The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1903-04-02
THE BOOMING CANNON
RECiTALS OF CAMP AND BAT.
TILE INCIDENTS.

Survivors of the Rebellion Relate
Many Amusing and Startling Incl
dents of Marches, Camp Life, Forax-
ing Experiences and Battle Scenes.
'The queer things that happened
in the army" said the Doctor, would
I'LL volume as large as Webster 5
unabridged. In the Tullahoma CAM
paign Of 1868, there was not much
heavy fighting, but there was a great
deal of rapid maneuvering that brought
on unlooked-for skirmishes between
picket lines and advanced posts. In
marching through bottom lands, just
before we reached Manchester. we
found newly made grave at the road
side and there was much speculation
us to how the man buried therein had
been killed.
"On Il pine board at the head of the
grave was cut the name of a member
Of the Third Kentucky Infantry, c.
s. A, with regimental and company
designation. AS some of the boys
lOunged about the grave, member of
the Third Kentucky Union regiment
came up. and his eyes catching the
number OIL the pine board he walked up
close 20 investigate and said: Great
Scott-my name and my regimentr
Seeing there the G. S. A.. he said:
Boys, believe that is my brother. He
enlisted in Kentucky Confederate
! do u x1I IL,
the Third Kentucky Union. am going
| to open the grave
The boys ran for picks and shovels
and In ten minutes the dead body Of u
man In Confederate uniform was un-
covered and was Identified as that of
the brother of our Third Kentucky
friend. The living brother in the Union
service stood for many minutes look
ing down into the face of the dead Con-
federate, not one Of the men in the
group saying word. Then, at q sign
from the captain, the grave was re-
filled. more distinctly marked, and the
command moved ON.
"On the same campaign, when our
regiment had the advance, there was
sharp skirmish in the brush and our
boys supposed the rebs had retreated
when they saw not three hundred yards |
away head thrust out Of the brush |
and quickly withdraw. In a minute, |
the head came out again and again, and |
suspecting an ambush the skirmish-
ers opened fire on the thicket and |
charged. They found they had killed
a boy not more than IL years old, who
had been sent out from his home not
fifty yards away to give the Union
troops warning Of heavy cavalry force
moving on a parallel road. The boys |
grieved more over the shooting Of that
boy than over the hundreds of men
killed at Chickamauga."
"A most unusual thing" said the Ser
geant, happened I'm our company in
West Virginia. There had been
skirmish in the mountains across the
river from camp and our company was
ordered up the road. We found signs
of the enemy in less than a mile and
finally heard the noise of a heavy ad-
vancing column. The company was
posted to command the mountain road
and the captain with two men went for
ward to reconnoiter. They came at
Il sharp turn of the road, not ten yards
away, face to face with the enemy's
advance guard, and the Captain, who
was carrying a musket. blazed away l.
without an instant's hesitation and
killed the officer In command Of the
enemy. ThereupOn the rebels threw
themselves bodily on the Captain and /,
his two men and all were sent to Rich
mond."
Il suppose" said the Corporal by
brevet, that the Captain was criticised /
for carrying q musket. But In the
Massachusetts, which saw /
Il good deal Of service In the Army of
the Potomac 1--WE were in over twenty
the adjutant. sergeant, n
major, captains and lieutenants gen
erally come out of fight with rifles F
in their hands and empty cartridge
boxes. The boys were in the habit f.,
If saying that the shoulder straps
picked up rifles to keep up their cour- u
ige, but we knew they did 1t from
.hOice. AS the most of the commission c
ID officers had come up from the ranks
hey felt more at home in a fight with Y
ifies than with swords.
1T Is true, nevertheless, that men
IL battle often jOked with each other r.
o keep up their courage. At that time
had very full eye, an OK eye, the e
,oys called 1t, and as 1 was one Of
he shortest men In the company 1 came. T
IS rule next to our left guide, O.d
erry B., whose face showed how Ii /. %,
elt when the bullets began to fly. But
10 matter how badly scared Jerry was, .,
e always called my attention to the
act that my eyes were sticking out so ..
nat he could hang his hat on them. This
ras said to me hundred times. and \
hundred times l told Jerry that il ~
e was half as scared as 1 was he
1Ould run. Al
"At the battle Of Fredericksburg our
egiment was ON the skirmish line II
Or eighteen hours, and hard at 1t all
ne time. When the assault was or- IL
cred we We're directed to lie down
nat the advancing line nigh run over
$. Then we We're to rally on the re-
,rye, eighty rods to the rear To reach
,e reserve we had to cross an open pa
eld over which bullets were flying like tn
all. Even in that crisis / hesitated In
, run the eighty rods fearing that til
fter facing the enemy for eighteen W.
ours l would get bullet in my back hi
0 l side-stepped that eighty rods and be
as laughted at by the boys who made W
quick run. l''
I'VE had in our regiment one of the in
d-style bullies. who made a good deal
noise In battle. He was always as
routing threats to the enemy Nest in
the younger men in the regiment be
fought the loud talker was u great w
yhter, but at Fredericksburg he re- w