The National tribune., 1900-10-11

not including light picket guard. Three
hundred and fifty at the most were all
that were left of nearly 1000 men who
landed at Donelson.
Our total loss by death since leaving
Camp Latta, period of 120 days, was
104. Up to this time about 100 others
had been discharged from different hos
! pitals as unfit for military service. Add
to the above the $50 that were with the
regiment on June 1, and we have total
of 554, leaving balance of 400 in hos
pitals, sick.
A number of the latter joined the regi
ment at Bolivar, Tenn, while others Were
discharged from the service, or died i'll
the hospitals.
MOVING WESTWARD.
On June / we received orders to be
ready to move at o'clock the following
morning The appointed hour found us
in motion, and after Il march of Il miles
went into bivouac for the coming night.
Early in the morning of June 3 we re-
sumed our march, and, as usual, IN the
midst of fall of rain. We marched IL
miles, sad as the day began to wane went
into camp near a village, consisting of
half a dozen struggling houses. We drew
rations of flour, which meant to the rank
and file of our regiment root, hog, or die
We must prepare that wheat -four for our
suppers or go to bed hungry. we de
cided to do the former, and began to stir
up a pancake batter of flour and creek
water. Meantime others of our comrades
turned their attention to making biscuits
which, after being rolled up in form like
those our mothers made, were deposited
in the hot embers of our campfire. In
due time our supper was ready. But, oh.
Officers and men declared that those pan
cakes struck the soles of their boots with
dull, sickening thud; and as to our i'm
provised biscuits-well, hog would have
backed off, shook his head and squealed in
distress.
While the boys were engaged in prepar-
ing this -four for supper Col. Scott, who
took great interest in his men, viewed
the effort with nervous anxiety. Taking
a position centrally among his men he
shouted: Men of the 6Sth Ohio, don't
you know that Col. Scott has a number
of hogs in the wood over yonder? Don't
shoot, but outrun them-if you can" The
hint was Immediately acted upon, and
pork was supplied in profusion.
AT BOLIVAR.
Early on the 4th we were in motion
We marched 10 miles and made camp.
The next day, after march of eight
miles, we reached Bolivar, Tenn. The
weather was lovely and a fine country
surrounded US, which did much to remove
all thoughts of sore trials from Shiloh to
Corinth. The citizens with whom we
.ame in contact tried to be friendly to-
ward US, yet we could plainly see their
friendship was to some extent assumed.
On Friday, June 6, We received three
months pay.
On June 81 we established our camp
one mile north of Bolivar, near the NJ. &
o. Railroad, where we remained most of
the time until the following November.
About this time a number of our Off
GERS were sent North on recruiting ser
vice, and as the halmy Summer days
passed away we commenced to make a
better showing, as our ranks began to fill
up with new men.
On June % six companies Of the regi-
ment were ordered to Grand Junction, 20
miles from Bolivar. However we did not
leave Bolivar until the 29th, reaching the
Junction about dark, and made camp in
the wood a short distance south of the
place. Bolivar being our base of opera
tons, we made frequent marches in diff
ferent directions for the purpose of chas-
tising any rowing bands of the enemy in
Testing the country around us. In fact,
we kept up a regular game on the mill
tary chess-board with Price and Van Dorm
all Summer, and often it got interesting
to all parties. Price was a sly old fox,
and often played a sharp game but he
never made move-with one exception
in which he was not checkmated. and
quite often he was glad to get out of any
hole that was large enough to let him pass
through.
Grand Junction, near the Mississippi line,
where we were treated to a Fourth of
July Grafton by Col. w. Q. Gresham,
Commander of the Post. On the 7th our
camp equipage and the other four COM
panies of the regiment arrived from Boil
ivar, after which we established our
camp near. the railroad crossing, where
we remained until July "a.
All remained quiet around the Junction
until July IA. which was the beginning
of many exciting days. The enemy was
reported in force on our front. Late in
the night a rumor was circulated that
the enemy was forming to attack us, when
heavy accommodating party was ordered
out, returning the next day and reporting
no enemy in our front.
However, one of our comrades, who was
wounded and captured at the battle of
Champion Hills, says: During a friend
ly talk with one of his captors about
Grand Junction, he told me that a por-
ton Of his regiment was in biyouac in
the wood on the west side of the road
| over which a body Of men passed, and
from my rebel friends description of the
| road and country, am satisfied they were
there"
The three succeeding days were quiet.
On the 10Th, William and James Badger,
of Co. K, and William Cline, of Co. G.,
while engaged in picking blackberries,
vehtured little too far outside of the
picket line, when they were captured by
the enemy. Two days later they were re-
leased and returned to camp.
On June % we marched 10 miles in the
direction of Bolivar, and went into bivou-
ac. Eumors were current that q heavy
rebel force was in our vicinity, which
caused a heavy guard to be posted, and
all precautions taken to guard against n
surprise. Before morning we were again
in motion, reaching our old camp at Boil
var about 10 o'clock. Here we found
a body of men engaged in building heavy
| earthwOrks. We were assigned a posi-
ton in the new-made works All was ex-
| citement about us. A rebel force was in
| our front, and we were momentarily ex-
pecting an attack. Artillerists were
standing by their guns with lanyards in
hand earnestly watching for any puff of
| smoke in the timber beyond. Our wall of
blue and steel gave no encouragement to
those rebel hosts. July q the enemy hay
| ing retired from our front, everything as
sumed its usual quiet.
CTo be continued)
| An Eastern Comrade Objects to Denver.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: There nm
pear to be several serious objections n
/ al. Natia A 10