Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1903-10-28
THE BOOMING CANNON
RECITALS OF CAMP AND SAT.
TIE INCIDENTS.
Survivors of the Rebellion Relate
Many Amusing and Startling Incl
dents of MARQUES, Camp Life, Forag-
ing Experiences and Battle Scenes.


the army. Early in 1861. the Kentuek
ians who wanted TO enlist in the Union
army drifted in three directions, Some
went to Rousseau at Camp Joe Holt in
Indiana, others with Woodruff and
Guthrie to Camp Clay in Ohio. and
others again to Camp Dick Robinson
or to Nelson in eastern Kentucky
"of all the officers who left Louis
vile In April and May, 1851, none were
more popular than Rousseau and
Woodruff. and brilliant careers seemed
opening to both Rousseau went for
ward without break 10 a major gen
eralshlp. Woodruff went at the head
of his regiment. the Second Kentucky
to West Virginia, and at the very be-
ginning of the campaign was captured
by the enemy at Scary Creek. and the
regiment he had organized went
through the war under the leadership
of another
Neither Woodruff nor any officer
with him when he rode into the enc
my's lines was at fault, but all were
held prisoners while officers on duty
were winning regulations. Woodruff
never returned to the regiment. but
saw service as a general officer in
commands far removed from the men
who followed him from Louisville into
the Second Kentucky Regiment at
Camp Clay
Meantime, another Second Ken
lucky regiment had been organized I'M
der Colonel Speed S. Fry IN eastern
Kentuck ,. and another Frs Kentucky
regiment under BraInlette The First
and Second kentucky regiments organ
ized at Camp Clay We're deep in the
West Virginia campaign before the
question OF title was settled, and then
Fry's regiment became the Fourth, and
| Bramlette's the Third. Rousseau's
regiment numbered the Third Ken
lucky regiment finally became the
Fifth, and Whittaker's the Sixth, the
colonies OF all of them winning pro
motion In the army or in public life.
Lieutenant Colonel Neff and Cap
tains Hurd aud Austin, of the Second
| kentucky, We're captured with Wood
ruff, and ia time all were sent to Libby
prison; John r. Hurd was captain OF
Company F, and his capture advanced
to command Immediately Lieutenant
Jacob H. Smith, who became a briga-
der general in the regular army and
made a reputation as fighter in the
Philippines Hurd however, soon re-
IL
through what he called a happy cir
| cumstance.
while in Libby, he noticed that the
| Confederate or city sun geans who came
to The officers quarters passed the
guards ON a green ribbon tied on the
| left arm. Many of these surgeons
were not in unif- n. and one day
when one of them dropped his green
/ ribbon badge Hurd picked 1t mp. tied
1t on his own arm and, putting ON an
authoritative air, marched past the
| guards and out in the streets of Rich
mond, making good his escape and re-
| turning 10 his regiment with the pres
tlge of daring adventure
THE Fourth Kentucky started out
IN independent fashion. II was the
only regiment in the service in which
the companies We're arranged In alpha
betical order from right to lett, Com
pany a coming on the right and Com
pany X ON the left whereas, under the
rule. the fianking companies " e A
and r. This departure seemed IL me
at the time pure contrarfness, but Cen
aral Thomas approved the arrange
ment and 1t stood to the end 1t was
The Fourth Kentucky Infantry. mount
I'd, which IL June, 1864. rescued their
friends o. the Fourth Ker lucky Cav
! airy q Lafayette, GA
Colonel Watkins, of the Fourth Cav
airy. was at Lafayette with 400 men
Of the Fourth. Sixth and Seventh Ken
lucky Cavalry, when he was attacked
! by General Pillow with a force of two
or three thousand men. The fight was
a town fight from the first and re-
narkable because of the means EN-
ployed in defense. AS soon as tho fir.
ing began the Kentuekians took os-
session Of the court honse and jail and
Barricad the doors aud windows
with sacks Of corn. Fro N behind these
corn barbados they beat Pillows men
off until the Fourth Kentucky Infan-
try, well mounted. sent Pillows men
scurrying away in what their disgust
ed general called q panic. This is the
only case. believe. in which Kentuck-
ians fought behind corn breastworks."
There We're a good many Kentuck-
lans," said the captain, lin the First
Kentucky Infantry. but It was mainly
made up Of young Buckeyes eager to
get to the front. and on its return for
muster out, in 1864 the regiment was
welcomed home. not at Louisville or
Lexington, but at Cincinnati. IN TACT
the boys. all through the service. were
in the habit Of calling themselves the
First Cincinnati Orphans. From first
to last the two Camp Clay regiments
We're brisaded together, just as were
the Fourth. Fifth, Sixth and Seventh
regiments of Kentucky cavalry. But
on election days the First Kentucky
Infantry voted foc Ohio officers. and
when discharged the men scattered to
homes in Ohio.
after a long service In Virginia,
Tennessee. Mississippi. and Georgia,
the regiment came at the very last to
service under a Kentuckian, General
Hobson, in Kentucky. While awaiting
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