So far as | know only
wo of these besides myself belonged to
NY regiment, though there may have
been many more. as | had no way of com
with those at any distance.
Not more than 20 feet away lay one
# Co. /, known as "Portngee," from his
lark complexion. He had been instantly
killed, and, as he fell, grasped a small
hickory tree, to- which he clung i'll death.
A little farther was one of my own COM
oany, William Haller, shot through the
abdomen. We could not get to each other
but each showed the other the nature of his
wound. Poor Haller died during that
terrible night which followed.
Who can picture the awful scenes of the
hours that followed? During the rest of
the day. while the hospital parties of the
enemy were passing about. many of our
boys were as tenderly cared for as cir
and other help, Haller being often min
came, the cries of the wounded were heart
Gradually the sound Of battle died away
in the darkness, as each side sought much
needed rest.
Now began something which, at the
time, ! was at loss to understand. All
through that long night there was the
sound of moving troops going to the rear
n alopp the CDrinth road WapopS and