Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1904-01-30
SOLDIERS AT HOME.
THEY TELL SOME INTERESTING
ANECDOTES OF THE WAR.
How the Boys of Both Armies whiIed
Away Life in Camp-Foraging Ex-
periences, Tiresome Marches-ThriI-
ling Scenes on the Battlefield.

nels. each man claiming that the Colo
mel of the regiment in which he served
was the best Colonel in the service.
Finally, TALL lank. grizzled veteran
with clear, keen eye said: 4 served
in the Eighty-fifth Pennsylvania near
~ four years. General Thomas Os-
borne of the Thirty ninth Illinois was
in our brigade and had been Il fine
regimental commander. But our own
white-bearded Colonel Howell was the
best officer that ever commanded
regiment.
Colonel Howell was known by the
rebs everywhere by his long white
beard and by his custom of riding in
front. On horseback or on foot his
call was Come on, boys, and | can
pay no higher tribute To him than To
say that under his coel-headed super
vision we never lost knapsack in
any battle. This means that the regi-
ment never was in a panic. that the
Colonel always planned well. Colonel
Howell fell mortally wounded In the
charge on The rebel works at Deep
Bottom, on the James River in 1864.
where we drove Longstreet's corps
back. Some of the rebel prisoners
asked after old white beard
That's all right said Sergeant
Grimshaw, but there We're times when
the hest Colonel that ever lived could
not prevent nervousness on the part
Of his men Fer example. in Febru-
airy. 1868, company II, Fifty second
Ohio, was on picket duty south of
Nashville, covering the ground be
tween the Granny White pike and the
Franklin pike There had been con
tinuouS rain for several hours, and the
ravines were full of water
Late in the afternoon some rebel
cavalry in citizens dress had tried 10
get through the lines on the Granny
White pike, and falling there had
crossed TO the Franklin pike, and fail
ing there had disappeared To reappear
at dark on the Granny White pike
My trick came at midnight, and | was
stationed midway between the two
pixies. About the time | went on duty
danger rockets were thrown up in the
city. AS the rockets went up ag.is
and again we associated the dis play
with the men supposed 10 be rebel cav
airy in front and all were very alert
Lieutenant Judkins, in charge of
the guard, became very nervous and
went over 10 the reserve on the Frank
lin pike TO urge greater precautions.
ii e started back with the relief for my
post, but lost his bearings, fell into a
creek, and, against his own orders as
to quietness, had TO call at the top of
his voice 10 find where | was located
We were all more wrought up that
rainy night with prowling enemies all
about us than we ever were in battle"
"Of course said Dan X. Anderson
''the most trying duty for soldier
was standing picket on stormy night
with a skulking enemy in front. For
aging required nerve Of another sort,
but ii required also readiness and re-
sourcefulness. While we were at Nc
Minnville, Tenn, Joe CahilI Il have
heard he lives in Chicago and myself
We're out foraging and came upon a
field of sweet potatoes and melons
on a hillside some distance from the
road suggested that we 90 over and
dig some of the potatoes on shares,
and we were soon at work
1--WE had dug about half bushel
as fine sweet potatoes as you ever say
when q rife bullet struck the ground
between us. We saw where the
smoke came from and we saw also Il
house not far away. Believing the
bushwhacker would run to the house
we decided to get there before him. As
we turned the corner of the house at
a full run we came face to face with
the bushwha cker, gun In hand. Caught
in the act, be was greatly disturbed.
while we were in great good humor.
AS be had had the privilege OF shoot
ing at us, we took the privilege of
confiscating certain things found In
and about his house.
I'VE took half a bushel of onions.
two hams, some butter in crock dt
would have been better for us TO have
lldu III III II DOlllt}. uuil Il AOLtn young
chickens, and loading up the old man
with his own goods. started for camp.
About half way to camp the bush.
whacker threw his white mans bur-
den Oh the ground and bolted As Joe
was carrying the gun, with half a
dozen chickens strung on it. over his
shoulder, ] dropped my load and gave
chase.
Il caught him, brought him back to
the burden, persuaded him to take 1t
up. and we reached camp without any
further trouble There we turned the
bushwhacker over TO General Nelson,
who, well pleased at the capture, ask.
cd no questions as to why we were
outside the lines.
'Bnt speaking Of alertness on picket,
there was "A case Of non-alertness in
that McMiunville campaign that took
the cake General Nelson was in
command, and as Bragg was making
feints all along the line preparatory
to his grand Ranking movement. the