Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1906-10-26
THE FIELD OF BATTLE
INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES OF
THE WAR.
The veterans of the Rebellion Tell Of
WhistiinE Bullets, Bright Bayonets,
BurstinG Bombs, Bloody Battles,
Camp Fire, Festive Bulge, Etc.. Etc.


or the Republic commander In chief,
was private in the ranks at the close
or the war, and Is the third private to
be elevated to the highest position with
In the gift of the Grand Army of the
Republic, says the New York Tribune.
This Is not the first honor that his
comrades have bestowed upon him. He
was commander Of the Department of
Ohio in 1885, and it was then that he
was first dubbed General" The title
has chung to him naturally ever since,
Tor he Is a born leader of command
Ing presence, possessing great personal
magnetism and good hard sense.
Gen. Brown at the close Of the war
returned to his home in New Concord,
o., and there learned the carpenters
trade. He became country correspond
ent for the GAINESVILLE Courier, and his
letters attracted the attention Of the
Courier's editor, Samuel Oldham. Old
ham sent for Brown and offered him a
position as reporter, which was accept
ed. He Is stiil connected with the pa
per, now as manager and editor.
Gen. Brown owes much of his fame
and much Of his popularity to story,
story we'll told. He has told this
story hundreds, perhaps thousands, Of
times, but 1t never grows old. It was
the night before the battle of Freder-
1cksburg. Two great armies had en-
camped upon either bank Of the beauti-
full Rappahannock. For days the army
of the gray had been hurriedly in
trenching itself in position that it
hoped would be impregnable. The time
had been all too short, for the victo-
rious army of the North was pressing
hard toward Richmond. Night and
day had the Southern leaders labored
to complete their defenses against the
arrival Of their foes. Late on the day
OF which this incident Is related the
ranks of the blue came pouring over
the distant hills into the opposite val
ley of the Rappahannock, and there
they pitched their camp, hoping for a
night of rest before they should be-
gin the struggle Of the morrow.
There had been days of weary march
Ing for the army of the blue, and days
OF unrelaXing labor for the gray. Ra-
tons had been scant and the water sup
ply irregular. Many a poor soldier,
hungry, footsore and weary, looked for
ward to the coming battle with almost
hope that to him at least would come
death and endless peace.
Night had fallen. The camp fires
burned brightly among the naked trees
and the soldiers gathered close, for 1t
was December, and the frost was in
the air. There was little of the bois-
ferrous merriment that SO often char
acterized the gatherings about the camp
fires. Too many soldiers were thinking
of the morrow and of home. Such
sounds as arose from the two camps
were harsh and martial. The calls of
bugles and the hoarse orders of the
officers as they made their final dis
positions for the night became more
and more infrequent, until finally all
was still.
But presently band on the southern
side of the river burst forth with stir
ring strains OF music and instantly the
tens of thousands of gray-clad veter
ans were rending the air with fierce
shouts OF defiance and wild cheers for
the Confederacy, for the band was play
/, pixie" The music stopped and
the cheering subsidized and silence again
fell over the valley.
But the echoes had scarcely died
away among the distant hills when
from an cminence In the Union camp
band In blue struck up the first notes
Of yankee Doodle"-and the army of
the North cheered unanimously for the
cause of the Union. Answering back
across the water came the sweet and
plaintive notes of Maryland, My Mary
land" The Northern band responded
with columbia, the Gem of the
Ocean" Each Of these soul-stirring
tunes was the signal for waves of APP
plause that billowed up and down the
valley like the thunders Of an oceans
surf.
Presently the music ceased, and the
grim soldiers prepared to wrap them
selves in their blankets and lie down
upon the frozen ground to sleep. But
one soldier-weary of war and its hard
ships, tired of the noises of battle and
camp, sick Of bloodshed and death and
suffering, lonely amid the Thousands
bethought himself Of the old father and
mother In the little farmhouse up in
ohio. and almost in Il dementia of
heart-sickness he lifted a quavering
voice in song, singing Home, Sweet
Home"
Another soldier Joined in the melody,
and another and another. Whole COM
NAMES took up the strain, and regi-
ments and battalions and divisions I'M
iii the whole army of the blue was
mourning forth its soul In the grandest
bvmn of home that ever was or ever
will he written. And in the momentary