The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1906-08-16
SOLDIERS AT HOME.
THEY TELL SOMt INTERESTING
ANECDOTES OF THE WAR.
How the Boys of Both Armies whi1ed
Away Life in COMPROMISING Ex-
periences, Tiresome Marches-Thril-
ling Scenes on the Battlefield.

Ing in the vicinity of Strawberry Plains
and along the French Broad river.
Longstreet was supposed to be not far
away, and strict watch was kept On
the crossings. Our pickets were across
the river, with reserves on our own
side, and boats were held on both sides
for emergencies.
Sheridan was out reconnoitering, at
tended by single staff officer, and
both wore the ordinary soldier over
coats, without any marks of rank. Sher-
iddn, it appeared later, did not care TO
have it known that he was recon
noitering on his own hook, and wanted
to cross the river incog., as it were
! Ie sent his aid down to the river, sup
posing that he could secure boat with
out difficulty. But the officer could find
none, because we had them all at our
posts. When he came to us he de-
manded our boat, but l told him blunt
~ that he could not have it, and ex-
planned that orders were very strict
against anyone crossing the river.
HE climbed up the bank, and report
ed to Sheridan that he had found
boat. but the young man in charge
would not let him have 1t. Thereupon
Sheridan came down himself and de-
manded the boat 1 told him he couldn't
have it, unless Sheridan so ordered. He
replied, testify, Hell, man, l am Gen.
| L 80 4or-
the boat 1 retorted: L don't know
whether you are Sheridan or not, but
you can't have the boat
This put him in a rage and, tear
ing open his overcoat and pulling at
the sleeves to get it off, he swore he
would lick me, if he died the next min
ute. l had never seen Sheridan on
foot. and not often on horseback, and
1t did not seem possible that this short
man in an illfitting overcoat could be
a General. But, Us the oyercoat came
off, saw his shoulder straps and rec
ognized the figure, and, saluting, said ::
Never mind the licking. General. you
can have the boat
inch General, and explained that it
was desirable that nothing be said
about his presence on the other side of
the river, as he had In mind a yery
important project He went across the
river, looked the ground over for him.
self, and in a few days undertook the
construction of bridge that was made
entirely of army wagons. This was in
midwinter. and his idea was that If a
bridge could be constructed the Fourth
corps could be moved to the south side
of the river without exposing the men
to the hardships of wading or fording.
when Sheridan had placed his quota
of wagons in the river the other d.
visions failed to send their wagons.
Realizing the importance of finishing
the bridge at once Sheridan put into
the river every available wagon In the
division, but scarcely had he done so
and sent one brigade across, when 1t
was reported that Longstreet was adj
vancing from cambridge, and Sheridan
was ordered to retire at once He ex-
planned that as all his transportation
was in the river he could not move
without sacrificing his wagons, and he
took the responsibility OF remaining in
position until every wagon was out of
the river. Probably the men of his di-
vision never worked harder than on
that occasion, and. after all, we reached
tie point of concentration as soon as
the other divisions.
"All the men liked Sheridan, and par
ticularly just about that time. We
had moved up from Chattanooga short
on clothing and not prepared for a win
ter campaign. Sheridan at once ordered
up supplies Of clothing for his division.
General Foster, in command at Knox
VILE SO the story went, stopped the
train and distributed the clothing pro
rata among all the divisions, so that our
own division got only a small part of
wat was intended for it. This irri-
tated Sheridan exceedingly, but he
could not dispute the fairness of the
distribution. He Immediately ordered
another trainload of clothing from
Chattanooga, and, when it was about
to pass through Knoxville, he had bales
of hay and forage thrown into the wag-
ons, and his division quartermaster
sneaked it through Knoxville as a for
age train, and at last we got our cloth
Ing. This was talked about good deal
in the division, and Sheridan was very
popular"
1T Is wonder to me-" said the
Sergeant, that the campaign or siege
of Knoxville Is not more talked about
among the boys. 1t was from. first to
last picturesque affair, and the men
who took part in the siege must have
hundreds Of good stories of personal adj
venture and odd experience. The peo-
pie up OH the French Broad were de-
voted Unionists. and we would have
starved to death at Knoxville If they
had not managed to float down proyi-
sions to us In all sorts of odd forms
and shapes.
Shortly after the war, when the
town was filling up with ex-Confed-
eTdtcS. L lilcl Il tail, ctiulSut Iell0W III
the streets here in Chicago, who, after
looking me over as l stood talking with
a friend, walked up to ME, looked down
at my shoes, and said, in a jocular
way, will you swap? / was about 10
resent the remark as an impertinence.
when something In the face brought |
up an old memory and recalled an Incl
dent that occurred when l was a pris-
oner with Longstreet's army in the re-
treat from Knoxville.
at was hard time for all of us.
Many of Longstreet's men were shoe
less, and it is no exaggeration to say
that you could trace the line of march |
of the barefoot contingent by the blood |
left on the ground from lacerated feet. |
The prisoners were better shod, and this |
led to a good deal of discussion as to |
our rights to our own shoes. Finally |
1t was reported in the division that |
Longstreet had said that, while he |
unuld NOT narmit any Of his men tn