The National tribune., 1899-09-28
FIGHTING THEM OVER.
What the Veterans Have TO Say
About Their Campaigns.
TOOK THE 18th GA.
comrade La,ock Tells What Happened az
Jackson When the s;d Ind. Got Real Mad.

Jackson When the sod Ind. Got Real Mad.
EDITOR NATIONAL. TRIBUNE: I have
been waiting and watching your columns
intently every week, hoping to see Il few
lines at least from my old comrades of the
93d Ind, or from some member of tie old
First Brigade. but seldom see a word.
How well i'll fancy can l see the old 72d
Ohio step out OF Il morning when We We're
on march, followed perhaps by The 95th
Ohio, the grand old 114th ILL.,. and 10th
Mimi, then my own dear old regiment
the Odd ind, all chccrcd up to keep step by
the rcgimcntal bands. All were boys
together, feeling like boys, acting like
boys. But when the enemy showed up
each boy was transformed into Il man.
| | would like to stir up the boys 10 write
to our old friend Of ticir recollcctious of
the war, and thereby aid the editor to keep
his paper filled with good things. Try it,
boys. You don't know how Il line is ap-
preciated by us old fellows. We owe it to
the old TRIBUNE. She has done worlds
for us; is doing it to-day, fighting fearlcssly
for rs the enemy in high places rs well as
\ those more lowly. Therefore. let us help
| by keeping up our subscriptions and
| trying to induce other comrades to do
| likewise; also, to occasionally contribute a
short article ourselves.
l Will offer a little rcminiscencc myself
May 16, 1863. Stop, now, ard scratch
your griZzled old top pieces, and see ii you
can recall to mind, without loottin' on the
book, what was taking place on that day
in your vicinity.
| Well, as remember it, the General whom
We all idoliZed concluded to give Us an rtro-
duction To our erring brethren of the South
at jackson. Miss. The ODD Ird had
never had the pleasure Of their acquaint-
ancc so far.
| We had never Eccn in battle. not even
in a skirmish. But-wcil, we had
read all about battles, and knew just how
We would do when We got in sight of the
rebels. Yes, sir!
| We had for several hours heard the dull
boom of cannon in our front, which indi-
Gated that somebody was shooting at
somebody or something. At last, we
learned that We We're going to Jackson,
the Capital of Mississippi; that Penberton,
with Il large army, was there behind heavy
| brcaStwOrkS, and with lots of artillery
determined 10 give us battle.
After We heard all this, somehow oar
ardor was just little danpcned, for tcfolc
they had always run Just before we could
get. at them. We thought, perhaps, in
their eXcitement. they had not understood
that tine 93d Ind.-Col. Thomas's rcgi-
ment.was rushing as, fast-;s possible to
annillilate them. BcIthat fas it may, at
about L O'clock-if memory scrvcs me
ngIt-on ascending ., high hill all Le-
spattercd with mud, as We We're wet to the
skin, the rain all at ONCE ccased
| On looking OF to the left we perceived
| heavy cartlIwocks ovef wilch hoatcd the
Stars and Bars-sccn Tor the first time by
many of us. Here and there heavy works
bristlng with cannon could tie seen, while
the carthworks seemed to CEe alive with
| t1kaV ttrl,n .t..as,
cheer with the 'rcDol Scil",
Gen. Sherman pernlit:cI Us to stand in
full view of the retcls, 30 daIIbt to let them
| fully realize that the 92d Ind. was on the
ground ere he launched thcn Ike thunder
polt into their midstd doubtless hoping
| they would see the follNof resisting further,
and would surrender or cvacuate.
Finally We wcIc ordered TO march down
the hill in the direction Of the ei,eny. At
TIE foot Of the Hill We found ourselves
an old field of about 40 acres width in
front of us, a heavy piece of woods beyond
and between us and the rebels. Haitiug
us, our officers then wheeled us into real
line OF battle, and ordered the flags un-
furled. ! guess this was done that the
rebs could plainly read, emblazoncd i'm
gold letters on that flag, "93d Indiana
Infantry"
The 114th ILL.,, 95th Ohio, ard 10th Mimi.
all new TO war as We're we, fell into the
right and left, followed by the I'D
Ohio, which had been in scrap or
two before being placed in our brigade.
and consequently put on {. few airs, and
called us $40 men" referring, 10 doubt to
the fact that 1862 men received Q bounty
After the battle Of Jackson the I'D,
seeing the $40 men would fight Il little.
We're ever afterwards stanch, true com
ritdes with us. and IL brave, good regiment
Well, we started. We were determined
not to be taken by surprise. No, sir: we
knew they We're there, didn't we? Why,
| the writer himself, being Sergeant ard
| iile-closer, marching i'll the rear of his
company, to prevent the men from falling
| back, etc, determined that no man in Co.
should be surprised by the grape and
canister which was momentarily expected
but would at once put the men back into
lire by bodily strength. q at that time
was Il delicate boy, weighing about 12U
pounds)
But We were surprised, nevertheless,
for we saw oar skirmishcrs disappear in
the brush, and not Il shot was fired. We,
too, soon passed into the woods, and found
no rebels. We We're halted, and o,Ir officers
seemed TO be wonderfully surprised. but
We, the ODD Ind, as soon as We became :.
| little settled in O;r minds from our fa-
| tiguing march across the field, half-leg
deep in mud don't imagine we had been
| friGhtenci), readily understood the whole
HiiltI JlSt 'tS pi;tlll :tS III We mad been told.
So We stood there, and complacently patted
ourselves on the back, and pitied the poor
| j JohnnicS.
On our right, however, and hidden by
the timber from us, a fearful din had been
| kept up all this time-cheers, yells, can
non, and musketry making a noise the
equal of which we had never heard We
pitied our boys over there, and wondered
why We We're not marched over there and
| let the rebels but take one look at us.
| AT this moment came rolling down the
line from our officers by the left flank
| March,! and away we went "endwayS"
us some of our boys used to call it, We
had gone but few rods when a faint re-
port was heard away in our front some
where, quickly followed by a solid shot,
barely missing taking the regiment in
flank the entire length, and did come di-
rectly down the line of -fle-closers, cutting
off the leg of a Sergeant Immediately in
front of the writer.
| 1t soon became apparent that the rebel
cannon-shooter had a peep-hole through
which he sighted, unco1aortr trbly close 10 us
but that gunner continued to follow us seem
ing to be directed where to aim his guns
by some one who could see our movements
He was making it hot for uswith his entire
battery by TINS time, and we unable to see
them, or to fire a shot in Self-lefcnse.
Seeing our condition was becoming
critical, We were ordered To "iie down"
We were not scared, tel You. We We're
ordered to lie down, ands of course, had to
| obey.
Hardly had we struck the ground when
another shot was heard, coming time
shell. 1t barely missed our backs, tray