The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1901-02-07

SW 2-~ shovel. lf the En-
glish had been willing they would have
| learned this lesson thirty-five years ago.
In 4 good many of the engagements
and battles of the Civil War, victories
were Won by the skillful use of pick
and shovel, as well as by rifles and
artillery. At first there was disin-
clination on the part of the volunteers
TO do what they regarded as the work
experience in battle and siege. the men
of nearly all the regiments were eager
to use picks and shovels when occasion
demanded.
Most particularly WAS enthusiasm
in this direction manifested at Chat
ianooga after the battle Of Chickamau-
ga | have known men to work in the
trenches through the two hours of their
regular detail and then volunteer to
work continuously through what
should have been their hours of rest.
All the men acquired in time the habit
of fortifying They fortified without
orders and on military instinct. III
picks and shovels We're not at hand
they used bayonets and the halves of
canteens. \ man sent to an advance
post on picket would, while watching
the enemy, dig little rifle pit for HIM
self and would lie in the hole he had
scooped out six hours at time whether
the weather was cold or warm.
In one thing" said Captain Ludwig,
the troops in South Africa Jared bet
ter than we did in the Civil War. The
weather. rain or shine, is warm. Men
suffer from heat of course, but suffer
ing from cold is worse. l remember on
the night of Feb Il, 1862, in front of
Fort Donelson. we had what seems TO
me now a terrible experience. We We're
on the front line facing the enemy. We
lay down in the earlier part of the night
and slept in oyercoats. making the most
of the few blankets that we carried.
While we slept there fell heavy snow.
About IL o'clock the Confederates tried
to break through our lines and we were
aroused from sleep TO repel them.
When / stood up to call our COM
pany into line l saw only fifty or sixty
little hillocks of snow. Every man had
above him six inches of snow. and the
men came out of sleep dazed and furi-
Gus. their first movement bringing the
snow into their faces with the sensa-
ton of plunging into ice water. But
they got into line promptly, drove the
Confederates back, and for an hour de-
voted themselves to being miserable.
They had no fires and We're not permit
ted to leave the company formation.
They could not lie down again in the
snow and the question was what they
could do 10 keep from freezing.
Finally each company started to
walk single file in a small circle, or an
elipse rather. one side representing the
company front. The men kept in per-
feet order, but they kept moving In 4
quick, shufiling step. round and round.
until morning. This quiet continuous
march was kept up for four hours.
Then. early on the morning of the 18th,
we were relieved and moved back TO
where we could build fires.
Il don't suppose that the British had
any more trouble with their kops and
kopies than W. had with hills like
Kenesaw Mountain. Little Kenesaw
was taken without any great loss on
our part, mainly, l think, because we
did the unexpected thing. In the for
ward movement on Little Kenesaw. in
the latter part Of June, 1864. our bri-
gade started up the dry bed of the
stream in the rain. 1t rained furiously.
and there was at the same time mist
or fog that hid our column. The further
I'D we went the more water there was
in the bed of the stream, and we went
wading along in the rain, not apprc-
s.iating the fact that we were advan-
cling against 4 strong rebel position.
We were so completely hidden by the
rain and the fog that we were almost
on the rebel outpost before they knew
of our approach. Then We made a
rush. and practically captured Little
Kenesaw Mountain without firing
gun"
Some people seem TO believe" said
the Major. that the country south of
Ladysmith is rougher than any other in
which an army WAS compelled TO oper-
ate. wish these fellows could spend
n few days inspecting the hills and
the south. / never look up the hills at
the eastern end of Missionary Ridge
without being skeptical as to our sew
cral regiments climbing up them under
furious fire in November. 1868 But
there is abundant evidence to show
that we did go up. My own opinion is
that Buffers men had the hardest part
of the work in the campaign in Natal"
There has been a good deal of preju-
dice against General Butler" said Col
oncl Work. (which 10 my mind has
been unjust I held some prejudices
myself during the Civil War Our part
of the army, and probably other divis-
ions of the army Ut the Ohio. heard
stories about General Buell., ridiculous
on their face. but which we believed.
W men We NeIt lllc, NY, JUST
before Perryyille, and while the streets
were full of our troops resting after 4
long march, the proprietor of a little
hotel sauntered out among us and said
with rather important air that Gen
eral Buell. and General Bragg had both
slept in his house the night before.
Nobody asked any questions at the
time. The landlords statement was
taken as gospel truth, and it went like
fire down the lines. II had been report
ed ut different times during the march
from Tennessee north to Louisville that
Bragg and Buell. Were brothers -in-law,
and that they had been seen in confer
ence during that great footrace. and
many of the boys believed that they
met by appointment and considered
measures by which they could keep
their armies, moving then along paral-