The National tribune., 1901-06-20
The Great Battle Which Never Came Of.
Sherman Shrewdly outmanuvers Bragg.

Sherman Shrewdly outmanuvers Bragg.
I'm getting real homesick to be back
with the regiment" 81 confideu to Shorty,
as they sat by the fire and smoked, after
the others had turned in. Il hate to be
so long away from Col. McGillicuddy and
| the rest
Ditto here" echoed Shorty.
y. course we hain't loafed any since
we've bin away" 81 argued with himself.
We've earned our hardtack and pork
nearly every day, L think
But what does that matter, if Col. Nc
Gillicuddy and the regiment don't know
it," grumblcd Shorty. I'D give more for
their knowing it than all the world be
side
"Of course they do know it," 81 tried
to convince himself They know it when
we tell it to 'em, and when they hear it
from other sources. And they know that
we've always put in full time, wherever
we've been"
But it amt like having Col. McCiil-
licuddy actually see it, and of reporting
to him every night. Then the tally's kept
straight, and there can be no pollyfoXing.
Let's get back to the old regiment as
soon's we can. There's home
That's my idee too. We've been run
ming an independent campaign long
enough. It amt fair to Col. McGilli-
cuddy. He gets big pay for bossing us.
Let's give him chance to earn his
money"
There's no use of our hunting for any
more escaped prisoners now agreed
Shorty. We're to the end of that lay.
And the big fight for Augustus bealing
to a head. Everything points that way.
l heard the cannon up to the northeast all
day We ought to be with the regiment
when the grand eliminating fracas comes
off, and we can't start too soon"
They say that old Bragg is again in
command at Augusty," continued ST, and
that he proposes to give us Stone River
and Chickamaugy rolled into one, with
some extras thrown in."
That's reason enough for our going to
the regiment at once. Let's start first
thing in the morning"
Cant do it. Must provide for these
convalescents first. But something tells
me that some of our men'll be along to-
morrow, and then we can turn them over
and skip out
In the morning they could see no signs
of the army, except the smoke of the
burning railroad in the distance. But
that kept coming nearer, and before noon
the advance of the Seventeenth Corps
came along the railroad, destroying it as
they came.
Presently the bugIe blew the halt for
Iiynor. nd ba oft f,,al.ipu tb,jr
coffee by the heat of the burning ties,
wandered up to take u look at the prison
of which they had heard so much. i tall
wiry man with red hair and the double
stars of a Major-General, rode by with
his staff, was received with cheers by the
men, looked for a little bit curiously at
the prison and its surroundings, and then
went off some distance to clear knoll in
the woods, and dismOunted for dinner.
That's Gen. Frank L. Blair, command
ing our corps" one of the Army of the
Tennessee boys explained to 81. He's Il
dandy, and don't let it slip your mind.
He's always right up where the main bust
ness is going on, and does his full share"
DO you know where the Fourteenth
Corps is?" asked ST.
No; only it's to the left somewhere.
Hain't seen nothing of it since we left
MilledgeviIe. The Fifteenth Corps is off
there to the right, somewhere. That's
the only one | know anything about. 1t
had the job of tearing up this railroad
until we relieved it, and then it Sidlcd off
to the right to look after Hardce and
McLaws, who was said to be coming up
with a million men or more to eat US up
without salt. Lord, if you'd listen to these
citizens our graves are already dug, but |
don't believe the Fifteenth Corps had to
put out morn a skirmish line yet"
Still louder and more enthusiastic
cheering broke out in another direction.
Caps were thrown in the air, and men
seen to run from every side.
That must be Old Billy himself" said
ST.
That's just who it is" echoed Shorty,
as the rugged face and towering form
of the commander of the Union army APP
peared coming through the crowd on a tall,
quick-stepping horse, which seemed to
share his masters impatience i'll motion.
Take arms; fall in, boys" shouted 81.
'He's coming our way. Present arms"
The Generals quick. rowing eye seemed
to take i'll and comprehend everything as
he returned the salute; the prison with
all its past horrors, the poor cOnvalescents
rising from their beds to feast their eyes
upon him; the sweep of the landscape and
its strategic possibilities; the present sit
uatiOn of the troops, and each individual
in Sis squad.
Damned scoundrels Damned scoun-
drelS." he remarked saYagely, as he sur
yeyed the stOckade. Made regular hell
on earth here for our men. Yet they
whine about my barbarity. Burning 100
Atlantas wouldn't pay up for Anderson
vile and this place. Colonel" he contin-
ueG, speaking to an officer of the Seven
tcenth Corps, and pointing toward the fine
junction depot at Millen. what are you
sparing that building for? Burn it."
"Osterhaus, with the Fifteenth Corps,
must be about over there by this time" he
continued, speaking to his staff. He's
due at Scarboro tonight, and that Flying
Dutchman is always on time. That road
there must lead to ScarbOro. One of you 4
take it and see if you can find Howard
or Osterhaus."
''Hello," he went on, turning to 81.
What are you Fourteenth Corps men do
ing here?"
"COl. McGilIcuddy sent us out here to
pick up escaping prisoners, and we got
quite lot of them," answered 81. I'VE
pushed on here, run off the guard, and
got forty or fifty prisoners, that we've
been waiting to turn over"
''All right! All right! Good job.
Nichols, go in and see that those sick are
put in charge of some one. You're re-
lieved, Sergeant. Get back to your regi-
ment as soon as you can"
That's what we want to do, General.
Can you tell us where our Corps is?"
Yes; it is going into camp around
Lumpkin's Station, on the Augusta Rail-
road, about 10 miles from here, in that
direction. Take that road there and it'll
lead you right to it. Make haste, and
you'll get there before night"
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