Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1901-05-30

d, 10 thinking. [ couldn't remember
mr. night which | knew at the time
cas the night before a battle There
,srp nights before battles, of course,
rr- the men in the ranks, judging by
carnations and maneuvers, We're as
Apn wrong as right in their guesses as
H. when battle would open, and so
3pv came TO feel on the night before a
atIp very much as they felt on any
.her night.
The night of Dec. %, 1862, was
sfpduled for all the men of Critten-
pDs corps, Army of the Cumberland,
ganght Of BATTLE but the boys didn't
aoT it, and they didn't act up to the
y atIe standard. We had been march
biz in battle order all day, moving to-
ward MurfreesbOro. This means that
S re did not march along the roads in
Column Of fOurs, nor yet in line Of bat
3e but with each brigade massed in
lose order, three regiments on the first
nq. each at double company front
nrchng at half company distance. and
TOregiments on second line, marching
same formation. In this order the
psiments were ready to fly into line Of
hattie or to form hollow squares, and
zach brigade was a fighting unit.
This order of march carried us
Trough the fields and over the rough
Mnty, and when night came we were
s tired, not with marching, but with Skin
nishing and standing and fidgeting We
we're halted in lonely stretch of clean
woods and were ordered to make coffee
1t once, put out fires, and be ready to
. move at moments notice. This seems,
at long distance, very disturbing, but
sh the dusk Of that evening it disturbed
sm one. We knew there was a river
.2 short distance in front and somebody
aid the rebS were on the other side. AS
3hpy had been on the other side of every
stream We had crossed that day, the
circumstance of their being on the 9TH
.E side Of this one called out no COM
npnt
Coffee was made and disposed of,
fires were put out, and the boys were
IDIl they would move in an hour. They
were betting ten to one they wouldn't
when a civilian employed in the divis-
Hon quartermaSter's office, and an old
acquaintance of mine, rode through the
woods n iaIv
ling OF getting ready for sleep. He called
me aside and told me that our division
bad been ordered to go into Murfrees-
6orO that night and that he had come
over to go in with u.s. This meant
business, and some of the boys sneaked
down toward the river to verify the re-
port They reported that Crittenden,
Palmer and others were i'll conference
down the road, and we were all on the
alert when an orderly rode up and in
formed the colonel that we would
oyouaC for the night where we were.
We slept quietly until nearly day
light on the Both, when we formed in
line Of battle and awaited develop
mentS. There were none, and we re-
NAMED lounging in line ali day while
the artillery Numbered. An occasional
lrty-pOund cannon ball rolled through
eur ranks, but for the most part of the
Gay was like picnic. That night was
River, but we didn't know it, and the
men not on guard took things as easily
as the men in logging camp. The boys
Slept in twOs and threes, one blanket
over them. one under them, and with
Oyerroat capes turned up over their
heads. One of our corpOrals was in the
color guard, and he came over to sleep
between myself and my chum, because
Ne had only one thin blanket and had
large gum blanket lined with wool.
When we We're routed out in the
morning the corporal said he had never
slept more comfortably in his life, and
De spoke for the middle bunk for the
lext night. Two hours from that time
le held the flag of broken regiment
n the face of the charging rebels and
vas shot dead. A score of the company
were left on the field. The battle had
ONE like a hurricane and we didn't
)eHeve it was coming until we were in
ne midst Of it. That was sore day
or the Army of the Cumberland, but
Vhen night came the boys bivouacked
Without any remarks as to the alb
They slept without alarms I'M
Il or 4 o'clock the next morning,
then the brigade was ordered forward
stand in line of battle as sort of
rand picket for the army.
This was on the LIST of January, 1863.
he night was cold and very dark.
oused from sleep on the ground, the
Oys were stiff and sore and went for
ard shiyering and irritable. We
loved over a field that seemed to be
trewn with logs and brush, and were
allied in what appeared to be a series
+ log heaps or clusters. The boys
roWded into line as best they could,
over the logs and swearing
It the stupidity of the officer who In
listed on forming the line in such q
'lace So we stood, shivering and dis