The National tribune., 1899-07-27
SOLDIERS BATTLE REPORTS.
A Few Samples Of Them. Grim Numerous, Tell an in
terestiaH Story.

A Few Samples Of Them. Grim Numerous, Tell sn In
terestiaH Story.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: 1t seems
to be impossible for a soldier TO write an
accurate report of battle that he has been
engaged in, and when you come to think
of 1t it appears perfectly natural. Those who
have "beeN there" know that when a man
is trying to shoot somebody else, with a
lively chance of getting shot himself, he
has something else to do besides being a
newspaper reporter.
l remember an Illinois acquaintance
who was a brave soldier and served through
the war, but had no more Imagination than
a COW, when writing to his mother after the
terrible battle of Shiloh, said: The rebels
came out of Corinth and we had big fight;
it lasted two days, lots of men was killed
on rock" Then followed a long letter
filled up with petty details of camp news
and inquiries about folks at home, such as
usually made up soldiers letters.
| have been looking over ssme old war
letters, and it is astonishing to see how COM
posedly those old veterans regarded the stu
alton when in the face of danger When
the whole North and the President and
even Gen, Grant were in a fever of anxiety
over the situation atNashville in December
'64, James NJ. Bloom, a re-enlisted veteran
OF Co. ID. 7th Ill. Cav, while camped down
on the icy, frozen ground, wrote me from
Nashville, Tenn, Dec. 6, 1864, thus:
DEAR OLD FRIEND: We left Memphis
on Nov. 16, and reached this place on the
25th. Our command was on the south
side OF the Tennessee river for some tive
months, and then began to make their way
for Nashville, followed by Gen. Hood. We
fought them for nine days, and when We
reached here kept knocking away, and he
is knocking away at the city. This morn
N ono hpc
menced, but think will by tomorrow.
think that Hood will get neatly cleaned
out. l heard that Thomas intends to COB
bic him. We will give him sharp cavalry
fight when We get him on the retreat. Th'
men are well, III fine spirits and good cheer
| think We will end this war by Il code ot
arms. l must close soon; / have not. tiIIt
to write much; will write again when We
have got Hood whipped, and settled down
again"
How remarkably Comrade Bloom, 6
private soldier, foretold the future. The
battle was fought Dec. 14-16. Hood was
neatly cleaned OUT with vengeance; II
fact, diSaStrously beaten. Thomas die
'gobble" and kill about twO-thirds of his
army, and that battle effectuaDy ended the
war in the West "by a code of arms" AnC
as the history of that splendid victory and
the vigorous pursuit shows, no regi
ment exceeded in dashing courage and
icolSIitSS tlitISy lilc III Ill SdN., Vi SOOll
Brigade, Hatch's Division.
Hood got whipped" and Jim "got set
tied down again." and wrote me from GRAY
ely Springs, Ala, Jan. 25, 1865:
DEAR FRIEND HARTMAN: Yours Of
Dec. II came to hand on the 18th of this
month (only 81 days going about 50Omiles)
| have had no chance to answer until this
corral of beef cattle. l told you at Nash
vile that we were expecting q heavy battle
but it did not come off until we went out tt
look for it. We found it on the first day
we started; that was Dec. Is. We were
ordered out with 100 rounds of cartridges
and one days rations.
I'VE moved out from diSmounted camp
and took the right flank, and moved that
way until II o'clock, when We struck the
enemy's picketS and drove them, and we
then moved to our left and struck theil
outer works. We charged them with the
Second Brigade and took two forts, one
containing five guns and the other three
the Fifth Division took another fort that
contained six guns; that made in all II
guns for our division the first day s fighting
'"The morning of the 10th found the
enemy behind works that they had thrown
up, and We fought them until near sun
down before they gave way, and then we
rushed them so hard that they threw away
all their sMall-arms, aria we captured nearly
a whole division of them.
THE third day we charged the rebels
south of Franklin and took 81 pieces OF
artillery. We followed and fought them
until after Christmas. We crowded them
SO hard at Columbia that they had to run
two guns into Duck River; we took them
out while laying the pontoons.
"Harman, take it up one side and down
the other, thiak the rebels have got one of
the worst drubbings they have had for a
long time, and we have got settled down for
the remainder of the Winter. / have given
you a sketch of what have been doing for
the last six weeks. l must close, as the
weather is pretty cold and it is hard to write
on little board on my lap for a desk. You
have soldiered long enough to know how
soldier has to write sometimes"
Dear old jim! l wonder where he is.
If he sees this article wish he would write
to me. The last time saw him was in
Tacoma, Wash, in 1890.
There was some fun in our correspond
ence, if it was not all about fighting. In
some extracts from letter to my mother,
while was green soldier, | wrote:
81 am writing on n board on my knee,
writing and smoking. My smoking to-
bacco is about out. A gentle hint for a
little money, as Uncle Sam onl y paid us
about twice 4 year.l l am going to see
jim Bloom again to-day. The veterans
treat nae like a gentleman and scholar,
just as the 7th Cav. always do. 1 am in
nearly the same fix that Adam and Eve
were before they went into the fruit business.
Some of the boys are worse off than l am.
The prevailing fashion will soon be pipe
and pair. of shoes. We will leave off the
pipe at dress parade"
How cheerfufIy the boys submitted to the
lardships of war. In a letter from George
W. Witherell, of Co. A, nth ILL.,, written
rom New Orleans, Dec. 30, '64, he says:
There is S236 coming to me now; but let
ler rip'-it is all in for three years or during
,he war"
This comrade wrote me some interesting
battle and other letters that
night make interesting reading, but my
article is too long now.
A few months ago DR.. Cannon, in THE
NATIONAL TRIBUNE, described the battle
If Nashville and the retreat as seen from
he Confederate point of view. How Won
lerfully it agrees in all important points
With the description of Comrade Bloom as
een from the Union point of view.
There are good many of us old gray
headed "Yanks" who would like to meet
hat good old Confederate, DIR. Cannon,
md his comrades, our splendid fellow
soldiers and sailors of the Regular Army
md Navy, the cadets of West Point and
Annapolis, the veterans of the Mexican
# the Spanish war, of both the Army and
he Navy, who so gloriously sprang to
rms for the honor of the flag, and, most i'm
'ortant of all, the surviving comrades of
he Army of the Union in the civil war, in a
rand National Reunion of the soldiers and
ailors of America.-H. G. REYNOLDS,
Blue Rapids, Kans.
Crossing In Pontoons.