The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-13

way DSeH q mystery 10 me, for had they
continued its use, we would have been
driven from our position very soon. No
more cannon shots being fired, we worked
ali night, without much interruption and
by morning we had a substantial breast
work built. Things remained quiet until
ABOUT midday, when all of a sudden, a
charge was made by the Federals They
avoided attacking our hill, and, fianlxing
IT, attacked the skirmish lines, knowing
tnat we would be compelled 90 evacuate
our position by that movement which
we did. In leaving the hill We had to pass
through an open field, and in doing so we
We're greatly exposed. The bullets flew
| thSck and fast about US Finally. reaching
the woods adjoining the field. each man
| TOOK tree for protection. The one took
pelhg quite small, l was compelled to
! turn my side to it, and even then was
| exposed. First knew, something struck
me on the hip. looked at the place. and
found it somewhat bruised but was at q
loss 10 know what produced the wound.
sometime after I happened to take out a
SILVER watch 1 was wearing. and found
! II nearly broken to pieces 1t had been
struck by bullet The watch either
saved my life, or protected me from a
PalhIui wound. / still have the watch as
reminder of the days work We were So
near our main line after reaching the
woods, that the Federals stopped their
pursuit That night began the
retreat business, which was kept
up untl the 18th of July, when
zen. johnston was relieved, and Gen Hoof
| put IN command The latter Immediately
changed from Gen. Johnston's tactics end
! maze arrangements to attack On July %
the battle of Atlanta took place. We
| harched nearly all the previous night,
| Mating early in the morning Our brigade
commander Gen f. w. Mercer, informed
| us what was to take place and asked MS
| TO DO 6ntV Tho Oft
| hght is known to all readers of history.
can only add, that late in the afternoon our
| regiment was put in line to charge the fed
| eral breastworks, and, in doing So, I was
shot through both legs, and completely
| disabled. Before receiving nv wounds a
bullet passed through my coat sleeve, Just
! grazing my arm, another cut the strap off
| my cap which was under my chin, leav ne
| a sllSht wound, the scar from which still
| carry. Two color bearers of our regi-
ment were killed in that charge-"Joe"
| Singer, mentioned in Capt Lacnlisou's
| letter in your issue of the Isl inst, being
| one. Billie" Rose, who recently died
| then took the coors in hand and was aft
| erWardS wounded After I received nv
wounds, the next question was how to ger
OH the held. There was not one of the
| litter corps to be found. / was suffering
| greatly and was anxious, not only 10 get
| to place of safety but to have a surgeon
| Whlle In this dilemma, two brave men of
| the Oglethorpes came to my rescue They
| sat me on the stock of one of their guns,
| one got on my right side and the other on
my left, then selling the gun, with my
| arms around their necks, they bore ne
| from the field to a place of safety. looked
| up an ambulance, placed me aboard of it.
| and returned to their dangerous positions
| One of these brave men, John Morrison,
| died only short time ago. He was keep
| ing books for Mr.. S. Krouskoff the last
7 nrv =
mention of his death and never knew lie
was dead until I saw a notice in the Morn
| ing News in reference to his estate No
Drawer or better soldier ever shouldered a
musket think he served with the Ogle-
| thorpes in Fort Pulaski and continued
| with that company to the end and was
surrendered at Greensboro. was away
| from the army about four months, recov-
| ering from my wounds, and Joined the
| command again at Tuscumbia, A'a lust
| in time to accompany it into Tennessee
| and undergo the sufferings, hardships and
| dangers of Hoods disastrous compafgn in
| that state. 1t is needless to say that on
| my return I found the ranks of our COM
pany considerably thinned, for it had been
| in many engagements since July %. We
| began our march into Tennessee in No
vember. Before all the wagons and
teams were put across The
| Tennessee river (they were carried over
/
! our brigade to finish getting the remainder
| over, and TO guard them to Nashville In
| consequence of this arrangement we wera
| not in the battle of Franklin. 1 omitted
| saying, in the proper place, that Mai. Gen
| Walker, our division commander, was kill
| ed on July %, and that our brigade was
| afterwards in Gen. Ceburne's division
| The latter was killed at Franklin, We
passed over the battlefield of Franklin
| shortly after the battle was fought, ard
| soon reached Nashville. A day or so after
| our arrival at that place we were sent to
| Gen. Forrest, near Murfreesboro. to
tear UP railroads, and that move kept us
| out of the battle of Nashville. That battle
| lie was the most disastrous of any during
| the war, on our side, and the army was
| completely routed. Forests command be-
| ing intact, he was ordered TO cover the 10.
| treat The order reached him just as we
| were preparing to lie down for the night
| after hard days work, and we were i'm
mediately ordered TO fall in'' and then
| commenced that chapter of woes that, I
venture to say no soldiers, on either side
| underwent during the war. 1t was a fore
ed march, through rain, mud, snow and
| ice, with nothing to eat, and from the
| time it began until we crossed the Tonnes
| see river there was no halt, only when
| the men stopped because they were broken
down. Every morning we had to skirmish
| with the cavalry of the enemy ard drive
| IL Dack, lnen push on nave seen men
barefooted on the ice I was in that fix
| myself for a part of a day. but, luckily, 1
| found an old pair of shoes in passing
| through a village and tied them to my
| feet One had no vamp, but it was bet
| ter than nothing. I have heard Cleburne's
| soldiers say they had never suffered so
| much before during the war, and they had
I been through many campaigns. The force
| march was kept up until we crossed he
| Tennessee river (about four days), the
sufferings growing more intense every day
| Thousands fell from sheer exhaustion, and
| were picked up by the federal cavalry FL
| nally the Tennessee was crossed on a pm
| toon bridge the latetr taken up, and We
were safe We then marched regularly
until we reached Corinth, Miss, and from
| there went 10 Tupelo, Miss, where Cen
| Hood intended going into winter quarters
| but, in few days, the army or what VS.
| left of 1t, was ordered to South Carolina
We knew nothing about the fall OF Savan-
nah until sometime after we reached
place of saftey. After the battle eff Ben