Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1904-07-16
SOLDIERS AT HOME.
THEY TELL SOME INTERESTING
ANECDOTES OF THE WAR.
How the Boya of Both Armies whiied
Away Life in Camp-ForaxinR Ex-
periences, Tiresoae Marches-ThriI-
ling Scenes on the Battlefield.

hat SLOT! OF the JanS running up
10 Port Arthur i'll fog said pan r.
4 Anderson. reminded me of the heavi-
+ est fog ! ever saw. On the 10Th Of
November, 1861, ] had loaded l23 SIX
mule army wagons with tents aud
| equipment OF the general field hospi-
tai Of the army of the Cumberland Mt
helly'S ferry on the Tennessee river,
above Bridgeport. | had started for
Chattanooga by way OF Browns ferry,
aud was nearing the pontoOn bridge
/ When my caravan was stopped br
Shernan's men swarming up FROM
| Bridgeport. was sidetracked sew
ersl hours. Uncle Bllys men. having
urgent business in the front had the
right of way
While we waited the fog came on
anu something else came with It,
Heavy canuonading began very near
20 n and on our right As l was in
The valley, / couldn't see Ia my salts
faetion and climbed M The hin called
the Hog Back. aud had upobstructsd
view for q radius of from three TO FIVE
ed or most wonderful scene. Near
al hand and 10 ny right were long
double lines Of infantry. with batteries
in action at intervals along the lines
In the far front was thin line of
skIrmishers, the men climbing up into
the fog, going out of my sight firing
aud cheering Then the first line Of
battle went forward over rocks and
rough places into the fox.
''fnere We're flashes from bursting
shells and the noise Of battle came
down to me. hut for time J saw moth
ing. Then my heart beat fast Al there
emerged from the very center of the
fog the stars aud Stripes. | could not
see the man who carried the flag but
the flag itself fioated just above the
fog Inc like II swan resting easily ON
wafer. Then as | looked the head
of the c0lor-besrcr came above the
fog, then his shoulders and Il little
later his full figure shown ont in
arm 'lue, and he seemed to he walk
ing II the top of the fog.
ing, aud that the boys We're not far
behind the flag. In another minute
the whole line of battle was above
the fog, pushing ahead, hating TO fire
Il volley. and then on again. and the
battle above the clouds was on. FROM
my viewpoint | could see il all. could
see the supporting lines as they climb
ed through the fog. could see the
eEtasge sheer against the palisades and
the swirl and sweep OF The battle
storm on Iookout's ST ~ side And
should l live a thousand years. I'd
ne'er expect Ia see its like again"
Il had an experience in fog my
self" said the Major. which was ex-
citing. but disturbing. cur regiment
was one OF several columns convCrging
on the enemy and. Of course, we didn't
want TO he behind the others. The
boys. in going over the mountain.
chafted good deal because the col
Onei kept his horse down TO slow
walk, aud they couldn't understand
his orders 10 move slowly aud 10 keep
quiet as we went down into the valley
on the other side II MAS now day.
break, and time IL strike II We were
going to strike Between us and the
valley there WAS a dense Fog. aud the
vanguard went forward into ii and
disappeared.
In ten minutes We advanced down
; the incline into the fog. Al the rear
OF the regiment | could see not more
than two of the ten companies. The
others were down somewhere in the
, fog. In twenty minutes Il man came
running back with an order for the
mountain howitzers t. come 10 the
front. aud rs they went forward the
fog lifted. ! saw not only nil our ov n
regiment stretched along the winding
mountain road. bnt below in the val
ley several regiments breaking camp
| The flags they carried were not like
ours. They were gray, instead OF blue,
uniforms and il was clear 10 vs. that
this division ~ the enemy had just
withdrawn It's pickets preparatory to
! leaving camp when the fog lifted and
. revealed our line in blue
AS their skirmishers advanced ours
. retreated. and the whole colnmn about
faced and marched back up hill The
boys didn't ike this. and the rear
: guard was very stubborn about going
back. One little buchanan was par
ticularIy obstinate. and when there
came a sharp command from above.
o.