Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1901-10-18
THEIR NOSES IN WHISKY BARRELS.

l. .. =. .z..S. ~ q Essssso ~
THEIR NOSES IN WHISKY BARRELS.
rator who had handled many official
documents in the war department,
and who was familiar with the move.
ments of all union troops, remarked:
''If il hadn't been for the Sixth corps,
major, you would have swept this
field and destroyed Sheridan's army
before he arrived"
You are mistaken" was the sur.
prising reply. 1T was the Nine.
teenth corps that whooped us. OF
course the Sixth corps did lots OF
good fighting. but it was your Nine.
teenth corps that did the business"
This produced n brief argument, the
narrator asserting that the Nine.
teenth corps had run away from the
field early in the morning. the Eight b
corps was driven back soon after.
wards. and the Sixth corps formed
an unyielding line along the turn.
pike, and thus gave Sheridan a nucle,
us for his subsequent formations
The major ended the matter by say.
ing positively, with his Virginia ac.
cent: II tell you l was thar, and
knowit was the Nineteenth corps that
| left, and there was the Nineteenth
corps which ran away. If they had
stood firm, we could have swung onto
the others all right. But the Nine.
teenth corps guarded all of the Yam.
kee commissary stores. When all OF
those stores fell into our hands our
soldiers went pillaging, and we
couldn't stop them. They We're hun.
CRY and thirsty. They ate up every.
thing they could grab, and thousands
of them buried their noses in the
whisky bar'ls so that by noon they
were stupid with their bellies full OF
food and drink. They thought the
whole union army had run away, and
they were just having a hell of a
time. The officers could do nothing
with them. Besides, hundreds of our
officers got full, too. / don't want
to say anything to detract from
Sheridan's work, for it was the work
of good soldier and great general
anyway. But the army he whooped
that afternoon was an army oi
drunken men. 1t was the flight oi
the Nineteenth corps that knocked
us out"
That version of the story had never
been heard by the writer, and it is
probably the true story. Maj. Ran
dolph was graduated from the nava'
academy, but went with his state into
the confederacy. There being nc
navy, he entered the army and rem
dered service of value to his cause or
many fields. At that time he told a
story about Gen. Early, which was
interesting, and also true. After the
disastrous battle at Winchester, Gen
Early had moved back to Stauntor
where he attended church one Sun
day evening. Maj. Randolph sat beside
him. Although Early often attended
church he was an irreverent man. The
preacher delivered a sermon on the
resurrection, in the course of which
he told the hearers that all of theil
friends lying in the churchyard would
arise. Early turned to Randolph ant
whispered: Il wish they'd rise now
I'd conscript every mothers son o.
them, for l need men,"
Lieut. Gen. Longstreet, almost 81
years of age, is still living and resides
In this city. He is vigorous for hi.
age, but very deaf. lie has said tc
the writer: 81 was bitterly disap
pointed and Gen. Lee was heart
broken with our failure. The plaI
was perfect and was perfectly exc
cuted. Maj. Randolph tells the cor
rect story. 1t is useless for soldiers
or any other men for that matter
to cry over defeat or4o blame other.
than themselves. But if our army haC
been amenable to discipline, if tn,
officers and men had remained sobeI
during that morning, Sheridan would
have found no army which he coux
organize when he reached the field"
However, nothing succeeds like sue
cess; and Sheridan succeeded. TIL,
chances of war were all against hin
in the morning. The chances wer,
but slight when he reached the field
He took the remaining chances. Witt
marvellous energy and ability he reor
ganized defeated army on the bat
tlefield, and hurled it like thunder
bolt against the enemy. Victory wa
inevitable, because of the arrival o
military genius. 1t was with tn,
stern purpose of victory that he mad
that terrific ride from Winchester
~ miles away SMITH d. FRY.