Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1904-03-05
THE BOOMING CANNON
REclTALS OF CAMP AND BAT
TIE INCIDENTS.
Survivors of the Rebellion Relate
Many Amusing and Startling Incl
dents of Marches, Camp Life, Forag-
ing Experiences and Battle sceues.


H. Thomas in action at the battle of
Nashville. General Kimball had or
dered me TO carry message to one
of our brigades aud after delivering
the message l was unable 10 find the
General TO make my report A staff
officer informed me- | would find kim
ball with General Thomas. and
sought the latter He sat on his horse.
cool and alert and | remember how
quietly he said To KimbaH: General.
you will order your second brigade
into action
As | was the only stan officer not
otherwise engaged. | volunteered To
carry the order l was just starting.
when sharp shooter got range of
General Thomas headquarters aud
bullet killed General Kimban's horse
under him. After eXtricating the Gen
eral and ordering another horse for
him ! started with my order There
was no excitement ut headquarters.
General Thomas acted as though the
incident We're an every day occurrence
and not worth mentioning.
Lieutenant Colonel Hallowell. then
only - years of age. commanding the
Thirty-FirSt Indiana. led one division
skirmish line. aud when his troops
took a strongly fortified position of the
Confederates on Montgomery hill, Gen
eral Kimball and staff followed them
through the embrasure As the Gen
erals horse made the leap he was
hipped and was useless forevermore
balls horses killed and the other hurt.
my affidavit made ii possible for the
General To get pay for both horses.
AS the division skirmish line was
filing into this improvsed fort. | saw
Captain Kaldenbaugh of the Fifty
First Ohio busting the uniform of a
Confederate soldier with Il riding whip.
1t appeared that the Captain had or
dered the Confederate to surrender.
and, the latter replying Extensively. the
Captain gave him good licking
Was so much interested in this en-
cohnter that | did not hear the zip of
rife balls or The bursting OF shells in
my vicinity. The captain brought in
his man"
THAT reminds me, said the Ser
geant that soldiers rarely or never
settled personal quarrels by resort to
arms. The boys in the old Sibley tents.
With their muskets or rifles in easy
reach. would fight with fists 10 fin
ish, but no man. even if hard pressed,
WOULD think Of using his muslet
Transfers, with their own guns on
their wagons, would fight out their
feuds with whips or clubs. but in our
division not a single tcamster ever
threatened to shoot another.
This was matter of instinct. of
former environment. and of training
Men from country and city regarded
the guns they carried in the army as
governmental rather than personal
equipment. to be used against the enc
mics of the nation. When it came to
personal differences they were settled
in the old neighborhood way. without
reference 70 military discipline or
equipment. one man Of a company
might throw a stone at another. might
strike a comrade with club, or beat
him with his fists, and retain his stand
ing. but il he used gun or bayonet
against another soldier he was lost.
This was IN unwritten regulation
rarely violated. On one occasion
quarrel Of long standing was in pro-
cess of settlement In Gus Siblcy. when
the little funnelShaped stove OF that
day was overturned aud the tent
thrown down TIP to this time there
had been no active Interference on the
part of the Inconvenience members
of the mess. But when one of the
lighters rolled from under the fallen
tent and in his blind rage caught up
Il rife 10 use as club. there was in
ference al once, and both men were
bundled off to the guardhouse
''rhis did not settle the quarrel
Two weeks after that it broke out
again, while the regiment was resting
in line after repelling Nh assault by
the enemy. IN the hill the two feud
lists went at each other hammer and
tongs. and were rolling and tumbling
when the rebels advanced in force
They were 50 intent in furnishing each
other that they seemed obliyious of the
enemy's fire. and made no move when
the company began to retire. MINDED
al last, they discovered they We're
alone in The immediate frort Of the
charging rebels. They grabbed their
guns and scooted for our lines. One
was wounded and the other dropped
ny bis side until he could bring the
wounded man In. That settled the
quarrel
Just before Chickamauga when
eamsters were working overtime and
covering a good deal OF new and rough
country, and consequently were very
irritable. there was a quarrel. with
serious outcome. among teamsters OF
train following mp the uncertain
movements Of our division. We Of the
train guard We're expecting trouble,