The National tribune., 1901-08-08


longer be avoided by our wary foe.
At 2 p. M, having accomplished the
eight miles by brisk march, we halted
just outside the town of Munfordsville
on the north bank of the river. With our
guns stacked and knapsacks unslung, we
sat down, tired and hungry, to eat our
dinner, when orr attention was arrested
by the reports Of half dozen musket shots
in quick succession, in the direction of
the opposite bank, but farther down the
river. A short lull and firing again com
menced, cracking like a pack of fire
crackers, deepening to a roar and in
creased little later by the heavier re
ports of cannon. We had no need to be
informed that a battle was in progress
scarcely more than q mile distant, but as
no orders were given, we stood in amaze
ment, occasionally taking a sip of coffee or
bite of cracker, not knowing what else
to do. The excitement of impending dan
ger had dissipated our hunger. Thus for
20 minutes we were held In suspense,
while the roar Of musketry and artillery
increased and many of us glanced nerT-
Ously around, half expecting to see q line
of gray bearing down upon us from some
unexpected quarter, when an officer from
Gen. Wood came galloping furiously
to our Colonel, ordering an immediate ad-
vance. Our drums beat the long roll in
earnest now, as we had often heard them
in mimic alarm at Camp Butler. We
seized our muskets, fell into ranks and
started on the double quick for the battle
field. Weary, aching limbs, sore feet. and
our half-eaten dinner were forgotten.
Caps waved and cheers resounded from
our ranks as we rushed up the hill in our
front, and down the main road through
the town, where the affrighted people
stood perplexed in their open doors.
Reaching the river bank we found the
of nflr hrfryp Ilvv
forming in line facing the river We
filed to the left, and extended the line up
the river bank while our battery galloped
behind US to our left, numbered guns,
and loaded them with shell in short order.
The enemy was evidently not on our
side of the river, but we felt that he was
near and might, at that moment, be tax
ing aim at us from the opposite bank.
Thus we stood with loaded guns in our
hands, ready for orders to ford the river
and make an attack, or to stand our
ground and receive one.
The firing had ceased by the time our
line was formed but we stood an hour
in suspense before orders came for us to
return to camp, and then we knew the
fight was over and that we had been left
out, much to our regret.
Dec. IS. 1S61.-The firing yesterday
was caused by an attack on Willich's
32d Ind by force of Texas Rangers
under Col Terry, which advanced
along the railroad with artillery
mounted on car. Two companies
of the Indiana regiment, on out
post duty, received the first shock and
were driven back, but one of their posts,
consisting of an officer and squad of men,
were cut off in their retreat and sought
shelter at some hay stacks, where they
tried to save their lives by a gallant de
tense, but in vain. The Rangers circled
"a rnnDl than in Indian ~ I'll -; H.
from long practice, being able TO shelter
their bodies behind their horses and shoot
accurately while in rapid motion In this
way they succeeded In picking off the entire
squad, and continued to press back the
remaining 'pickets, until the main body
was reached, when they were checked and
finally repulsed by the aid of Cotter's Bat
terry throwing shells from this side of the
river.
Which lost 10 killed and 20 wounded.
The Texans lost about the same number
including Col. Terry, who was killed.
Dec. 10, 1S61.-Our regiment spent the
night on picket duty near the battlefield,
and watched with sleepless vigilance for
the approach of the enemy to try our
mettle. but we were not disturbed, and
this morning recrossed the river to our
camp after being relieved by another regi-
ment.
Near our camp towers a steep and al
most inaccessible hill Of perhaps 500 feet
in hight, where many chestnut trees are
growing and chestnuts may be had for the
trouble and risk of getting them. The
drawback to chsstnutting is that our artiI-
lery stationed a half mile to our left use
the smooth surface of a perpendicular
ledge of bare rock half way ND for
target, and every day we hear their shot
and shell screaming along one side Of our
camp in their fight to the target, and see
fragments of rock, clumps of earth or
splinters Of trees flying about, as the shots
strike one or the other of these objects.
We have not sufficient confidence in the
accuracy OF our guinness 10 trust ourselves
anywhere near the target On tbs exposed
side Of the hill who're he chestnuts grow.