The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1905-10-26

and dead leaves. Thousands Of them
lay dead. Along the one muddy wagon
road to Bridgeport 10000 dead mules
filled the air with an unbearable stencil
There were not enough live and strong
horses to pull a single battery out to
the line of defence. When not watched
the men would steal the little corn the
horses had at headquarters, SO hungry
were they They were weak and dis
pirited. No wonder. Only a month be-
fore 1900 Of their comrades had been
lost at Chickamauga. Now they were
virtually surrounded and starving
What were they to do? President Lin
coin was alarmed: the country was
alarmed; the authorities at Washing
ton were paralyzed. Only $50 miles
away, under Burnside, at Knoxville, an
other Union army, $4,000 strong, was
surrounded, and the Confederate crows
sat on top Of the hills there also. If
this Chattanooga army were to be lost,
Knoxville, too. would be lost, and with
it would be sacrificed all East Tennes-
see and all it's loyal people, who
through thousand dangers and death
had remained faithful to the American
Union.
All the North, spite Of recent victor
les, was in q state Of absolute gloom.
Of the West by the throat. Suddenly
the President bethought himself of
Grant. He had never lost a battle.
They started him by quick train for
Chattanooga. He had barely reached
Nashville when an ominous telegram
overlook him saying to hurry up.
Rosecrans, it was reported, was about
to attempt the hazard Of a retreat The
soldiers were weak, the mud was axle
deep, the rain awful, the enemy every
where. Retreat meant total disaster.
Grant hurried to the end of the rail-
road at Bridgeport, and then took
horse for the army, 60 miles away. He
was cripple then and on crutches.
At the bad places in the road his staff
carried him on their shoulders. The
two commanders, the one going and
the other coming, met for a moment
at the village where the railroad end
ed. They must have had strange feel
ings. Rosecrans had formerly been the
idol of his army. He was still popu-
lar with many of his soldiers. How
often has this very writer, a lad in his
army, swung his hat and cheered and
cheered for the hero of Iuka, Corinth
and Stone River! Now the once-glori-
Gus idol was fioundering through the
mud northward, his army left in de-
spair behind him, and no soul SO poor
as to do him reverence.
Grants Hand at Once Felt.
Grant Immediately ordered Sherman,
VINO naO I0,UUU men near memphis, 10
come to his aid. My own regiment,
the 5th Iowa, formed part of Sher-
mans army. We had been repairing
railroads back of Corinth, and were
slowly creeping in the direction of Chat
tanooga. There were guerrillas and
bands of roaming cavalry rebels every
where. 1t was not safe to go a mile
from camp. One day Sherman him.
self, who was coming out behind us
from Memphis on the railroad that we
had repaired, came near having his ca
reer ended forever He was sitting in
the rear car of the train, asleep, when
big body of Confederate cavalry sud-
denly appeared from the woods with a
mighty yell. There happened to be
part of regiment of Regulars on board
the train. Sherman jumped off, took
personal command Of the handful of
soldiers, and successfully fought one
Of the bravest little battles of his life
His escape was marvellous. He Joined
us at once, and we We're soon on the
banks Of the Tennessee taking things
little easy. We made short marches,
and when not working on the railroad
had good times in bivouac. mail
was to go back North. and thousands
were writing letters home. Books, too,
from plantation houses that had fallen
under the ban, furnished those who
cared for it something to read. still
have in my possession handsome mo-