The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1906-11-01
THE FIELD OF BATTLE
INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES OF
THE WAR.
The Veterans of the Rebellion Tell of
Whistling Bullets, Bright Bayonets,
Bursting Bombs, Bloody Battles,
Camp Fire, Festive Bugs, ETC., Etc.

Camp Fire, Festive Bugs, ETC., Etc.
X. Il. Brown, of GAINESVILLE, o., who
has been elected by the Grand Army
of the Republic commander in chief,
was a private in the ranks at the close
of the war, and is the third private to
be elevatefto the highest position with
In the gift of the Grand Army of the
Republic, says the New York Tribune.
Ihis 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,
for he Is 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,
D., 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 still connected with the pa
per, now as manager and editor.
Gen. Brown owes much Of his fame
and much of his popularity to story,
a story well told. He has told this
story hundreds, perhaps thousands, of
times, but it never grows old 1t was
the night before the battle of Freder-
icksburg. Two great armies had en-
camped upon either bank Of the beauti-
full Rappahannock. For days the army
or the gray had been hurriedly in
treIching itself In a position that it
hoped would be impregnable The time
had been all too short, for the vieto-
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
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-
lions 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
a 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
acteriyed 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
bugies 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
ing Dixie" 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 eminence in the Union camp a
band in blue struck up the first notes
of Yankee Ooodle"-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 ap-
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 a 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
panies took up the strain, and regi-
ments and battalions and divisions, I'M
til the whole army of the blue was
pouring forth its soul In the grandest
hymn Of home that ever was OF ever
will be written. And in the momentary
lull that came between the stanzas
could be heard the echoes OF "Home,
Sweet Home" as it was being sung by
the soldiers Of Dixie. The valley of
the Rappahannock rocked with the mel
ody, and the music welled up to the
very gates of heaven The glitterlng
stars Of the winter night looked down
upon two vast armies united In heart
and voice and soul in one grand hymn
to mother and father and wife and
sweetheart and child, to home and
heaven.
An Incident of Atlanta.
I would like fo relate a circumstance