The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1904-09-15
THE FIELD OF BATTLE
INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES OF
THE WAR.
The Veterans of the Rebellion Tell of
Whistling Bullets, Bright Bayonetsr
Bursting Bombs, Bloody Battles
Camp Fire, Festive Bulge, ETC., Etc.

Officers with any experience outside
Of West Point never seemed vexed at
any misnomers applied to them by SOL
diers in the ranks.
1t is not an unusual thing. though,
tor dashing young officer, whose mill
tary life had been spent among the
cadets, to fume and fret over some
name applied to him by some one from
among the vast numbers of men, but
whom he could not detect, and then to
be tainted and TESTED from every side
till he was almost frantic with rage.
But the right of soldiers to greet
the officers with misapplied epithets
whenever they made their appearance
was a privilege never attempted to be
abridged by judicious commanders.
General Benning, as brave a man as
fought beneath the stars and bars, be-
longed to this class.
Why he was called "Old Rock" we
never learned, but had one judged
from what he heard when the general
appeared upon the ground, he would
have thought vast crowd were rabbit
hunting with only one dog; as the
greeting he almost invariably received
would be: 'Whoo-pee! Sick him,
Rock. Put him up, old fellow" But
the general never gave any Of these
demonstrations any heed, but would
pass on with seemingly other thoughts
on his mind.
The general was an unassuming
man, not disdaining to put his hands
to the work required of his men. To
illustrate this and to show how good
humoredly he took the name Of Rock
applied to himself, the following has
been related:
The army had struck camp, and
General Benning had laid off his coat
and had undertaken the repair of an
old wagon, when a teamster, recogniz-
ing no mark of rank in a man in his
shirt-sleeves, and with an air of "get
out of my way or will run over you,"
backed one of the wheels of his own
wagon against one of the old wagon
and completely demolished it. This
enraged the general considerably,
which gave him the occasion to use
some quite feeling adjectives to ex-
press himself.
But when he was cheered by his
men with "Hurrah for Rock hurrah
for Rock" he pretended to have mis-
understood their meaning, regained
his good humor, and called out:
Boys, don't rock him, but let the
scamp CO."
When General Benning found a SOL
der off duty and on the sick list, it
was his custom not to ask to be shown
doctors certificate, but to have the
man then and there to lick out his
tongue"
On one occasion, while on a forced
march, just before reaching a ford on
small river or large creek, he gave
orders for no man to strip before TAX
ing to the water. To see that his or
der was carefully carried out, he sta
toned himself on the opposite side of
the stream, where he could see every
man as he crossed.
Finally a man appeared holding his
clothing above the water.
go right on back and wet those
clothesr'
But I'm not one of your men,"
mo difference. Go and wet them,
say"
"But am one of General Anderson's
men,"
The poor fellow went back and
dipped his clothing, though he really
belonged to Anderson's brigade which
was then crossing the river.
At another place he gave the order
for only those who were sick to cross
on the footway. the others to take the
water; and when he found they were
about all passing off as sick. he placed
himself at the end Of the crossing, and,
as a man would cross, he would call
out:
click out your tongue, sir! Lick
out your tongue, sir!" when the only
light he had was that given by a wan
ing moon.
He was so accustomed to have men
lick out their tongues. it is reported,
that once, noticing very rickety old
wagon, he rode up to it. and, after no.
| ticing it very closely, he called out:
Lick out your tongue"
Maybe the reason General Benning
was called Rock was because he was
l first given the name of a soldier who
owned dog by that name. that was
quick to catch and slow to turn loose.
American Tribune.