Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-07-19
THE BOOMING CANNON
RECITALS OF CAMP AND BAT
TIE INCIDENTS.
Survivors of the Rebellion Relate
Many Amusing AID Startling Incl
dents of Marches, Camp Life, Forag-
ing Experiences and Battle Scenes.

Queer things" said the Major. hap
pened in the old army. In December,
1862, was at Holly Spriags, Miss.
looking after the business on the sew
eral Southern railways just opened by
Grant. Holly Springs at that time was
Grants secondary base of supplies. ana
was well 10 the rear or his divisions
marching southwark 1t was crowded
with military stores. ana was guarded
by about 1000 men under the command
OF Col. Murphy On the night Of Dee.
~ | was sleeping with Nichols. lele-
graph operator. in room above the
telegraph office near the depot, when
Col. Murphy walked us up
This was about 3 o'clock on the
morning of the 10th, and the Colonel
was very angry because Nichols did
not answer promptly. He said Van
horn's cavalry had driven in his pick
cts, and that the rebels would attack
IN force at daylight He wanted TO re
port the situation to Gen. Grant. Snd
Nichols began to call l.. =, the signal
for Grants headquarters. but got lao re
sponse Nichols repeated that call L.
). thousand times. it seemed to lue.
when at last Beckwith. the operator nj
Grants headquarters answered. and
We shouted in gladness. Murphy die
'ated Il dispatch 10 the effect that he
would be attacked by daylight by SUI
perior force, ana that all was lost.
AS the Colonel turned to leave the
office | called his attention to a large
force Of cavalry in blue coats dashing
toward us in the dim light of the early
morning, and told him with such a
force at his command all was not lost.
lie said we had no cavalry outside the
lines, and swore the mea riding toward
us We're rebels. Then he and others
ran from the building, while Nichols
and my old colorcd servant. Moses. and
myself remained. The cavalry in blue
coats dashed up to the depot where
two or three hundred unarmel Union
soldiers We're sleeping, and sabcred the
poor fellows as they came from their
blankets. We Were soon in the midst
Of hot fight. and, remembering
Grants order to never let Il telegraph
instrument fall into the hands Of the
enemy, l caught up heavy club and
smashed every instrument in the room.
Then Nichols and | hid in a closet.
while old Moses prospectcd. We soon
smelled smoke. and discovered that the
rebels had set fire to the building. Look
ing out, we saw Col. Murphy mt the
head of about a hundred men charging
the rebel lines. He would break their
line, then charge back, and strike at
smother point. He kept this up longer
than / thought any man could. bur at
last was surrounded and forced to sur
render. AT this juncture | decided 10
surrender myself, ana was SOON une
Of 200 prisoners sent out by the road
ON which Van Dorns mounted men
We're still pouring In.
They Wee a noude>rrpt lot, infau.
trymen mostly, mounted on farm
horses ana mules. most Of them
riding without saddles or brides. and
hundreds Of them with only roue halt
ers. But they were as noisy rs wild
Indians, and they soon had fun fifteen
hundred PRISONERS. When they came To
parole us. they made each man write
his own parol" from "A printed form.
and in writing mine | scheduled myself
as civilian and promised not 10 ball
arms against tile 'Su-called Southern
nan fattA