The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1901-08-22


hand fight AT the
rebel works, Goma Of the boys gong
over or through the instructions i'll
front of the works. The Instructions
in our front consisted of logs wired
together. and when our men broke
through there was fighting with axes,
stones, spades. or whatever came
handy. l remember that Capt. A. A.
Lee of company l of our regiment pull
ed an aX out of the hands of Il rebel
and brought it back 10 our line.
AT such time there occurred many
incidents seen only hy Il few men, and
it is only by diligent inquiry that the
full story can ever he given to those
most interested in the history of our
great battles. l still have Spencer
rifle which that morning gave TO Fife
Major A. b. Weber. and from which
he fired 120 rounds while our wounded
We're creeping back To our lines, after
the charge. He kept up a constant fire
on the rebels at Il certain point, keep
ing them under cover and he wears a
VII tudl
Il remember some things" said the
Sergeant. which a good many of my
old comrades seem TO have forgotten
entirely. ] account for this on the the
DRY that incidents of certain charac-
ter left marked impression ON my
mind. whereas they did not particular
ly interest others. \ ease i'm point is
that of Il stray shot from a rebel bat
.ery while we were on duty just below
Chattanooga. some weeks after Chicka-
mauga. One morning, at daybreak,
while the command was at roll-call. a
rebel battery which had been placed
in position on the opposite bank of the
river during the night. fired volley
into the camp of the Third Brigade of
Gen. JEFF c. Davis division. Capt
and silenced the rebel guns. but the
first shell fired by the rebels passed in
its flight through the soldiers quar-
tiers. entered a small cabin the men had
erected for their chaplain. and killed
Levi W. Saunders. chaplain OF the One
Hundred and Twenty-fifth Illinois.
Another incident to which my men,
ory clings tenaciously was the adven-
:ture> of Capt. J. l.. Burkhalter of the
Eighfy-sixth Illinois. assistant inspect
or general on the brigade staff. In the
Atlanta campaign. in movement of
the brigade toward Red Oak. on the
Montgomery Railroad. Burkhalter was
left i'm charge of lines around our
camp After making the rounds and
satisfying himself that proper arrange
ments for the day had been made. the
Captain started 10 follow the brigade.
A thunderstorm coming on had destroy
ed the trail. as it were. and the captain
followed the line of advance with great
difficulty.
As he was proceeding through the
woods he heard the click of rifle and
was commanded to halt. A rebel sharp
shooter compelled him to dismount. to
put his revolver. sword and watch on
the ground, to remount. and then start
ed with him for the rebel lines. The
Captain was greatly Inundated. and
not one was practicable. But it so hap
pened that Henry G Swisher of com
pany II of the Eighty-fifth Illinois. then
an orderly at brigade headquarters, re-
turning from Gen. Morgan, near Red
Oak, with dispatch TO Gen. Davis at
division headquarters. crossed the road
On which Capt. Burkhalter was being
escorted as n prisoner
when Swisher came upon the pro-
cession Of two. he took in the situation
and acted promptly. The rebel ordered
him TO halt, but Swisher rode on until
he came within reach. when he seized
the rebels gun and pushed it TO one
side before it was fired. After vainly
trying to fire his revolver at the rebel.
who turned and ran, Swisher rode him
down and turned him over to Cant.
Burkhalter. who. with his prisoner
soon after reached the head of the
column returning from Red Oak.
Il have another story, the truth of
which, | suppose. will be questioned bv
great many. No mention of il is
made in any history. and possibly no
mention ought to be made of il. But
here are the facts: While our brigade
was ut ROssville, just previous to the
battle of Chickamauga. some of tbe
men, in the face of stringent orders.
svaded the guards and went foraging
A few of them We're caught returning
from a trip of this kind. and Gen. Cor
don Granger. commander If the corns
caused several of them to be tied I'D by
their thumbs near his headouarters
Instantly there was an uproar in camp
Officers demanded the release of the
men, and thousands of soldiers gather
ed around Granger's headquarters.
Granger swore. ordered officers and
men TO return to their quarters and
made threats of what he would do Rut
the murmur of suppressed excitement
that ran through the crowd disturbed
The Generals associates. 1t looked
like mutiny on the part of the whole
division. The men had determined that
volunteers should not be cruelty treat |
ed in an active campaign In an enemy's |
's "" '"o eNe vi patlie, ana Ut |
last battery was trained upon head |
quarters and a given number of min
utes allowed for the release of the men.
Then Granger gave the order for re- |
ease, and retired to his tent. swearing |
A few days later the same |
men followed h:Ia into the thick of the !
fight ut ChicL: .,auga. and much WAS |
forgiven and forgotten On both sides" /
Chicago Inter Ocean.
An Armless Hero.
Il wonder" said the judge, "if many |
Of the ola soldiers of the Union army |
have intervals of sore depression. such |
rs come over me at times. A feeling |