Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1900-07-26
THE FIELD OF BATTLE
INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES OF
THE WAR.
The Veterans Of the Rebellion Tell of
whist1ing Bullets, Bright Bayonets,
bursting Bombs, Bloody Battles,
Camp Fire, Festive Bulge, Etc, Etc.

whist1ing Bu1lets, Bright Bayonets,
bursting Bombs, Bloody Battles,
Camp Fire, Festive Buss, Etc, Etc.
''The skillful covering of an army's
movements from the enemy seems to
be regarded by the rising generation
as something new in military warfare;
but it isn't We had several striking
examples of this maneuver in our civil
war, notably in 1862. After Buells
army had marched from Louisville
across Kentucky and Tennessee, had
fought in the battle at Shiloh and at
Corinth, it drifted eastward in June
and July through Mississippi and Ala
bama toward Chattanooga.
"About the middle Of August our di-
vision settled down into camp at Nc
Minnville, as quiet as an ordinary
country village. The boys believed that
Bragg was between them and Chat
tanooga, but they were not excited,
about it. On the evening Of the 23d Of
August orders were issued to strike
tents, pack all the baggage in wagons
and burn all surplus stores. We moved
on the morning of the Oath south TWEEN
ty-five miles to Altamont, where we
met other divisions and were kept in
line of battle for two days. On the
26th we returned to McMinnville and
went into our old camp. On the 10th it
was reported that McMinnvil1e would
be fortified and that our division would
remain there permanently. That night
we were hurried into line and march
ed rapidly toward Murfreesboro and it
leaked out that General Bragg had
crossed the mountains to our left and
had put his whole army in motion to-
ward Nashville or toward Kentucky.
SO completely covered that up to the
last minute Generals Buell. and Thorn
as had been in doubt as to Bragg's OBJ
jective point. They both believed that
they could force battle at Altamont
or McMinnville, but after the troops
had been concentrated there, Bragg re-
turned toward Kentucky and Buell.
started northward. So it happened that
two great hostile armies moved on al
most parallel roads for nearly 300
miles toward the same city, Louisville.
The men in the ranks were not in
formed as to the object of the forced
march or as to what was going on
about them. They simply knew that
the splendid army that had swept
southwark in triumph across Kentucky
and Tennessee to Mississippi in April
was now, five months later, hurrying
back. They were full Of fight, and they
wanted to fight and they came to be-
lieve that their General wouldn't let
them fight.
Zone day about the middle Of Sep
TENDER our division debouched into a
great plain, where the whole army was
concentrated. The men had been
marching all night, and water had
been scarce, and they were tired, hun
CRY, thirsty, and irritable. AS they
came now into the open, there was be-
fore them great spring of water
bursting from the rock earth like a
crystal food. The tired men gave a
cheer, and, breaking ranks, rushed to-
ward the spring. Two or three guards
were standing near it, and an officer,
wearing fat military straw hat, was
sitting on horse not six feet away.
Needing neither guard nor officer, the
thirsty men ran to and into the foun-
tain. AS the foot of one man touched
the water he stopped to fill his canteen,
the officer on horseback said quietly,
but peremptorily: Take your foot out
The indignant soldier, looking up, said
wrathfully: Shut; no BANKED quarter
masters clerk can give orders to me-
"The officer put spurs to his horse,
and in an instant both horse and rider
rose in the air and came down almost
on the STOPPING soldier and the words
were repeated: Take your foot out
now Looking up, the men saw that
the order came from General Buell.
himself. For hours the General COM
handing the army of the Ohio sat there
on his horse guarding the precious
water, saying occasionally, Thirty
thousand men must drink here to-day,
boys and the spring must not be
fouled.' The men accepted this as
sign that battle was imminent.
"There was artillery firing all the af-
ternoon, but no battle, and again we
went hurrying forward. The next day
we marched thirty -fve miles and went
into camp at midnight, to have half
rations of flour issued with orders to i
cook before daylight. Many men threw
the -four away in disgust. Others gath
cred up clapboards and fat stones and
tried to bake in that way. Our captain,
who had been used to roughing it,
wrapped great mass Of dough In oak
leaves and buried 1t in the ashes of our
rail fire. He produced large cake,
rather dirty, but well baked, and every
body tried the scheme.
lizard marches, dusty or muddy
roads, with no opportunity to wash up,
fretted the boys, but they kept in good