Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-08-02
SOLDIERS AT HOME.
THEY TELL SOME INTERESTING
ANECDOTES OF THE WAR.
How the Boys of Both Armies WhiIed
AwtIy Life in Camp-Foraging Ex-
periences, Tiresome Marches-ThriI-
ling Scenes on the Battlefield.

able 10 whip all h-n yet. was the
signal message sent by General Corse
in response to the message: Gen.
Sherman says. Hold fast he l. COM
ing These messages were exchanged
on the afternoon of October 1. 1864,
during the terrible battle of AIIatoona
Pass, a critical period in the war of
the rebellion says the Pittsburg Dis
patch.
Robert ]. Walker. lumber mer-
chant ut Osceola Mills. who served in
the signal service throughout the civil
war, received Gen. Corse'S message
and handed it to Gen. sherman. who
smiled and said: II knew Corse would
hold Allatoona." A. ID. Frankenberry.
veteran, of Fayette county, Pa, was
the man who signalled the heleaguered
garrison at Allatoona Pass to hold ON
till Gen. sherman arrived. He had
possession of the signal flag until last
wear. when he turned it over to Gen.
Stewart at Harrisburg where it is now
preserved in special case in company
with the tattered battle flags of the
country.
The story of this flag forcihly Illus
trates the value of the signal service
in time of war. 1t was often the only
means of communication in very criti-
cal times. The signal service was cs-
pccially useful in connection with
Sherman's campaign around Atlanta
Just before he began his famous march
to the sea. The time of the Hold
tho-FOrt' incident was in the early
days Of October. 1864. and on the eve
of the terrible battle of Allatoona Pass.
As usual. newspaper men were at the
front but the language of the signal
service was one thing they could not
understand. A correspondent of the
New York Tribune telegraphed to his
paper: "A signal station hard to the
front is waving merrily its little flag
flag that talks-but ! do not compre-
bend its language Gen. Sherman
maintained his communication with
the army for 4 distance Of seventeen
miles, over the heads of the rebel
army. at the time when Gen. Hood.
ton south of Atlanta and placed his
forces between the Union army and
Chattanooga. This incident is referred
10 in ShermanS report aud in "Nich-
OILS Story of the Great March" Gen.
Sherman told one officer of the signal
corps that zone dispatch sent by the
corps was worth more than million
dollars" and IN his letter to the Secrc-
tary of War he said: 1T was Of great
value to us and to the whole country"
| Upon the occasion of a recent visit to
0sceola Mills, In the Pennsylvania
mountains. Il representative Of the Dis
patch met Capt. X. ]. Walker. who
served with Cen sherman on his
March to the Sea" ana rs chief otli-
Ger received the famous signal service
dispatch: General Sherman says.
Hold fast he is coming" to which he
sent the reply: I'VE hold out; Gen.
Corsc is here
Mr. Walker tells The story in most
interesting style. He joined Sherman's
army mt Chattanooga in 1864, and
John A. Logan; also with Gen. Stan
ley, and last with Gen. Sheridan with
whom he was sent to New Orleans af-
ter Lees surrender He was special
messenger to Gen. Sheridan with
whom he served until mustered out of
the service thirty-four years ago at
Brownsville, Texas.
Mr.. Walker was with Gen. Sherman
all through the Atlanta campaign and
after the capture Of Atlanta his corps
was eucampcd ut East Point. near At
lanta. for a rest after the severe and
perilous service on the march from
Chattanooga to Atlanta. ON the even
ing of October ,. 1864, the signal scrv-
ice first discovered the movements Of
the Confedorates near Lost Mountain
This was signaled to Gen. Sherman ut
Atlanta, who replied to watch close
w." as Hood. the rebel general. was
passing around Gen. Shcrmam'a right
going north. Tho signal service lost
sight OF the rebel column for a little
time, but found It shortly in the old
mt VI WI AN ls''bl i'fE FNlllHlA Il lew
miles north Of keuncSaw The dis
lance from keuncsaw TO Atlanta was
about tweuty-oue miles and 20 ALA
toona Pass seventeen miles. In com
munlcatinE with Atlanta Mr. Walker
was obliged to signal for the Chatta-
hooche river and the camps near by
making it 4 very difficult matter.
we had great difficulty in reach
ing Allatooua Pass" says Mr. Walker
las the Confederatcs were between us
and were burning the railroad and
other property which had fallen into
their hands" Allatoona was in I'm
minent danger, being only garrisoncd
by "A brigade and about to receive the
attack Of one Of tic largest divisions
Of Gen Hoods army, that command.
ed by Gen. French
Gen. COrse, Of the Union ARM, at
Rome, had been ordered by signal to
move his division to Allatoona. but
there was some doubt whether the
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