Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1906-04-13
THE BATTLE-FIELDS
OLD SOLDIERS TALK OVER
ARMY EXPERIENCES.
The Blue and the Gray Review Incl
dents of the Late Wnr, and in n
Graphic and Interesting Manner
Tell of Camp, March and Battle.

Sergeant, "in those fellows in the dug
outs and shcbangs along the Shakhe.
They acted very much as our boys
did in 1868 and 1864. They seemed
to feel Just as sure thu they would
stay where they were all winter as we
did when VIC built comfortable winter
huts ut Shellmound in October and
November, 1868. TO secur the mate
rial for these huts we tore down
houses, just as the Russians and Japs
did, and we felt it in our bones that
we would remain 4 long time to en-
Joy the shebangs so carefully con-
structcd.
I'VE were at Chattanooga for sew
eral weeks. We liked Shellmound bet
ter, and we banked on the belief that
the rebs could not be driven from
Lookout mountain and Missionary
ridge. Therefore, we built our winter
quarters with great care, with u
shelter tents for tops. We tore down
the Shellmound station for brick. We
went miles into the country for boards
and other material, n we did a good
job in the construction of quarters.
Everything was in ship shape on the
morning Of November Sd, when we
We're ordered to move to Bridgeport,
ten or fifteen miles down the river.
The boys lifted up their voices and
swOre but they were equal to the oc-
casion. They tore down the huts, made
a raft of <Ie lumber, using bricks as
ballast, and a special guard from each
regiment tloated down the river to
Bridgeport while the main column
marched down the railway. Knowing
where they were going and Just where
they were to camp, the men of the
brigade made short work of that
march. They We're in camp in good
time and had the lumber from the
raft on the ground, ready to build
new winter quarters that night.
The mex day a new city of huts,
with canvas tops and board sides,
went up quickly. The material had
been matched at Shellmound, and
every mess had its own. Members of
the One Hundred and Twcnty-Third
New York. on guard at the pontoons,
looked with wonder on the building
oiNl " lItI Nus Oui pos'
seemed so cock sure of everything and
built in such faith that they would
spend the winter there hat the New
Workers ioked us Il good deal about
running the whole darned machine.
For once our instinct as to staying
was right. We remained at Bridge
port several weeks, and thought VIC
yy-nTn pninu To rnpooin Snynr11 woke
longer, because the colonel began to
build a more commodious shebang for
himself. He and the carpenters plan
ned with great care, and they had a
beautiful frame up when we were or
dered to move eastward. The colonel
was veXed, but he took things quietly.
He ordered all the huts left as they
were. except as to the canvas tops,
and the regiments were formed ready
to march when fires broke out in
twenty or more places.
"The colonel was greatly irritated,
but when the brigade commander rode
up n asked how he accounted for
the co~nf1agration, the colonel said
CURLY. I think, general, the fire is Of
incendiary origin, and. in the absence
of a fire department, I think it is go
ing to sweep the camp It did. Be
fore the regiments marched, the win
ter quarters were in ashes and the
boys were glad of it."
by the way" said the major, that
reference to rafting lumber down the
Tennessee in a way to give every
man his own material reminds me of
the wonderful luck we had in recover-
ing knapsacks and extra clothing left
behind when we were ordered on
forced marches or into battle. I don't
believe the boys appreciated the sys-
TEN that brought each man his own
property in every case where KNAPP
sacks were left in the rear or clothing
stored for a long campaign.
For example, in that march to
Shellmound and Bridgeport. our brig
ade sneaked out of Chattanooga at
midnight, leaving tents standing and
knapsacks in charge Of special guards.
We were in the mountains north of
the river for three days, and then on
a swing as the right of the army Of
the Cumberland down the river. When
our tents and k~napsacks came to us
at Shellmound everything was as it
should be. n every man in our regi-
ment had his knapsack and his be-
longings. At Stone River we drop
ped our knapsacks on the road from
Nashville and left them piled up by
company measure in charge Of men
who could not march well.
1--WE did not see them for many a
day, and most Of us expected never
to see them again. The men left on
guard saw the k~napsacks packed on
wagons II then, eager to be in the
fight, cut out for the front. They
swore everything was all right, but
we didn't believe it, until January s.,
when the wagons came into camp with
tents and Fnapsacks. The latter lac
been carefully packed and were soon
in the hands of the owners In the
Chickamauga campaign we didn't see
our knapsacks for several weeks, but
they anne to US September so. in
camp near Fort Palmer, in front of
Chattanooga. .
when we started on our rearward
march to Louisville in the fall of
1862, orr knapsacks and extra cloth
ing were stored in Nashville. When
we had returned to that city after the
Perryville campaign our knapsacks
cor1a IN nc nc cIeop and in no poo6