The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1904-09-22
CAMPFIRE
TALES
FIahtlna Hand % Hand.

History repeats ITSELF" ! have lived
long enough 10 have seen H. Another
strange thing Ia that two persons will
read the same narrative Of current
or older events which they nave not
Witnessed and arrive At totally dif.
ferent conclusions as 10 It's reliability.
The very graphic description In
the Times Of June 20 In the dispatch
from Liao-Yang OF the battle Of
vafangow was brought to me by a
friend and shown as proof Of an old
contention OF his that the news from
the Far East was totally untrust-
worthy. He knew that I thought the
same way about news from Chefoo
and Shanghai. based on statements
OF Chinese refugees reaching those
neutral points where military censor
ship does not prevail; but called his
attention 20 the fact that the Times's
dispatch was from q correspondent In
the field with the Russians at Lao
Yang. and that II must have been
passed by the Russian censor before
transmission.
But" he insisted. q bit angriiy. 1T
bears evidence on its face OF its en-
aggeration. n not absolute falslty."
Wherein" I asked him.
"All parts" he exclaimed; "even In
the headlines. Look at these big
lines: Attacking Party Stoned.
Rage Of Mikado's Men in Trenches
Met with Muscavite Chad"
well, that isn't proof Of anything
except that history does occasional.
ly repeat itself"
Then" he continued, ''in the body
of the dispatch II says. The battle
at this point became a hand.to-hand
fight with stones and rife butts"
There Il Is again." said. those
far-away fighters In 1904 doing Just
what the Union and Confederate
troops did at Chattanooga In 1s6S."
Then again In the body Of the dis
patch II says: Thirteen Russian guns
were smashed 20 atoms and their
horses killed. A majority OF their
gunners killed OF wounded. The guns
were useless to the Japanese. as they
were literally shot 20 pieces before
they were abandoned"
"You wouldn't believe that unless
you had seen Il ! suggested.
mo. neither would YOU" the In.
credulous one replied.
"But ] did see Just that thing hap-
pen at Resaca. Ca. on May ~. 1864"
! said.
He was thoroughly angered by this
time and Indignantly exclaimed with
what Horace Greeley used TO call
verbal emphasis" but which Is com
monty denomlnated profanity. Il don't
believe n id word OF t."
I charitably construed this 20 refer
10 the correspondents words. and In
stead OF resenting II as personal.
rushed 10 pen. ink. and paper In this
defense CD OF n war correspondent
5000 miles away who gets his story
10 New York In less than two days.
whereas II took me ten days TO get
there with similar stories from points
not over 1000 miles away. But that
was In our war time, forty years ago.
when railroad trains ran at a speed
OF about ten TO fifteen miles an hour.
and New York war correspondents did
not use the telegraph very freely In
those days.
I send you this defense (O in the
hope that the Times readers will be
as much interested In the illustrations
Of history repeating itself as my
friend seemed 10 be after had out
lined the story below.
At the battles OF or at Chattanooga.
fought Nov. 20. 20 and "a. Gen. VIII.
liam T. Sherman. commanding the
Army OF the Tennessee, was assigned
10 the duty OF crossing the Tennessee
river above Chattanooga. and attack
ing the extreme right wing Of Bragg's
army. posted on Mission Ridge. in
such force as not TO drive n away.
but with such n demonstration of
strength as would compel Bragg to
weaken his center. In front OF which
the Army Of the Cumberland under
Gen. Thomas lay concealed In woods
now long since replaced by blocks OF
houses.
Gen. Thomas Ewing's division was
employed by Sherman for this dem.
onstratIon against Brasg's right. and
his three brigades under Corse.
Loomis and Mathios made the assault
In the strong position Of the enemy
on Tunnel Hin, the northern extrem.
fly Of Mission Ridge, a low-lying
range Of hills about 500 feet high.
From the point at which the Con.
federato shells from this elevation be-
gan 10 drop among Ewing's troops.
who went along singing at one time.
"John Browns body lies a-moldering
In the grave;" at another. Wen
hang Jeff Davis on a sour apple tree"
to the summit OF the hill.. was a
march of about a mile, q quarter Of
II up the steep ascent OF the ridge.
Gen. Sherman had made his headquar.
ters on a detached hill overlooking
the point OF attack, and !, having a
wholesome regard for an entire skin
and knowing that Sherman. like every
general who wasn't insane. wisely re-
lected a safe place for headquarters
during battle. followed to his point Of
vantage.
I mad splendid pair OF feld glasses
through which could see plainly
every movement OF the attacking and
defending forces. And saw the
Union troops get 30 near the Confed-
crate stronghold that the enemy ac-
tually laid down their guns and be-
gan rolling great boulders nom the