Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1906-03-03
War and Weather.


The editorial in The Chronicle IN
der the capion of the Winter Sol
stice'' and the sudden drop of the tenn
perature at the break of day was of
deep interest to me from the fact that
l gave the subject great deal of at
tention during the civil war and form
ed a theory as to the cause of the ear
ly morning cold air, as it was called
by the young soldiers in the Army of
the Potomac.
In the months of June, July and Au-
gust the first streak of light would ap-
pear in the east at ten minutes past
a. m Fifteen minutes later the cool
air so grateful to us after a warm
night could be felt and always came
from the upper air from the fact that
the leaves on the trees would rustic
and bend toward the earth, also stand
ing grass, grain and growing corn. The
birds would chirup family, roosters
crow, cows below, horses neigh and
then all would be quiet and settle
down for a morning nap. Soldiers on
the picket line had to keep moving in
order to keep awake. Although raised
on a farm, 1 then for the first time
took notice how horses slept Ere
quently a brigade of cavalry was near
doze all night, but when the cool
morning wave arrived they would lie
down, place their under lip on the
ground with their heads in a vertical
position and when their heads wav
cred slightly from side to side we
knew they were sleeping, but if their
heads did not oscillate and their eyes
remained closed they were not sleep
ing but enjoying much-needed rest
At the commencement of the battle
of Fredericksburg 1 noticed a brigade
of cavalry in line about ten yards to the
rear of a battery of heavy siege guns.
All were standing and doing with
their riders leaning against them. At
half-past 4 a. m. the heavy guns open
ed fire on the city across the Kappa
hammock river and at their first dis
charge all the cavalry horses dropped
to their knees. Some were Frustrated
and quite a number of the cavalry men
were injured. This event occurred at
the commencement of the drop in tenn
perature and it was bitter cold while
it lasted. At the second battle of Bull
Run when we were ordered to aban-
don our position long lines of infantry
were sleeping on their arms. They
had to be awakened as quietly as pos
Sible, which was a most difficult task.
They were unusually tired on account
of the previous days fighting and
many were furious at being disturbed
and declared they were going to sleep
even if they were taken prisoners by
the confederates, but they had to obey
orders and all got away at half-past
a. m.
noticed many times that while men
were sleeping at sunrise their respira-
tions would be long and deep, or about
seventeen to the minute and the &C
ton of the heart would decrease from
seventy-six to sixty-five per minute.
On the night of the Sd and the morn
ing of the 4th of July, 1863, at the
battle of Gettysburg, the wounded be-
tween the opposing lines were crying,
groaning and calling for water. Sud-
denly at 8 a. m. their crying ceased
and one of my comrades remarked
thats they must all be dead. 1 an
swd d him by saying they were not
cea6sbut were sleeping from the eff
fects of the cool morning drop in tenn
perature we then felt. The wounded
slept for one hour and then resumed
their cries for help and wafer. The
sun was then rising and at that mo-
ment it was discovered that General
Lee, with his army, was gone and out
of sight Then perfect bedlam broke
loose among our boys They shook
hands and Rugged each other. Some
turned somersaults and danced and
stood on their heads and others would
twirl their hats aloft on the points of
their bayonets. The color bearers
waved their flags and with thousands
of others cheered till they were ex-
hausted. And it can be truly said
that the grand old Army of the PotG>
mac had gone mad with joy. General
Mead Immediately ordered detail of
5000 men to care for the wounded of
both sides, who were soon made as
comfortable as circumstances would
admit. - Communication to Chicago
Chronicle.