The National tribune., 1902-07-24
NATIONAL WASHINGTON c. THURSDAY

need wish to see. werexSected to find
the enemy on the hill. but to our surprise
we advanced to the foot Of, it without q
shot Lightburn's Brigade was ordered
up. and after a little skirmishing occu.
pied the top of it. At the foot of this
hill runs the Knoxville Railroad, SO we
obtained possession of IT. We turned to
the left. and after marching some dis
tance halted for the night in wood near
an open field. This field was bordered on
the far side by the Chickafnauga Creek.
A little way in the rear of where we
halted were the abandoned quarters of a
detachment of the enemy. 1.-THE 55th Ill.
was on our right and the 9th Mo. on our
left. 1t was late in the evening. and mist
ing. A few shells came over us from
n point back of the ridgel occupied by
Lightburn, but we did not mind these.
The arms were stacked, 7 the artillery
horses were taken to the rear, and the
men went back to the rebel quarters to
prepare their supper.
while we were thus somewhat off our
guard a detachment of the enemy, accom-
panied by a battery of artillery, advanced
on our front, and approached pretty near
before they were discovered Our men
We're called to arms, but We're so seat
tered that some time elapsed before they
could get into line, and in the meantime
the enemy poured in brisk fire both of
musketry and artillery: The few who
were with the guns replied as best they
could, and two pieces of artillery were
run forward by hand to the edge of the
field to answer the enemy's cannon.
Il had started back toward the aban-
dOned quarters to get some boards to sleep
on that night, but had not gone far when
this firing commenced. Our boys, run
ming for their guns, met me, some of them
holding in their hands sticks strung with
IT fh
cans of coffee partly hot, and as they had
a mind to do their fighting first and eat
their suppers afterwards. quite number
of them left their provisions in my care.
And, of course, as the balls were coming
at a lively rate, 1 sheltered the provisions
and myself behind q tree.
"Gen. Smith ind two members of his
staff came hurrying to the front on foot,
and Just as they reached a point in the
road opposite to where 1 stood the pecu-
liar whir of a charge of canister shot COM
ing straight for us filled all the air. They
all three stepped for shelter behind a tree;
it was the only sensible thing to do at
that moment. But the tree was not large
enough to shelter SO many, and l heard
the ball strike the General as plainly as
one would hear ball of putty thrown
against wall, and it sounded much as
that would. too. The General was stag
gered, but did not fall, and was supported
by his companions and led from the field.
Almost at the same moment one of the
battery boys was wounded in the knee,
and as he was being carried past me his
wounded leg dangled painfully. l forgot
the supper over which | was standing
guard, took hold of the swinging leg and
supported it till we got the man back to
where the Surgeons were hastily estab-
fishing n field hospital. There l heard u
straggler telling how everything was cut
to pieces at the front; that Maj. Froman
was dead, and he had seen Lieut.. Col.
Boyd fall off his horse. So hurried to the
front at once The battery had been run
out into the field, and was having a duel
with that of the enemy. The troops were
lying a short distance behind it as sup
port. The fire of small arms had almost
ceased. Maj. Froman was very much
alive for dead man, and the Lieutenant
Colonel was walking back and forth be-
hind the line in a state of great excite
ment. yelling occasionally at the very top
of his voice: Where is Col. Tupper?
Where is Col Upper? Where in = is
whole thing, and does nof know it! Tup-
per was the ranking Colonel. and of course
the command devolved On him when Smith
was disabled. Very soon Tupper arrived
at the front, and Boyd's anxiety was re-
lieved. 1t was then dusk, and the firing
had ceased" So much for the record of
that day. i!l
l will here state from memory that as
soon as the firing ceased bethought my
self of the boys supper and hurried back
to my tree, but every old soldier will know
the result before tell it, Everything
was gone. Among these provisions that
were lost was a chicken put in my charge
by Lige Coombs, of Co. c.. 10th ILL.,. who
is still living in Macon County, and as /
know that he is a reader of The National
Tribune l take this occasion to assure him
that that particular chicken was actually
"lost in action" precisely as stated above
N. NJ: BAKER, Chaplain, 10th ILL.,, De-
catur. Ill.