Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1904-08-13
THE BOOMING CANNON
RECITALS 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 Scenes.
There are good many Kentuckians
IN Chicago" said the Doctor. Il saw
prominent Blue Grass statesman at
the theater the other night, and
wondered If he knew how many Ken
tuekians were IN the audience, or how
many kentuokians there are among
us who have lived longer in Chicago
than they lived in their native State
For some reason KentuckianS began
TO come here soon after the close of
the civil war. and the colony has in
creased every year since the great
fire
In the colony are hundreds Of men
who saw service in the Union regi-
ments during the war, and | never
met one of them who didn't Insist that
the Union men Of the State had never
Received credit for what they accom-
pllshed under very trying ciEcum-
stances, and | was told only the other
day that the so-called Kentucky regi-
ments of the Union army We're main
~ mongrel regiments, made up of men
from other States.
Il smiled at this, because | happen
to be familiar with the organization
of at least thirty regiments as dis
tinctively Kentuckian In personnel and
spirit as any regiment raised in hi
nois was distinctively Illinoisan. The
truth is, Kentucky had in the Union
army seventeen regiments of cavalry,
fanty, fifteen more regiments of
short-term mounted infantry, 1000
State guards, lG2 companies of home
guards, and five batteries of artil-
lery
1t is true that there WIS great I'M
certainty in the beginning. An at
tempt was made early in 1861 to hold
the organized militia companies in
the State guard ana to carry the whole
guard over to the ConfederatcS. This
movement failed and the crack com
panies in the cities went. some one
way ana some another. For example,
Captain John II. Morgan and his Lex
ingt0n rifles went 10 the Confcderates,
while Captain $. ID. Bruce and many
of his chasseurS of Lexington and
Captain s. w Price and many of his
odd infantry OF Lexington. dating
back to 1872, went into the Union
army.
There was no lack of good material
faf. a. I -.
son Speed. IIobson, Whitaker Rous.
seau, Wood, Ward, Crittenden. Ander-
son, Garrard Lanbran, Woodruff,
Smith, Johnson and others had seen
service in the Mexican war. Nelson
had been in the navy. ana several
West Pointers We're ready for duty.
Several regiments were organized out
side the State, but most of the cavalry
and infantry regiments were organized
in the State and hurried into the serv-
ice.
"Wolfords' First kentucky cavalry
was active from the very first. The
Eighth cavalry, under Shackelford and
Bfistow, and the Ninth. under Jacob.
We're organized in three weeks and
were hurried into battle. \ good story
is told of the latter. Jacob, with about
five hundred men, WAS In camp on
Greasy creek In 1863 when the camp
was rushed 10y Morgans full com
mand. Jacob didn't want to be licked
by anybody but most particularly he
didn't want TO be licked by Morgan's
men.
He made his men feel the same
way and they stood Jacob had one
piece of artillery in action. and he took
command of this himself He directed
the artillerists To load and fire as
rapidly as possible ana lie, with field
glass in hand, would give directions.
That gun fired twenty-five shots i'm
forty minutes. putting every shot
into the rebel line AT point where il
was trying to form for "A charge. The
rebels thought there was battery
there Jacob held his ground retired
in the face of a demand to surrender.
and shortly thereafter Joined in the
pursuit OF Morgan In his raid through
Kentucky, Indian ana Ohio.
with the Eighth under Shackelford
and other Kentucky regiments. the
Ninth cavalry made wild ride Of
twenty mine days from the Cumbor-
land to the ohio. through Indiana and
ohio. to the capture Of Morgan and
his men. That was great expert
ence. II wasn't like war in front.
The women Of Indiana and Ohio. il
seemed to me. were always singing
and cooking for rs. We fed our
horses at the wheat shocks In the
fields. We ate at the best tables in
the two States and at last the Ken
lucky cavalry with other troops swept
down on Morgan's rough riders with
such exulting shouts az only hard
riding Kenuckians could give. Soy
eral Of the boys WHO made that great
ride are In Chicago and they are rs
proud Of it as Sheridan was Of his
ride down Winchester road"
There was" said the Major. more
Il u Il.