Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1905-02-11
A WINTER CAMPAIGN.
Some Interesting. Extracts from Diary
of Soldier Who Fought in
Tennessee

lnnnlte variety of ups and downs in 1862
and | wonder if the ups are any better
or the downs any harder on the SnaEhe
than they were with us in Kentucky and
tennessee. l was looking over a C;ary
the other day, covering in the space of
hundred words each Gay of the wear
1868. lighting year for most of our
armies.
The record began in a matter of fact
way, reading in this wise: .rbursca-
Morning very cold. Aroused at three
O'CLOCK; our brigade stumbline IN tho
nont 10 stand two hours on outpost
heoel lines and fires in plain view. Re
turn to our bivouac; cook breakfast
and chanSe position. Attack made On
our center repulsed. Chase hogs he
tween the lines kill several. and bsva g
New Years dinner. At night build
large hreS and are comfortable but can.
not sleep because of continuous firing on
the Skirmish line
EVIDENTLY something had been do
ing, rms record is of the second day
sI stone River. or the day after the
DIoooy struggle of December 81. 1862
rms is made clearer by the record of
FRIDAY, January .: Aroused at five
O'Clock and breakfast without interim,
ton. Relieved by two other regiments
ana retire 10 the rear near the river
buiio line of breastworks while we
rest Boys don't like the looks of
Things. About noon reinforced by Neg
Ieys and other divisions At three
O'Clock terrific attack made by the en-
envy in force. Our line at first crushed
pack, but reinforced by Davis and
wood, hurlS the rebels back. and we
pursue at run. Battle continues nm
til after dark and we return IN
our bivouac in the rain, wet and
, muddy
mat is a reference by participant
to one of the most picturesque engage
ments of the war. to the turning point
In the battle of Stone River. If the
man who wrote the charge knew it. he
oiont care to give particulars Com
ing to Saturday. he wrote: A rainy.
dlsagreeable day. Lines quiet until
I night, when rebels make a sortie and
are repulsed. Night very disagreeable.
troops moving all night from left TO
right and boys grrumble because thew
cant sleep. About three O'Clock the
CLOUDS break away, the moon shines and
we have rainbow at night Boys think
1t is sign the rebs are licked
The important thing to these men
lying on their arms was the weather.
and they complained of the noise made
by troops moving into position as men
at home complain of man on
the street who whistles or sings.
However
ceased and tn sun came out on a
shivering army. About noon discover
hat the rebels have abandoned thc,r
advanced lines and SQUADS are sent out
! to bury the dead. Rebel dead collected
Tor burial, but union dead lying where
they were shot down. Find nine of our
4 regiment dead at one point. Find 9TH
ers severely wounded. Troops on the
/ right find Murfreesboro evacuated
There ought to have been a yell or a
cheer there, but there is no sign of any
elation.
! Monday. We are told. was very pleas
: ant, but Black was found near the rebel
} breastworks, dead. Pockets rifed: but
| tons cut from his coat, and boots pulled
! off. Our advance moves beyond Muir
freesboro, passing through the town.
which is simply hospital for the
wounded of both armies Black was
one of the color guards of our regiment,
who, when the color-bearer was shot.
caught up the flag and waved il almost
in the faces of the enemy When Black
was shot between the eyes the wound
ed color-bearer took the flag again and
carried 1T through the fight The writer
says nothing of this. He does not color
the picture, because. to say that Black
was found was enough to recall the
whole picture TO him.
The record shows that the troops
on Tuesday were still burying the dead
and that on Wednesday the division
(Palmer's) marched across the river.
i through Murfreesboro, and three miles
out on the McNunnville road. and then:
/ Our regiment, without supper, sent on
: picket, and boys in a state of mind.
/ Meet Rosecrans and staff and the gen.
! eral, as he sees the regimental flag.
says: Hello! These men were with
me in West Virginia. l am proud of
! you boys, for what you did last week.
/ hope you are all feeling well'" They
| were. They forgot all about supper.
/ and when, as they stood supperless that
| night and a brilliant meteor flashed
/; across the sky, they said Old Rosy was
sure to win.
THE next night, Thursday, January
i. 8, the men slept in tents for the first
time since leaving Nashville, December
I &c. The next day the division moved
| back a mile to better camping ground.
/ Friday and Saturday were cold and the
! little funnelshaped stoves didn't work
! well. On that day, however, the boys
! found the wounded of their company
I comfortably housed. On Monday they
I marched back to Murfreesboro, and six
1 miles on the Nolansville pike across the
battlefield of December 81, passing
! hundreds of soldiers graves and hun
4 dreds of dead horses.
"Then came week Of severely cold
1 weather, the brigade moving. mean