The National tribune., 1906-11-22
HELENA, ARK.
The Yankees Would Not Give Up on the
Fourth Day of July.

The Yankees Would Not Give Up on the
Fourth Day of July.
Editor National Tribune: Seeing so
much in our paper, The National Trib-
une, about lighting regiments leads
me to remark that very naturally the
inference might be drawn that there
was something the matter with those
other regiments not counted in the
900" list All comrades know that q
soldier or a regiment may be brave and
true and faithful to death-equal to
the very best-and yet never be killed,
wounded or missing A true soldier
can only do his duty wherever placed,
and obedience to orders, under some
conditions, requires as much real hero
ism as a charge under the hottest fire.
In my personal experience the most
nerve-trying ordeal was to stand still
under a CALLING fire waiting for orders.
When you are taking an active part in
the game your nerves get steady or
numb, and a desire to hurt some one
possesses you This is particularly the
case If you have seen a comrade or
friend killed or wounded near you. ii
recall one OCCASION we were engaged
in slight skirmish. when l was told
one of the boys had been killed. In
stantly there entered into me an un-
rontrollable desire for revenge, making
me fairly ache to kill some rebel. After
my return to civil life l was often ask
ed, How long were you in the army ?
How many battles were you in? Were
you wounded? A prisoner? Did you
kill any rebelS?" etc. When assured
that it was never my luck to be killed, |
wounded or missing, and that l was by
no means sure that l killed any more
of them than they did of me, look
would invariably be given me which
seemed to say, well, you must have
been a skulker, or something of that
sort"
An old ex-Regular who was in my
company and afterwards my Captain,
said to me early in our camp life, "A
good soldier obeys orders, but does not
go out on a still hunt for dangerous
jobs. tho he may volunteer in an emer-
gency or on a forlorn hope"
Now, Mr.. Editor, for the benefit of
rising generations 1t seems rs If some
thing should be said TO place this mat
ter in a clearer light and show how
regiment, while not numbered with the
1900" may have been fully as brave
and true and faithful in the line of
duty as those who drew a full hand in
the game of danger, destruction and
death.
full of interest to me, as some of the
scenes and incidents are more or less
familiar, having had assigned to me a
small part in the drama. Your story
of the battle of Helena was what l had
long desired to see. l was not in that
engagement, but the place was our
camp home for SO long time that I
felt deep interest in it. / was with
the advance guard of Curtis's army
when it entered the town, July II,
1862. Our camp was near the tam
merry, on the ST Francis road, and we
were employed in picket and scouting
duties, with an occasional raid over in
to Mississippi. My company "a, 10th
Ill. Cav) was acting as escort for Gen.
L. F. Ross on the Yazoo Pass Expedi
tion-but that is another story, as Kip
ling says About May / we were sent
to Milliken's Bend. having an outpost
share in the siege of Vicksburg After
the surrender we were camped for a
time on the fiat just below the landing,
and about Aug. / were sent back to
Helena-that Is how We happened to
miss having a share in the smaller af-
fair which occurred there July 4, 1868. I
Taking numbers engaged and results
accomplished the battle of Helena wasl
one of the neatest and completest vic
tories (for "we-uns'D of the war. After
our return to the old camp groundl
we found much pleasure in hearing all
near or in action. We were told that
the Confederates were promised n
Fourth of July dinner in Helena, sol :
sure We're Gems. Holmes. Price, etc, of
victory over the small force known toi ]
De available for defense. Everything {
went well with them until they came
to the brow of Cemetery Hill, when {
they came within range of the heavy ]
guns on Fort Curtis, which, with two
or three from the gunboat Tyler, began I
TO take part in the argument These 7
big guns spoke so convincinglv that the q
enemy were persuaded that their best {
lay in quite another direction. !
They accordingly sought shelter in the I
hollows between the ridges, and it was !
there our men gathered in n good part l
of Fagan's Brigade. The prisoners were !
to the landing, and put on a !
transport for safety. ! was told that I
Gen. Prentiss ordered whisky given to {
the rebel prisoners with the remark {
"You can have your bitters now but g
no dinner will YOU get in HeIana this {
Fourth of July" I
There were several songs composed '
by the comrades about that time. some I
of which were printed on slips of pa ,
per and sold or given away among our {
men. Two of them were sung to the |
nne. Root Hog or Die" / would be 7
glad If some comrade can give me the c