The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1906-12-13
THE FIELD OF BATTLE
INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES OF
THE WAR.
The Veterans of the Rebellion Tell of
WhistIing Bullets, Bright Bayonets,
Bursting Bombs, Bloody Battles,
Camp Fire, Festive Bugs, Etc, Etc.


1t has been long time since the
last shot was fired and our recollec-
tions are growing dim, but there are
things that transpired on the battle
field and in prison pen that we will
never forget should we live for the
next one hundred years. Now, COM
rades, | am not going to boast of be-
ing the youngest nor the oldest In the
field. l am not going to tell you that
l charged a battery, captured it, car
ried it off the field and hid it to keep
the rebs from using it, No, indeed
but, comrades, 1 will tell you that /
belonged to the grand old Second
Corps, and l. am proud of its record,
and VIII say there was none better.
My brigade, Kimbalrs, joined the
Army of the Potomac at Harrison
Landing, and got there just In time
to save McClellan's army. There is
where the It'll w. Va. was tested.
When our brigade advanced on the
enemy, they were raking the field with
u masked battery. Gen. Kimball gave
the order to fall back, but Col. Lock
wood misunderstood the command, and
gave the order, Forward, Charge %
That was enough, and 1T was not many
minutes before the It'll w. Va. was In
the big pine woods with the Johnnles,
and as the 18th was always a very
friendly regiment, We soon cleared the
field. After the first yell we were soon
Joined by the 4th and Sth Ohio and
14th Ind. i; better regiments never car
ried a gun.
There In the big pine woods we es-
tablished our lines for keeps; there we
cut big pine trees and built breast
works. After we had them completed
kimball came along our line, and stop
ped In front Of our colOrs. He told
Col. Lockwood that the enemy was adj
vancing on our line, and ordered him
to have his men all ready, so we all
got down on our knees. The order was
for the front line to rise and fire. drop
down and let the rear rank rise and
fire, but not to fire till we could see
the whites of their eyes. Gen. Kim
ball stood behind big pine tree, close
TO our colors, told Lockwood to look
out, and got him behind the tree with
him. The command soon came. nth
Va, look out" The next order was,
Front rank, ready" when the whole
shooting match jumped to their feet
and blazed away. One man in my
company (Cj tainted and lay on the
ground. The General saw him, and
asked the Colenel where he was hit.
The Colonel told him he was only sick.
The General said, Garry him back in
the shade, and il he dies he will go
right to Heaven"
After this event, when we had been
In camp some time. the orders came
to be in readiness to move at any time.
and it was not long before we were all
aboard transports, bound we did not
know where. After we landed our first
orders were to prepare for light march
ing. 1t was then We took up our fast
march 10 the final camping ground of
many of our noble boys, where they
ceased their marches on the bloody
battlefield of Antietam. 1t was there
my company lost three color-bearers.
besides many others At the battle
Of the Wilderness, in 1864, was taken
prisoner OF war along with wound
al N nd ~,ff 10
us we were put In the big warehouse
known as the Pemberton Prison. Rich
m0nd. There we stayed one month.
Then We were sent to that place worse
than the Internal regions, Anderson
vile, Ca. where we remained more
dead than alive for ten months and
eighteen days. ! was at the famous
spring, now called Providence
Spring. five minutes after it burst out
Of the hot sand. 1t was there | first
saw Boston Corbett. He got OH a big
pine stump when the rebs brought
In big wagon load of lumber. Some
OF our boys said, ''They are going to
take the spring from u.s. and when
they commenced TO unload the wagon
Corbett said. Boys, never fear. The
first rebel that raises a hand TO take
from us that which God has sent. God
Almighty will strike him dead In his
tracks" So they made big spout to
the spring; then we had what our bows
called delicious water.
If was of AndarsnnvfIl.a +ba& -.
yanlzed a police force of 300 and cap
tured the raiders, which were tried by
rourt-martial and six were condemned
TO hang. TlNy made fun of the scat
fold, and said they were not born In
the woods to get scared at the owls.
but when the meal sacks were pulled
down over their heads they began to
realize that 1t would be a go for sure.
Finally, when everything was ready.
the sergeant cut the rope that held the
platform, and they were sent to their
final deserts.
A man named Curtis ran away. and
although he got many whacks. he fin
ally got through the crowd and ran to
The swamp and plunged in., 1t was
then my brother. Benjamin Sutton.
and Frank Nj. Linch, captured him
and brought him back to the place
If execution. He then said, God have
mercy" and / did not know whether
Ne had reference to his own self or to
snme of the comrades he had helped
% murder.
have heard great deal about hero
SIN on land and sea. They tell me that
Togo and his men were great heroes.
md they talk Of the heroes of the
Maine and about Medals of Honor.
But, comrades, when l stood inside
he stockade at Andersonville / could
oOk on 10000 of as grand heroes as
EVER lived. 1t was there the boys
stood for Old Glory, and there they
lied rather than forsake their Flag.
When our grand old commander, Gen.
Sherman, had commenced TO press the
'ebs pretty tight. and the Southern
Jonfedera cy had robbed the cradle and
he grave to strengthen IFS army, they