The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1904-10-20
SOLDIERS STORIES.
ENTERTAINING "REMINISCENCES
OF THE WAR.
Graphic Account of Stirring Scenes
Witnessed on the Battlefield and In
Camp-veterans of the Rebellion Re-

cite Experiences Of Thrilling Nature.
When the War of the Rebellion
broke out, Tom Campbell, a young and
vigorous Hoosier, was at work on his
fathers farm near Attca, Ind, and
like many others, felt 1t to be his duty
to join the army and 90 his part In
saving the Union Being an only son,
and h. services almost indispensable
on the farm, his father for a time pre-
vailed upon him to remain at home,
but In 1852, after the wheat and the
corn were harvested and the more
pressing farm work was out Of the
way, Tom could no longer be restrain
ed, and go into the service he would
and did. Making his way to Indianap-
oils. he duly enlisted, was sworn into
the service. and at his request was as
signed as recruit to Company A, Fiji
teenth Indiana, which company was
raised In and near Attica. In due time
he joined the regiment, then In camp
near Nashville, Tenn, and, clad in a
new suit Of blue and armed with a
Springfield rife, was declared ready
for initiation into the miseries and de-
lights Of soldering. Very soon after
Toms arrival the army marched upon
Murfreesboro, and Tom, with the rest
Of the Fifteenth boys. plodded his
weary way along the pike, across the
fields and through the cedar thickets
until brought up face to face with
Bragg's army at Stone River. Our
hero had had no time to learn the drill
and but few Of the ordinary military
commands, and, to use his own express
sion, knew no more about the duty of
a soldier than Adams off OK" He
accepted all the hardships In good part,
was always good-natured and willing,
but the distinctions of rank had no
terrors for his patriotic soul. He was
not educated up to the point where he
could understand why the sergeants
and corporals of A Company had the
right to order him about, when he
knew these same boys at home and
was as good as they were. He gave
his captain and lieutenants all due re-
spect, but made life a burden for the
non-commissioned officers by his neg
lect to obey orders, and as a conse-
quence was almost perpetually on ex-
ira duty. This. too, was taken good
naturally, and in spite Of his way
wardness 1t was impossible to bear him
any malice.
The Fifteenth Indiana was in
Woods division Of the left wing, and
when McCook's command, on the right,
was swept away, the left wing was
soon called into action. Tom watched
the fugitives streaming back from the
broken right, saw batteries hurrying
into action, mounted aids and orderlies
dashipg over the field, wounded men
being carried to the rear, heard the
terrible uproar of artillery and mus
kerry, all with placid and unmoyed
composure. So far as he knew, this
was the regular thing, and he did not
propose to worry until he had to.
When his regiment moved forward,
Tom, OF course, went along but by no
means did he confine himself to the
ranks OF Company A. With the spirit
of an American freeman, he felt that
he was entitled to the whole field, and
each Company was from time TO time
honorei with his presence. The regi-
mentH halted, but not so with Tom.
Ahead OF him he saw a thin line Of
men apparently standing or lying about
as they pleased, and as this seemed
more like his kind of soldering he shot
ahead and joined them. They were
the skirmishers Of the regiment, but
Tom did not know it, which was per-
haps just as well. He could not find
place to suit him, and seeing rail
fence some distance in front, deliber-
ately walked up to it and ensconced
himself in a corner. Just about this
time General Dan Adams Confederate
brigade was moving to attack the posi-
ton held by the Fifteenth and Fifty
seventh Indiana. That worthy was
holding his position utterly unconscious
of the fact that such distinguished WIS.,
itors were bearing down upon him,
when, happening to glance through the
cracks between the rails, he espied the
stars and bars directly in front. In a
moment, after ascending a slight rise
In the ground, the long line Of men In
gray came in sight, and Tom realized
that trouble was brewing for him. TAX
ing careful aim at the man who carried
the flag, he blazed away and over went
the color-bearer. There was no time
to reload, and Tom concluded he had
better rejoin the skirmisherS, but on
looking around found to his amazement
that they were gone They had fallen
back on the main line, and the regi-
ment were In line Of battle awaiting
the threatened attack. The question
then was how to get out Of the scrape,
and for a moment Tom was non-plused-
He reasoned II he ran in q straight
line he would be sho down In no time,
30 he decided that zig-zag sidewise
retreat would be the safer plan This
he promptly put into execution, and
amid a shower Of bullets he went to
the rear In a slightly undignifed man.
ner. One bullet clipped OF lock OF
his abundant hair. another just missed
his nose, while third passed through
his blouse and wooden shirt, taking
strip Of skin with it. and he reached
the regiment in safety. All that day he
TONIGHT on the same general principie