The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1906-06-22

at Hartford. many did not return.
They fell at Fort Donelson, on the
field of Shiloh. in the swamps Of
Corinth, ON the bloody field of Chick
amauga and in the many hard bat
ties that marked our line Of march
from Chattanooga. Tenn, to'Atlanta
Ga. To use the language of the
poet; they fell where.
On serried fronts and gritting
ranks
The muskets pored their rain,
Till file on file ard rank on rank
Lie weltering with the slain.
Their cheering and inspiring voices
which rang high above the roar OF
cannon. the clash of arms and the
din of battle has long ago been ST.
fenced in death. They have crossed
the dark river to that camp in the
Elysian Fields
On Fame's eternal camping ground
Their silent tents are spread
And glory guards with solemn
The bivouac of the dead.
With many of our best men it has
long ago been an admitted fact that
no man was perfect and that when a
man has been buried his imperfect
actions in this life rests in the grave
with him and what we say of him
after this life should be of his hon.
orable deeds and not Of the many
frailties which the h1man flesh is
subjected to. and what wrongs Capt.
William Davidson may have done in
his military career, il should be con-
sidered that he paid the ransom
with his life and that ms remains
rest perfectly in a military grave.
Sweet flowers exalt their fragrant
breath
Where now the peacefully sleeps
in death,
And trees Heir shedding branche;
wave
Above his solemn village grave.
AS comrades IN the army l knew
Capt. Davidson long and well, anC
though our dispositions we're differ
ent that had nothing TO do with the
friendship existing between US a:
company officers. While we were in
the army often heard Capt. David
son say he would have a gold leaf
rank of a Major or a cannon ball
and | often thought that by rank
Capt. Davidson should have beer
commissioned Major of the 18th
KY, but as the officers ever David
son are now all dead, / will say moth
ing on this subject. though | deeply
regretted his disappointment. and
as then thought, Injustice done
him. Capt. Davidson. when with &
group of officers. often told what he
considered a rash aet of my own
which was so. After the battle OF
Shiloh the army was reorganized and
our regiment was placed in the divi'
sion of Gen. VIM. Nelson. late Of
the United States Navy. Nelson
was harsh officer. who in the navy
gained the name Of the Autocrat OF
Tyrant of the quarterback. and in
the army he was called the Grand
Turk, and was a terror to all men
under him. In throwing up the
breastwcrks near CorInth was on
the works in front of Co. A., level
ing the dirt as the men of the CON-
pany threw it up. and Capt. David
son doing the same thing in front of
Company B.-his company. While
we were at this work the pickets
became very cross and the rebefs
opened on US with artilIary and
small shot. and during the outbreak
General Nelson rode UP in fright
full rage. ordered up a cannon and
seeing myself ard Capt Davidson
yet on the works and nearly over the
gun he ordered US down amidst his
Indignation rolled
down on the outside Vi the works
and Capt. Davidson did the same,
and there we lay with the bullets of
the sharpshooters sticking the bank
around us. Capt. DAVIDSON was the
first to speak and he Sid, "Sar-
geant, what about this" answer
ed him that would rather be ex-
posed to these bullets than face the
curses of a brute Of an old general =
Though Davidson was in a rage at
The cursing that we had received