Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1899-08-11
1Ac.h,~ Rssr<~t f,on Buif Kan.

"a IA u d0OtS S06 0ClCl y
upon Something tangible WAS to be
doDa General Irwin Mcdowell was
placed IN command OF the (tlen) first
army organization. entitled 1.-The Army
OF ths Potomac" and he pushed some
OF the re-enfUrcsments eve the long
HT1dSa, as far as the "four-mlle rum"
between Washington city and AeXan-
drtR. Va, and exactly four miles from
either place The Confederate sentries
who had been mtroutng the bridge, al
naoat 10 the Washington shle, We're
driven info Alexandria. Rabdd news
Inle1 editors of The fyseahng variety
wsHe cla,norous for the Government
ITO gct q move on itself," demanding
the immediate suppression OF the re-
tellton. cApsUIe Of the leaders, and
their summary execution They were
complaining Of Lfncon's slowness, in
dIatsrg that he might DO Influenced
by the fact thai his wtfe's relatives
were all Southern people and SECESSION
ists Witch, they maintained. was caus-
ing the unnecessary delays. With
Washington Overrun with troops, why
the t~nacton: Why WAS not a decisive
blow struck7 One would be enough
to settle the whole business H1f the
nuMhHe Of tnope in and around Wash
ingtOn could wipe out the insurrectton.
dtsperoe everybody. hang the RAIDERS
at Leisure. and before the winter sgt in
all would be lovely and the goose
HING high" II matters we're brought to
this clsis al urcs. An this and much
| r,nY, >on NtNrnl into tAD INV rs %h,
administration by these b~loodthtrsty
pencdllers. who cautiously talked from
the shoulder h their several sanct,ms,
many furlongs from any prospective
scene Of carnage, taking particular
pains that they would not risk their
precious hides in anything pertaining
to q hro!l. How this music changed
after the first battle of Bun Run! What
on eyu-o1ener that event proved to be
to both sides. A nation panic-str1ckcn;
bianched faces North and South; two
armies IN full retreat each from the
othef@one ordered by the commanding
General Mcdowell, the other not wait
ing for an orier-feeing in opposite df-
rectionA the Confetlerates having fully
fifteen minutes the start OF the Union
forces; both Elnlc-stricken, at the sane
hour on that Sunday afternoon of the
day ON which tho memorable battle
WIS fought. racing from that scene of
slaughter, one tn the South. the other to
the North. almost hopelessly democrat
tied. the Southern army three times as
much as our own; and yet no reports of
our army officers; OF purse not OF
theirs none by newspapers or other
public or Official channels by either side
mentions a retreat by tho C~onfederates
J1edsOe'. Battery.
Il was a member Of Captain Hiram
Bledsoes famous Missouri battery"
said y man Who is living IN New York.
Ills recent death about the
last prominent figure In the Confeier-
ate ranks from Missouri. Except in
the presence OF his superior officers he
preferred to have his men call him Hi.
He vent Into the wak right at the be-
ginning. The men who first enlisted
under him We're his neighbors and ac-
q%uatntances TN Cass County. where he
lived since the Mexican wal.
There were Eve brothers in his first
command. When they presented them
selves for enlistment al asked them
If they had not better divide, and
added that he did not want to have the
entire family. But the boys insisted,
and Il Il a singular fact that they, with
,heir commander. fought through the
wax. So far as l can now recall no
member Of the Bledsoe battery was
ever reprimanded. 1t vas a model or
ganisaton. It's discipline was army
talk. And when B,edsoe mel General
BeaureSard for the first time BeaIre-
gard compltnented him on the reputa-
ton OF his command, and asked him
the secret of It. Bledsoe's reply was
that hts command was composed of
gentlemen. and that he treated them
accordingly at all times. When this SUI
perb organization was decimated and it
WAS proposed to recruit it with con-
scripts Bledsoe refused He said the
me- who fought under him must be
volunteers. He challenged the admfra-
ton OF Grant by tho way In which he
fought Grants command at Port Glib
son tn 1869. 1t was when Grant was
Closing IN upon Vicksburg. Bletsoe
held OF the entire advance for one (tay.
and Grant asked, SC l have heard, who
was In command. and said II there were
81 few nor as determined as Bhdsoe.
the w'ar would havo lAsted longer.
"ln 1864 n command of Fetlerals
moved up near Bledsoe's lines. and the
boys in blue became very noisy and did
o,n miscellaneous firing. Bledsoe was
asleep. The noise awoke him. Turning
to the nearest captain, he asked what
the trouble was about. And when IN.
formed he said: We'll, I must stop
this, for l a to 80 to Sleep And he
shelled the Federals until they With
drew.
when the war was over .Bled.oe re-
turned to his farm in Class County. He
represented that county in the LeeisAn-
ture for several terms. He was cop-