Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1904-04-02
THE FIELD OF BATTLE
INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES OF
THE WAR.
The Veterans of the Rebellion Tell of
Whistling BuI:ess, Bright Bayonets,
Bursting Bombs, Bloody Battles,
Camp Fire. Festive Bugs, ETC., Etc.


the Colonel. I'VE laugh at the boys
sometimes because they occasionally
get their stories mixed. but ii remains
true that soldier recollection of occur
rences associated with the great events
OF the war is rarely at fault, and often
supplies the side light that reveals de-
tails OF great historic value
I'm 1899 Captain Strong. of the
navy. after his return from Manila,
said al one OF our little gatherings. in
which the progress of Russia was I'M
der discussion: AS a matter of Inn
! am on the point of expressing my dis
trust my memory takes hold OF me and
carries me back 10 the day in Sep
/ TENDER. 1863, when we of the fleet In
front of Charleston heard that Rus
sian squadron had arrived in New
York harbor
None Of the blockade runners we
had been watching and chasing for
two years. none of the commerce de-
stroyers for which we We're always on
the lookout. came from Russian ports
None of the intimations and threats
that caused irritation and measiness
in the navy came from Russian
sources. and | remember that officers
and men of our feet cheered like mad
over the simple announcement that
Russian feet was In New York harbor.
I'VE knew the presence of the feet
could mean but one thing. and when at
later date the New York newspapers
came to rs bearing the Russian admir-
ais tribute TO our own Farragut there
was more cheering. Whenever ! am
tempted TO criticise Russian action or
policy that scene in the feet off
Charleston comes up before me, my
heart begins to swell, my pulse quick
ems, and my tongue is still
This continued the Colonel "set
me thinking Not few of those pres
ent said the Captain was wrong as 70
his dates. and insisted that the fleet
came in the spring or summer. But
remembered that the news came TO our
regiment in the Army of the Cumber-
land when the men, greatly depressed
were digging trenches and building
forts. / remembered that when some
one came from headquarters and
shouted, The Russian feet is In New
York harbor,' the men in the trenches
caught up their shovels and picks, and,
carrying them at shoulder. marched
around inside the works, cheering and
yelling, and that no one rebuked them.
My mind went galloping, as 1t were.
along the history Of the war. Where
did we build forts and dig trenches In
! 1858? Not at Stone River, not at
Chickamauga, but at Chattanooga af-
ter Chickamauga, in the last week Of
September Then | knew Captain
associated the coming of the Russian
feet with the period when we were
expecting every day an attack from
the enemy that had hemmed us in on
three sides. and when we We're receiv-
ing newspapers from our own States
filed with misleading accounts OF the
battle of Chickamauga and of the con
ditions prevailing in the army at Chat
tRRooga."
AS 10 that" said the Sergeant. "aII
that the soldiers remember and all that
they have said mas not changed the
tone or color OF the historical picture
of Rosecrans' army just after Chicka-
mauga. The army, massed TO resist
pursuing enemy not more than ten
miles from where II had fought for
two days against superior numbers.
was really more cheerful than the PEG
pie hundreds of miles from the battle.
field The regiments and divisions
were within easy visiting distance, and
men from the same neighborhoods who
had been separated for two years re-
newed their acquaintance
"The enemy was in speaking dis
tance on lookout Mountain and Mis-
sionary Ridge, but the boys did not
care for that They worked in the
trenches when their relief was on and
visited when off duty The world
talked about them being bottled UP and
demoralized. but life at Chattanooga
had It's compensations. The boys came
to know their own generals better ANA
through the cioSeness of the picket
lines 10 know the enemy better. The
greatest grievance in our company.
remember, was that just as we had Sc
cured supply Of wood from the north
side Of the river and had RATED il
down to a point near our quarters we
were ordered to move.
"The picture Of life al Chattanooga
that stands out IN my memory most
clearly is a meeting with Rosecrans al
night. had seen him twice at Chick
amauga on the last day Of the battle.
and this night the men Of our detaci-
ment OF duty midway between the
forts and ontposts We're discussing how
he looked when the General himself
came up with only Il single orderly AT
lis heels. Thousands OF lights In the
rebel camp were In plain view. The
Union army was getting ready to turn
in for the night Its chief came into
tho c{rcla uf our littlp fro with tho