Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1903-12-19
SOLDIERS AT HOME.
THEY TELL SOME INTERESTING
ANECDOTES OF TIE WAR.
How the Boys of Both Armies NhiIed
Away Life in Camp-Foraging Ex-
periences, Tiresome Marches-ThriI-
ling Scenes on the Battlefield.

ling Scenes on the Battlefield.
Il saw two men oil horseback near
the dead angle at Kenesaw, said
George Drake. of Clinton Iowa. ''rhe
Eighty-fifth Illinois led the charge
June 81, formed in close order as Skin
mishers along the full brigade front.
and | was one of the SkirmiShers. /
was in Company X, ON the left of the
line, and went close 10 the rebel works.
say. within twenty-five feet. Aswe stoo
back very near me. one rode 4 white
horse and the other dark chestnut.
The one on the white horse was Gen
eral Harker, am sure Turning 10
me he asked, What command is this;'
and when l answered 'McCook'S
brigade. he turned behind me and rode
at gallop to the left.
AT the same time the man on the
chestnut horse turned back 10 the
right. and | saw neither one after
that l remember distinctly the Off
Ger on the white horse. lie was the
was within thirty feet of the rebel
works. l remember that | thought at
the time that the riding of white
horse In such charge was an exam
pie of the finest courage. and that it
was like HaIker The officer Oh the
dark chestnut horse went in q direc-
tion to bring him In line with the Off
Ger seen by Major Eakin, of the Con
federate regiment in our front, Hank
er, 1t is known. was killed to our left
and rear. My theory is that in the
tumult of the charge he had ridden
little to the right of his brigade, and
that in going across 10 his own men
he was shot. But, after all. who was
the officer on the dark chestnut horse
seen by myself and the rebels defend
ing the works?
Il notice that good many men are
still in doubt as to the utility of the
hayonet and seem reluctant 10 believe
there were any hand to hand conflicts
during the war. There was one at
Jonesboro. in which one bayOnet was
used effectively. Our brigade had
charged a battery and the men We're
among the guns when one Of the rebel
gunners running back to his gun was
just In the act of firing it when a man
OF the Seventy eighth Illinois took in
the situation. There was a cluster of
twenty men directly i'm front of that
gun and pull of the string meant
20 Of hu
been ordered to surrender and the men
near the gun supposed he had surren-
dered, when he changed his mind and
decided TO give us one more shot for
luck.
1T was a brave thing to do, but 1t
was a terrible thing for us and re
quircd quick action. My comrade Of
the Seventy-eighth Illinois was as
quick as a flash OF lightning II seemed
10 me. He thrust at the man in a way
TO push him back from the gun, and
his bayonet went clear through the
rebels body. We left him. as we sup
posed. dead. but al later date found
him in one of our hospitals at Allan
Ia, by the side of one of our own men,
wounded the same day He got well,
and If he is living to-day he knows
that bayonets were used during the
war in a very reckless way
There was another hand-to hand
iussle In the fight on the Sand Town
road IN the Atlanta campaign We
charged the rebel works and climbed
IN fan iuc+ 10 thu rahaIs n rod a ,.,fIo,y
The bullets went over our heads and
the next minute we looked down on
the Louisiana Tigers with empty guns
in their hands. All our men had held
their fire and we thrust the muZzleS OF
our rifles in the very faces of the men
below us and demanded them 10 sur
render. Some few attempting TO push
the guns away were shot, hut the most
Of them surrendered without cere-
mony. As one Of them said. they knew
their time had come ana that The ques.
ton of surrendering was not open to
debate
Il had some doubts" said the ser
geaut, about hand to-band struggles
during the first year Of the war Our
regiment did good work at Shiloh. but
didn't come to close quarters with the
enemy. We made our mark at Perry
vile. but not AT close range. ana
wondered If any battle was fought IN
which men strove against each other
within reach of bayouet or sword. At
Stone River we charged ST run
against rebel line. ! expected the
old thing to happen, and the enc
my to break / shook from head
to foot as ! saw the rebels start on
rum and al a charge bayoucts TO meet
us | could see the hair and eyes and
facial expression Of the rebels as they
came steadily and swiftly toward MS.
Il could see short mau making mis-
lcg2 do their best, and q long legged
fellow in advance felt This thing
couldn't 60 on without bayonet strik
ing bayonet. and without the lines
crashing together The crash came
sooner than / expected. and not quite
&, . .e I A E