The National tribune., 1904-04-07
IN MISSISSIPPI.
Recollsctions Of an Army Surgeou-0en.
Humans Mastery Retreat Prom brand
Junction.

shouted some of the boys of the sd iii.
one August day in 1862 Were ordered
to get out of this cursed hot hole, and We
are going to camp in that timber about
FIVE miles south" GLORY, HalIelujah!
John Browns body is marching ON, You
bet" shouted and sang others.
l did not wonder mt this citation, which
l shared to some extent. for we had been
in camp (near Bolivar, Tenn for long
time in a cotton field destitute of shade.
and though ! had little confidence in the
mems knowledge of our destination, felt
that almost any change in camp would be
welcome and an improvement.
Early next morning our regiment. with
the 3D. Iowa. 18th and 41st ILL.,, a portion
of the I'd Ill. Cav, Battery c. 1st No.,
9th Ohio battery. and one other 1.-THE mamie
of which l cannot rccalD. four guns each,
the whole constituting tho First Brigade.
Fourth Division. Army of the Tennessee,
under command of Gen. ]. G.. Lauman,
started on what proved to be n somewhat
exciting and eventful march. We had M
limited confidence in the ability and
bravery of the General. whom all the
soldiers esteemed most highly; the men
had been together for many months. knew
each other well, and also knew that if the
unexpected happened and We were re
quired to fight there would be no finch
ing on the part of any of the regiments
fight bravely.
And so we marched gaily along with
soldierly tread, passing not only the place
referred to. but several others where il
seemed to me an almost ideal camp could
be made; hut no order to halt was given
until nearly night, when We went into
camp, the site of which. though an i'm
provefnent on the one we had left that
morning, was by no means as good rs sew
eral we had passed during the day.
1t began to dawn on the minds of many.
if not all, that the object of the march
was not solely for our comfort and con-
venience, though where we were going or
what we were going to do SO far from our
base was question not easily answered.
The next morning early our march was
resumed until about o'clock, when we
halted in grove of young timber, waiting
and wondering what next. Of course the
General did not take us into his conf
dence and explain; our Colonel, il lie knew
said nothing, but quite 4 number of the
men knew all about it, though somehow
their opinions differed greatly. and no
theory or statement was considered Ell
tirely authentic and reliable.
For myself, thought a quiet rest under
tree in the rear Of the regiment was the
proper movement for me, as / had not
been feeling at all well for a month or
two. and accordingly | took up such
position.
Soon after our Adiutant and several
Others came up and asked me 10 ride with
them to that secesh house," pointing to
a nice-looking farm house about half a
mile away. They were going after hut
termilk; perhaps could buy a few chick
ems: it would be n nice little gallop any
way, they urged; but / concluded that
the rest | then was enjoying was the best
thing for me, therefore declined their
pressing invitation, and they gsily rode
away. Poor boys. 1t would have been far
better for them had they remained in the
shade with me. for while they We're i'm
the house "a faithful coIored brother hid
their horses and soon after a squadron of
the enelny's cavalry surrounded the house
and captured them all.
About this time one of our scouts came
i'm, who said he had been To Grand june
ton. where he saw this legend on the
register Of the principal hotel: Gen.
Lauman with =. 800 men are on their way,
and will be here ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS" He
also said that the enemy with force of
5000 men had started to flank and cap
ture us. their intention apparently being
to march on parallel road until they got
in our rear, then take a crOssrOad and at
tack us as We approached, and this in
formation soon was confirmed by other
scouts. We had large number of wag-
ons and u guns; our line OF retreat was
over series of high hills, with creeks.
and i'm some cases low, marshy ground
between, and the problem of saving our
train as well as ourselves with largely
superior force in close pursuit was not an
easy one to solve. But the General was
equal TO the emergency, for as soon as he
was satisfied as to the correctness of the
scouts reports, he sent for achievements,
ordered the teamsters to drive back as
fast as their horses could go, changed
column front at once, and began to retreat
at double-quick. We passed the cross
road spoken Of, went through the first
valley and climbed the hill without seeing
the enemy.
On the brow of the hill the General
halted one battery, with the 53d Iii. and
I'D Iowa. l think, as supports. The enemy
soon appeared in sight, marching rapidly,
when the battery opened on them yigor-
ously, which stopped their advance and,
as l afterward learned from our Adjutant,
who was with them as prisoner, they
formed line Of battle, expecting us to fight
from the advantageous position we held.
But rs soon as our little reminder that we
were not to be captured without n severe
contest reached them, we quietly disap-
peared from the brow Of the hill, safely
crossed the valley and the creek. and ON
the next hill We found another battery
with infantry supports occupying q posi-
ton similar TO the one we had Just left,
we passing to the extreme rear, which
now had become the front. The same tao
ties were observed for several miles, or
until we We're Informed that the reinforce
ments asked for were rapidly approaching
and the prospect of having To fight such a
superior force had disappeared.
This retreat was admirably planned and
executed, as any old soldier will readily
see, and increased our admiration and re-
gard for Gen. I.auman immensely. He
had been quick not only 10 see the danger
to his command but also to act upon the
information he had received from the
scouts; he had adopted the best and only
possible method Of extricating us from the
perilous position in which we had been
placed: we had not lost Il man Except the
few who had been captured while on a
little private expedition of their OWN. all
OF our long train of wagons had been
saved. and we returned to our former
camp somewhat weary but joyful and hiIa-
riOus.
/ saw Adj't May after he had been ex-
changed some months later, and he in
formed me that our guns had been acctl-
rately aimed; that the first shots, which
were quite unexpected, threw the enemy
into great disorder and confusion. from
which they speedily recovered, forming
line of battle in short order. and waited
to receive our further compliments,
which they would have energetieally re-