Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1901-07-17


This day they suddenly began TO ,asow
Stones. and the range was so short lley
hurt a good many of our men. 0eca-
eionally cold eorn-dodger would come
over with the stones. and our boys
would shout: For Gods sake. John
mics. throw rocks, but don't throw any
more cornbread.' And then some of
our men threw hard tack at the rebels,
and the Johnnies called for more. All
this time there was n brisk rifle fire,
but the flying stones and cornbread and
hard tack gave TO the scene the appear
ance of a frolic and there was consid-
cradle hilarity and confusion.
I'm the midst of the excitement a sol
der with a tin bucket in his hand
stepped over our works and marched
straight over to the rebel works. He
was a stranger in our regiment, and
none of the men seemed to know where
ne came from. Suspecting that he was
a spy, ] ordered some of the men near
me TO shoot hin. But before they fired
ne climbed up the rebel works and was
pulled inside. While we were In state
of wonderment over the strange affair
the rebels asked us what we sent such
blamed fool over to them for. The
man, who belonged TO the Second brig
AIDE of our division, had become insane
during the battle, and he went into the
rebel works a raying maniac. We af-
terward for al him in the hospital
where the rebels in our front had hur-
ried him as soon as they discovered his
condition.
The strangest thing about the adyen-
ture was that hundreds of men had
been trying for four days to do what
this crazy fellow did. and had been
killed or wounded. and yet this man
with mind astray walked deliberately
across the narrow zone of fire, climbed
up their breastworks, and was not in
jured On the day of the charge and
the night after the rebels hauled a good
many of our boys over their fortitica-
tons, so that part OF the business was
not new. But that man should leave
our works and march straight over to
theirs was a new experience 10 all of
us, and we could scarcely believe our
eyes. But for that matter the whole
experience of kenesaw was new 10 us.
We had charged right up to the rebel
works and had remained within TWEEN
ty-seven steps of their rifemen, and
dead and wounded lying between the
two lines
Il know II was Just twenty-seyen
steps because / counted them June %.
when the rebs and ourselves buried the
lead. The armistice was asked for by
The rebels, and General jeff c. Davis
sent an officer half way TO ma Ge terms.
Dur officer went forward thirteen steps,
when he stood within foot of the Con-
federate, who had taken just fourteen
steps from their line. The Confederates
ut this conference claimed the arms
that lay where our dead and wounded
had dropped them General Davis re-
Piled that the arms We're ours, and
would be ours as long as we could fight
for them He would not consent to
an armistice unless this point was CON
"eded The Confederate burial party
stood with their backs to our works
and our men stood with their backs to
the THDtl MOlhS. udtE AuiS
ment there could be no spying by either
party.
THE graves were dug on the top of
the ridge between the lines. officers and
men in the works on either side watch
ing the details at work. During the
armistiee saw at short range Generals
Hardee, Cheatham, and others, and
their part to see the Yanks who had
stubb0rnly remained 50 close TO an enc
my in overwhelming force But | had
other things to think Of. The orders
were not to remove any of the arms
dropped by the wounded on the 9th.
but Lieutenant Rodgers carried on that
day sword sent to him from his home
ut Ell Paso, ILL., When he was wounded
he dropped the sword and the boys
wanted to get it for Kim, 50 l detailed
as one of the burying squad a man from
the lieutenant's own company. The lat
ter was instructed to wear long coat
and, when opportunity afforded. to Sc
crete the sword under the coat and
bring it to me. He acted up to his In
structions aud the sword was in due
time sent home to Lieutenant Rodgers.
Just before the burylng party start
ed from our works IA man of Company
A came to me and said his comrade.
killed on the 9th and whose body was
10 he buried. had large roll of money
secreted on his person. A man was
detailed to look after the money and he
brought At to me. And yet strict
witch was kept on all our men by the
rebel officers. As soon as the dead
were under ground the two burying
squads marched each 10 its own lines.
officers on both sides saluted, ordered
..heads down" and in two minutes the
battle was renewed in all its fury.
That night we started tunnel to blow
mo the rebel works and the Confeder-
ates opened on us with new batteries,
their shells passing over us because we
were so close 10 the guns. On Saturday
night Colonel Dilworth and myself had
planned TO charge the works at .
O'Clock Sunday morning But about l
o'clock some one called from the rebel
works and asked permission to come
into our lines, saying that the rebels
had retreated. We sent over a guard
and. finding the works deserted. report
ed the fact to General Sherman and be-
fore daylight the Union army was at