Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1903-12-05
SOLDIERS STORIES.
ENTERTAINING "REMINISCENCES
OF THE WAR.
Graphic Account of Stirring Scenes
Witnessed ON the Battlefield and In
Camp Veterans of the Rebellion Re-
cite Experiences of Thrilling Nature.


er," said the Major, must have been
in our division. There were good
many full.bearded officers In those
days. but this particular one must have
been in our part of the field. There
was hot work for all of Palmers d.
vision that day. and the I'd of Jan
nary following. remember one young
fellow of the Thirty-first Indiana,
tall slender, black halred lighter,
whose face was black from power
smoke, but who fired as rapidly as
any man In his company. Finally his
ramrod stuck in his overheated and
foul gun barrel Turning TO Captain
Hallowell. he said: Cap, my ram
rods stuck. Have you n rag about
your person that / can swab her out
with?
The Captain tore his handkerchief
in two and handed one half to the own
or of the stuck ramrod The latter,
with the zip, zip of rife balls In his
car, proceeded coolly to swab out his
gun. This was not an easy job when
a man had nothing else to think about;
it was very trying one With the bull
lets flying, But the young fellow work
ed steadily until his gun was I'm good
working order. when he went into ac-
ton with energy and enthusiasm. Just
before he resumed business, looking up
into Captain HallowelIs face, he said
eonversationally Jerusalem! Cap,
amt we maxim history to-day?" The
Captain probably though the slender
youngster was doing his full share of
history making"
There was close work that day
said the Sergeant. Il remember that
after the repulse of Breckenridge ON
the I'd Of January, 1868. our regiment
went forward at run and we kept
running until we struck the rebel re-
serve. We We're almost upon full
battery, when the six guns blazed away
with shot and shell. We dropped
down In the mud while that battery
pounded away at us, throwing all sorts
of things at us. We could see the fuse
shells in the air as they came from
guns further to the rear. and as dark
ness came we could see the lines made
by shells coming from the battery
nearer us. All the men were as quiet
as mice but in hull one man near
me said In an unconcerned way: The
man who says you can't see cannon
bali in the air Is a liar This was
co 11opfiuaDt that n dnzop man IougbpJ
and there was chuckle In front. A
little later the battery wasn't there.
The cool fellows were not all on
our side. In one of our charges on
the 31st of December, 1862, we We're
just ready to pick up two guns Of a
rebel battery when the drivers came
up, each with four horses, at gal
lop, made a feint Of riding over us,
wheeled in a magnificent sweep, caught
up the two guns. and making another
sweep across our front, galloped away.
Not half the men fired, and, the Cap
tain. turning upon the fellows who
were watching the rebels maneuvers
admiringly, Numbered: Why in hell
don't you shootf' Just then one of the
rebel drivers turned in his saddle, and.
taking off his cap. waved IT In salute
AS he did this one of our own best
shots, a backwoodsman said to the
Captain. / Gad the buck fever.
couldn't shoot: he was too darned
brave, you KIN 1w.'
speaking of reserves" said the Col
onel. I'm May. 1865, / was at the
Spottswood hotel in Richmond, Va
SherlnaE's army had come up on the
9th and had bivouacked on the south
side OF the James. Those Of us, then
serving with the Army of the Poto-
mac, met our old comrades OF the West
ern army at the Spottswood, and there
We're good many good times to our
credit One day several officers of the
Sherman's army We're sitting In front
of the hotel when soldier slightly the
worse for liquor stopped In front CT
the group and said without ceremony
i put my faith in General Grant No
one replying he repeated with chal-
lenge IN his voice: put my faith I'm
General Grant, Thereupon one Of
officers said pleasantly: My
man. commend your trust in General
Grant, but ! put my faith in God
The soldier stood silent for a min
ute as IL puzzled for a reply He then
raised his right hand, passed fl over
his face, wiped his mouth and chin.
and, Strengthening himself, said: Il
thought you were one Of Bill SheT-
mans fighters, and that proves it. /
put my trust In General Grant. and
when have to fall back put my faith
In God. That is my last reserve. But
where In Sam Hill is your reserver
The officer began to say that Shermans
men went in without reserves, but
stopped and laughed, and as the sol
der walked away we all laughed"
THAT confusion Of horses at Kene-
saw" said the Mississippi Captain. re-
minds me Of q controversy over horses
at the battle Of Franklin. General Pat
CIeburue and General John Adams Of