The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1901-10-10

was so nearly overcome with sleep that
my eyes would close as / walked, and
dreams would steal into my brain until
rudely awakened by the giving way of
my knees Sometimes | would select
smooth-looking path ahead for a few
steps, then drop into a nap for minute
or less, to awake just in time to keep
from falling. A halt was worse than
the march.
When we stood in our places, waiting
and expecting to move on in a minute or
two, it seemed as though a quarter or
half an hour would clapse; but il we
sought the roadside for seat or a tree
to lean against the column would move
forward almost instantly, requiring an
effort on my part TO regain my place in
the ranks. What n relief when we halted
near midnight and crawled into our shelter
tents! No fires were allowed, as they
would disclose our position to the enemy,
so we were deprived of our coffee, but not
of our slumber, which soon wrapped our
camp in its silent embrance, unmndful
of the fact that six miles away was
Briggs army in battle array waiting our
nearer approach, while between us two
hostile lines of pickets watched each other
with sleepless vigilance all night long.
THE NIGHT BEFORE THE BATTLE.
Early the morning of Dec. 80 we took
our place in line, with the troops Of Nc
Cooks Right Wing moving toward Muir
freesborO, on the Wilkinson Turnpike;
Sheridans Division in advance, ours sec
ond, and Davis's third. Sheridan was
more and more stubbornly opposed as he
approached MurfreesborO, but succeeded
in pushing his division forward until but
little more than two miles from the
town. Here the resistance was so strong
that he had TO deploy into line of battle,
and Davis also moved up and extended
his line on Sheridan's right. Our division
was held in reserve Immediately in their
rear.
During the day our regiment slowly fol
lowed the cautious movement of the troops
ahead of us and scarcely beyond the range
of the enemy's guns. The cracking of
musketry aud the roar of artillery re-
sounded in our ears all day, for our entire
army, Right Wing, Left Wing, and Cen
ter, was moving close up to Braggs line
at all points. When the din of battle
grew louder at times we braced our nerves
for an expected call TO the front, and when
it subsidized we breathed easier, in the
hope that the enemy's resistance had
weakened.
Late in the afternoon Gen. Kirk called
our brigade to follow him, which we did,
and shortly found ourselves on the ex-
IRENE right of our army and almost face
to face with the enemy, whose breast
works were in plain view across an open
field.
Our battery was brought up to the
edge of the timber, where we stopped and
exchanged a few shots before the shades
of night hid the enemy and ourselves from
each others view. Our regiment was
placed in advance of all the others, ex-
tending in line close behind rail fence
that divided the open field in front from
the woods in the rear. Strict orders were
issued that no fires should be allowed to
disclose our position to the enemy
The air became quite cold after night
fall and we soon found it impossible to
sleep. Some of my messmates, with my
self, concluded to build rail pen and
line it with long grass from the field. We
found the exercise restored our warmth,
but it did not continue long after we lay
down in the pen in vain hope of falling
asleep, SO / spent the most of the time
pulling the long grass and carrying it in.
One of my messmates-Sergt. Wertz-
appeared to take no interest in our work.
but sat silently all night with his face
buried in his hands. He gave no heed
even when i threw my rubber blanket
over his shoulders through pity for his
dependency and chilled appearance. Per
haps the shadow of impending fate dark
ened every faculty Of his mind. Before
sunrise his bloody corpse lay amid the