The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1904-12-01

cteIouo OF tho ReoelI1On Rc-
cite Experiences Of Thrilling Nature.
The year 1862 presented. for the
Union cause, some dark pictures in
the War Of the Rebellion.
McClellan's operations against Rich
mond were failure, ending in the
disastrous retreat to Harrison's Land
Ing. Fremont's campaign In the Shen-
andoah Valley was fraught with ca
lamity. Pope's movement against
Lees rear resulted finally in his own
defeat at the Second Battle Of Bull
Run, and the invasion Of Maryland by
the Confederate army under Lee,
Jackson and Longstreet. This tnva-
sion was characterized by the SAN
culinary contest at South Mountai
the capture OF Harper's Ferry, WI
some 1900 Union prisoners and i'm
mense commissary and ordnance
stores, and the terribly severe but
fruitless battle of Antietam.
In the West, the condition the latter
factory. General George w. Morgan,
with 1900 troops, was compelled to
retreat from Cumberland Gap to the
Ohio river, and General q. Kirby
Smith, with veteran army which de-
feated Generals Manson and Nelson
near Richmond, KY, approached dis
tressingly close to Cincinnati and COM
PEELED the concentration there Of thou
sands of Squirrel Hunters" from
Ohio and Indiana under General Lew
Wallace.
General Bragg, with veterans who
fought at Shiloh and Corinth, had a
footrace Of several hundred miles
from Southern Tennessee into Ken
lucky, his competitor on parallel lines
being General Don Carlos Buell., with
the Army Of the Ohio. Buell. reached
Louisville first compelling Bragg to
move toward Frankfort, where he
spent some time in recognizing the
State government and recruiting men
for his depleted ranks.
While Bragg was receiving Access
gions from Kentucky, Buell. was Sc
curing thousands Of men from the
Western States, the fruit of the enlist
ment made in response to President
Lincoln's call for 10000 recruits for
three years, or during the war. Final
" Buell. moved against his adversary,
and at Perryville, Oct. 8, with but a
portion Of each army engaged, crossed
swords In bloody engagement
Bragg retired from the State, carrying
with him immense plumber, and took
strong position at Murfreesboro,
Tenn, ready to contest the field with
Rosecrans, the able successor Of Buell.
In command Of the army, whose name
had been changed meanwhile from
that of the Army Of the Ohio to that
Of the Army Of the. Cumberland.
To complete matters, the elections
10 number Of the loyal States were
not favorable to the Union cause. The
period was emphatcally dark, as will
be remembered by the battle-scarred
veterans Of those troubled times.
One Of the regiments organized I'M
der President Lincoln's call In the au-
tumn Of 1862 and placed under the d.
rcction Of Brigadier General Quincy
A. Gilmore at Lexington, KY, was the
| One Hundred and Twelfth Illinois In
fantry, Colonel Thos. j. Henderson,
afterward Brevet Brigadier and q
member Of Congress for ten years, be-
Ing its commander.
Colonel Henderson had been In
North Central Illinois a prominent
lawyer and Republican politician. He
was well acquainted with Abraham
Lincoln. In fact, he had as a mem
Der Of the State Legislature supported
him several times for the United
States Senate. notably so in the cele-
brated race made in 1853 against the
HLittle Giant" Stephen A Douglas,
the Democratic oracle and idol Of the
State.
Though Colonel Henderson had been
In the service but a few months, Sc
rious illness in his family induced
them to request his return on leave Of
absence, even for few days. he
presented the request to General Gil
more, his superior officer, but was in
formed by him that recent stringent
srders from the War Department alb
solutely prohibited the granting Of any
leaves Of absence. General Gilmore,
however, suggested to Colonel Hender-
son that he write to President Lincoln
and present his case direct.
Colonel Henderson finally wrote to
bis friend in Congress, Hon. William
Kellogg, who presented the matter to
Mr.. Lincoln. The reply, which was
not written by a secretary on type
writer, is a characteristic one. 1t
shows, on the part Of the great war
President, recognition of past sup
port, but indicates what is still greater,
q supreme regard for his obligation to
bring to war to speedy close by using
effectively the means provided for its
vigorous prosecution. The letter is a
historic document, and now meets the
public gaze for the first time, its use
having been granted to me by General
Henderson:
Executive Mansion,
Washington, Dec. 20, 1862.
Zion. T. ]. Henderson:
MY Dear Sir-Your letter Of the
9th to Hon. William Kellogg has just
been shown me. You can scarcely