The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1904-04-07
FIELD OF BATTLE
INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES OF
THE WAR.
WhistIing Bullets, Bright Bayonets,
Bursting Bombs, Bloody Battles,
Camp Fire. Festive BuEs, Etc, Etc.

whistlin9 Bullets, Bright Bayonets,
Bursting Bombs, Bloody Battles,
Camp Fire. Festive Bugs, ETC., Etc.
Soldiers have good memories" said
the Colonel 1--WE laugh at the boys
sometimes because they occasionally
get their stories mixed. but 1t 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.
"In 1899 Captain Strong, of the
navy, after his return from Manila,
said at one Of our little gatherings, in
which the progress of Russia was iin-
der discussions: AS a matter of inn
pulse 1 distrust Russia, but whenever
l am on the point of expressing my dis
trust my memory takes hold of me and
carries me back to the day in Sep
tember, 1868, 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 were always on
the lookout, came from Russian ports.
None Of the intimations and threats
that caused irritation and uneasiness
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.
ave knew the presence of the feet
could mean but one thing; and when at
later date the New York newspapers
came to us bearing the Russian admir-
ais tribute to our own Farragut there
was more cheering. Whenever 1 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 to
his dates, and insisted that the feet
came in the spring or summer. But l
remembered that the news came to our
regiment in the Army Of the Cumter-
land when the men; greatly depressed.
were digging trenches and building
forts. remembered that when some
one came from headquarters and
shouted, The Russian fleet Is in New
York harbor,' the men in the trenches
caught up their shovels and picks, and;
carrying them at d shoulder, marched |
around inside the works; cheering and |
yelling, and that no one rebuked them. |
"My mind went galloping, as it were,
did we build forts and dig trenches in
1868? Not at Stone River, not at |
Chickamauga, but at Chattanooga af-
ter Chickamauga, in the last week Of
September. Then l knew Captain
Strong was right as to his dates.
associated the coming Of the Russian
feet with the period when we were
every day an attack from
the enemy that had hemmed us in on
three sides, and when we were receiv-
ing newspapers from our own States
filed with misleading accounts of the
battle Of Chickamauga and of the con-
1itions prevailing in the army at Chat
tanooga."
"As to that" said the Sergeant, "all
hat the soldiers remember. and all that
-1,or boSo cold boc moi ohopDod fho
.one or color of the historical picture
# Rosecrans' army just after Chicka-
nauga. The army. massed TO resist
enemy not more than ten
niles from where it had fought for
.wo days against superior numbers.
vas really more cheerful than the peo-
de hundreds of miles from the battle
ield The regiments and divisions
we're within easy visiting distance. and
men from the same neighborhoods who
lad been separated for two years re-
lewed their acquaintance.
''The enemy was in speaking dis
ance on Lookout Mountain and Mis-
ionary Ridge, but the boys did not
are for that. They worked in the
renches when their relief was ON and
listed when of duty. The world
alked about them being bottled up and !,
but life at Chattanooga
ad its compensations. The boys came
D know their own generals better. and
Trough the closeness Of the picket
ines to know the enemy better. The
,.oo<oct Ur;ovouco In o,,r oop,popv II
was that just as we had Sc
ured supply of wood from the north
ide of the river and had RATED it
own to a point near our quarters we !
7ere ordered to move.
"The picture of life at Chattanooga
hat stands out in my memory most
learly is a meeting with Rosecrans at
light. had seen him twice at Chick
mauga on the last day Of the battle. !,
nd this night the men of our detach-
lent on duty midway between the F
,rts and outposts were discussing how
e looked when the General himself
anne up with only a single orderly at 4
is heels. Thousands oflights in the
,bel camp We're in plain view. The
nion army was getting ready to turn
/ for the night. Its chief came into IT
le circle of our little fire with the
amer of mother tucking the blan- r
Its about her sleeping children. His
cart may have been heavy, but his Y
ce bore message of cheer and SYM
lthy to every soldier who looked up-
, it. A hundred times l have dreamed a
Rosecrans bending over me in bed,
18th the face he turn<l toward us
at night. Chicago Inter Ocean.
Hand-to-Hand Fighting. D
Il notice that good many men are
Ill in doubt as to the utility of the :
iyonet and seem reluctant to believe
ere were any hand-tO-hand conflicts
lrlng. the war There WAS ono at