The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1904-12-01
SOLDIERS STORIES.
ENTERTAINING "REMINISCENCES
OF THE WAR.
Graphic Account Of Stirring Scene,
Witnessed on the Battlefield and In
camp-veterans Of the Rebellion Re-
cite Experiences Of Thrilling Nature.

Camp-Veterans Of the Rebellion Re
cite Experiences Of Thrilling Mature
The year 1862 presented. for til
Union cause, some dark pictures il
tie War Of the Rebellion.
McClellan's operations against Rich
mond were a failure, ending in tn
disastrous retreat to HarrisOn's Land
Ing. Fremonts campaign In the Shen
andoah Valley was fraught with ca
lamity. POpe's movement agains
Lees rear resulted finally In his owl
defeat at the Second Battle of Bul
Run, and the invasion of Maryland b!
the Confederate army under Lee
Jackson and Longstreet. This inva
sion was characterized by the san
culinary contest at South Mounta
the capture Of Harper's Ferry, W
some 12,O00 Union prisoners and i'm
mense commissary and ordinances
| stores. and the terribly severe but
fruitless battle of Antietam.
In the West, the condition the latter
| part Of the year was not more salts.
factory. General George w. Morgan
with $4,000 troops, was compelled to
retreat from Cumberland Gap to the
Ohio river. and General E. 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
tucky, 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
tor his depleted ranks.
While Bragg was receiving acces-
sions 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 60,CO0 recruits for
three years, or during the war. Final
ly Buell. moved against his adversary,
and at Perryville, Oct s, with but
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
In number of the loyal States were
not favorable to the Union cause. The
period was emphatically dark, as will
be remembered by the battle-scarrel
veterans Of those troubled tines
One Of the regiments organized un-
der President Lincoln's call in the all
tumn Of 1862 and placed under the di-
.ecti0n Of Brigadier General Quincy
A. Gilmore at Lexington, Ky, was the
One Hundred and Twelfth Illinois In
fantry, Colonel Thos. ]. Henderson,
afterward Brevet Brigadier and
Of Congress for ten years, be-
ng its commander.
Colonel Henderson had been In
North Central Illinois a prominent
awyer 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 30 in the cele-
orated race made in 1858 against the
Little Giant" Stephen A. Douglas,
he Democratic oracle and idol of the
State
Though Colonel Henderson had bcen
n the service but few months, Sc
ious illness in his family induced
hem to request his return OH leave of
lbsence, even for few days. He
presented the request to General Gil
nOre, his superior officer, but was in
ormed by him that recent stringent
riders fSpm the War Department abb
olutely prohibited the granting Of any
caves Of absence. General Gilmore,
owever, suggested to Colonel Hender-
on that he write to President Lincoln
nd present his case direct.
Colonel Henderson finally wrote TO
is friend In Congress, Hon. William
Kellogg, who presented the matter to
Ir. Lincoln. The reply, which was |
ot written by a secretary on a type !
Eriter, Is a characteristic one. 1t |
hows, on the part Of the great war
resident. recognition Of past sup
ort, but indicates what Is still greater,
supreme regard for his obligation to
ring to war to speedy close by using
fectively the means provided for its
igorous prosecution. The letter Is Il
istoric document, and now meets the
ublic gaze for the first time, its Use
aving been granted to me by General
Executive Mansion,
Washington. Dec. 20, 1862.
Hon. L. J. Henderson:
MY Dear Sir-Your letter of the
til to Hon. William Kellogg has just
cen shown me. You can scarcely
the pleasure it would
I've me to oblige you; but nothing is
perating so ruinously upon us every
here MS 'absenteeism.' 1t positively
ill not do for me to grant leaves of
bsence in cases not sufficient to pro
Ire them under the regular rules.
at would astonish you to know the
ztent Of the evil-of 'absenteeism.' We
.arcely have more than half the men
e are paying for on the spot for serv-
e anywhere.
Yours very truly,
"A. LINCOLN"
A faithful soldier, Colonel Hender-
N did not seek or receive leave OF
bsence until after the battle OF