The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-06-29
QUEER TINE TO DOZE.
he WAS LULLED INTO SLEEP BY THE
ROAR OF BATTLE.

How Charles Francis Adams Enjoy
cd One Refreshing Nap at Antie-
tam and Another while the Con-
nict Ragged at Gettysburg.
The Hon. Charles Francis Adams, dur
ing one OF his public addresses, INDUCED,
In some "reminiscences of the civil war
and told how he was lulled to sleep by
the roar Of battle. He said:
1T was my fortune at one period to
participate in a number Of battles,
among them none more famous or more
fercely contested than Antietam and
Gettysburg. The mere utterance Of
those names stirs the imagination-yi-
sions arise at once of attack, repulse,
hairbreadth escapes, carnage and breath
less suspense. There was indeed on
those occasions enough and to spare OF
all these. but not, as it CHANGED, in my
particular case. Some here will doubt
less remember that English fox hunting
squire who has gained for himself o sort
Of immortality by following his hounds
over Naseby's fields, think it was,
while that epoch making battle was 60.
ing on. More vet will recall that plow-
man, twice referred to SO dramatically
by lola, intent upon his uninterrupted
days work near Sedan when a dynasty
was Keeling to its fall.
$50 my abiding recollection as par
ticipant in both Antietam and Gettys-
burg Is not of the fierce agony of battle
at its height. but the enjoyment Of two
nv midi ,rrlu s.nfx rto4~
ment this, am aware, is calculated to
startle rather than to excite admiration,
but to the historian truth 10 sacred, and
the truth is-as / have said. Neither
does the statement imply any exceptional
nerve or Indifference to danger on my
part. l make no claim to anything of
the sort. 1t happened in this wise: In
the campaigns of both Antietam and
Gettysburg l was an officer in regiment
Of cavalry, mere subordinate, RESPONSE
BILE only for obedience to orders.
"At Antietam, in the height of the en-
gagement, the division to which my regi-
ment belonged was hurried across the
narrow stone bridge at the point where
the little river intersects the Sharpsburg
road and deployed on its farther side.
We were then directly in front of Fitz-
John Porter's corps and between it and
the Confederate line, covering Sharps-
burg. A furious artillery duel was going
on to and fro above our heads between
the batteries Of Porter's command and
those Of the enemy, we being down in the
valley of the river; they on the higher
ground. The Confederate batteries W.
could not see, nor could they see us.
When we first deployed on the farther
side Of Antictam creek, 1t seemed as il
we were doomed-so deafening was the
discharge of artillery on either side and
30 ineessant the hurting of projectiles
rs they passed both ways over us. Every
instant too. we expected to be ordered to
advance on the Confederate batteries.
1.-The situation was Enthusiastically try
ing. But no orders came, and no one was
hurt BY degrees ii grew monotonous.
Presently to relieve our tired horses we
were ordered to dismount, and, without
breaking ranks, we officers sat down
on the slipping hillside. No one was being
struck. | was very tired. The noise was
aeadenng. Gradually it had on me q
lulling effect, and SO dropped quietly
in the height of the battle
md between the contending armies!
They woke me Up presently to look after
my horse. which was grazing somewhat
wide. and, after time, we were with
Ira n and sent elsewhere. believe that
day our regiment did not lose man,
scarcely horse. Such is my recollection
Of that veritable charnel house, Ante
Lnm--and was participant-indeed, in
The forefront of the battle,
Gettysburg was different, and yet, rs
respects s0mnolence, in my case much
The same. During the days preceding that |
momentous struggle my command had
been frequently engaged and suffered |
heavy loss We who remained were but
4 remnant. On the 3D. Of July the divi-
sion to which we belonged occupied the
nigh. partially wooded ground on the
ight OF the line, covering the army's
1nnk and rear. 1t was bright July day.
not and with white clouds slowly rolling |
'cross the sky. premonitory of a thunder
storm during the later afternoon.
From our position the eye ranged over
wide expanse Of uneven couHtry, fields |
broken by woods, showing nowhere any
signs of an army movement much less of |
conflict. A quiet midsummer, cham
'algn country. Neither our lines nor !
hose Of the enemy were visible to us,
md the sounds of battle were hushed,
Waiting for orders and for action, we
iismounted out Of regard for our horses
Is well ms ourselves and sat or lay upon
he turf. Injured to danger by contact
ong and close and thoroughly tired in
'ody as overweight in mind, we listen
ID for the battle to begin, and shortly
liter noon the artillery opened.
I'VE did not know 1t, we could see
Nothing in that direction, but It covered
he famous advance Of Pickett's Virginia
livision npon Meade's center-that won
lerful, that unsurpassed feat Of arms
md just then, lulled by the incessant
oar of the cannon, while the fate of the
rmy and the nation trembled in the bal
lnce at the very crisis of the great con-
lict, | dropped quietly asleep. 1t was
lot heroic, but 1t was, hold, essentially
var, though by no means war as imagin-
d in the workroom Of the theoretic his
orian. Yet, as an individual experience,
0 him 1t had its value."--St. Louis
Globe Democrat.