Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1905-11-25
THE BATTLE-FIELDS.
OLD SOLDIERS TALK OVER
ARMY EXPERIENCES.
The Blue and the Gray Review Imci-
dents of the Late War, and In
Graphic and Interesting Manner
Tell OF Camp, March and Battle.

said the Captain, reminds me of an
incident in the battle of Fort Stevens,
near Washington, in July, 1864 l par
ticipated in that engagement as cap
tain of company A. First colored in
fantry defenses of Washington. The
regiment was composed of govern
ment employees organized for defense
of Washington, and did good service
when Early advanced on the capital,
but no mention is made of the regi-
ment or its services in any War De
partment record.
After the Sixth corps arrived our
regiment charged in line with the Yer
mont brigade and drove Early's forces
back beyond Montgomery Blairs
house Then we returned to the de-
lenses, and the Sixth corps followed
the retreating enemy AS we returned
! saw a dead Confederate soldier who
wore long breastplate of Russian or
Swedish sheet iron, There were two
thickennesses of iron, with a material
resembling asbestos between Them the
whole covered with canvas or sail
cloth. A MIME ball had penetrated the
prmor or breaStplate over the heart of
the wearer, killing him instantly.
Zone Of the men took the breastplate
from the dead body and presented it
TO Captain Robert Lacey, OF General
Daniel H. Ricker's STAFF, and we ex-
amined 1t carefully, 1t was the only
piece of mail or armor that | ever saw
or heard of in the army. We all agreed
mt the time that the man who wore
the breastplate was not Confeder-
ate veteran, but n recruit who had re
Gently Joined the army or resident Of
Washington who had gone out with
arms and armor to help his friends
under Early. The breastplate was of
foreign manufacture, and might have
been carried to Richmond on block
ade runner.
"No veteran soldier of that time in
either army would have worn a pro
tector of any kind, That would have
been unsoldierly and inexcusable. But
veteran could use a tree or rock or
stump or mound of earth as a pro-
lection and be commended for his fore
sight and courage. The soldier most
sensitive on the question of armOr or
breastplate would jump behind a tree
or into a gopher hole and boast of his
of wearing chain suit or protector
of wearing a chain suit or protector
of any kind was counted a coward.
When private wanted to be particu-
larry severe on a regular officer he
intimated that said officer wore a
, chain shirt under his blouse or coat"
, II remember" said the Major, that
in our command any eccentricity on
the part Of a man II protecting him
self from the enemy's bullets was ex-
cusable and commendable. In the last
year of the war our men became ex-
perts In the construction of what might
be called individual forts A picket
sent to an exposed position fortified the
minute he was on post The man who
relieved him improved the work Of
the first, and the third man on duty
extended the work of the second. In
this way the army was given n forti-
fed front on the initiative of the pick
cts. l have known men to 80 gladly
to outpost picket duty that they might
, give the finishing touches to "A gopher
hole or a 'dugout begun by them
selves or comrades.
We had in the company one man
who never did the right thing in ranks.
!, He seemed so stupid or Indifferent
that he was not sent on picket one
day he got as far as the reserve post,
and spent the greater part of the day
in digging a rife pit across the front.
He took such delight in the work that
, he was taken with the company to the
picket line the next time it was on
: duty. He sauntered out to the out
posts, came back, caught up a shovel,
and returned to the most dangerous
= post. He worked for an hour, and
made a rife pit for one that was a
beauty. The throwing up OF fresh
earth, however. attracted the attention
OF the enemy, and they opened fire
"As we expected, stupid Pete ran
back to the reserve. But. contrary to
expectation. he grabbed his rife and
, ran back to the picket line and re
manned there under heavy fire. His
newly made rife pits were Of great
service in hating the enemy After
the sklrmish Pete was complimentcd
for doing az good work with his rifle
as with his shovel, and we found that
he wasn't stupid after all The next
day he came to me and said his friend
Tim, as ugly looking fellow as there
was in the regiment, had something
ON his mind. Tim had a letter which
he couldn't read himself, and was
afraid to have any OF his comrades
read.
1T was from his daughter, who was
In an orphan asylum, but who had
: L-----...a = :.