The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1907-07-04
THE BAT'TLE-FIELDS.
OLD SOLDIERS TALK OVER
ARMY EXPERIENCES.
The Blue and the Gray Review Incl
dents of the Late War, and in q
Graphic and Interesting Manner
Tell of Camp, March and Battle.


Tell of Camp, March and Battle.
Tragedies in our own camps-Out-
side of battles-were more common
than the public knows" said a distin-
guished soldier In attendance upon
recent reunion of the Army of the Ten
nessee.
1.-The shooting of Maj Gen Nelson at
Louisville by Brig. Gen. JEFF c. Davis,
because Nelson in a fit of anger mad
names, is one of the few that came to
the surface. You wouldn't think it,
probably, but / myself was once so
close to tragedy that it makes my
gray hair rise up as recall It.
While a number of officers of the
regiment were in the majors tent
said something that captain took ex-
ceptions to. and "a war of words fol-
lowed. When he pumped out, You
are liarr 1 struck out with my right
and set him to bleeding. He came back
at me like a tiger-cat. We cllnched,
and for three or four minutes had it
hot and sharp; then the others sep
arated us. He made all sorts of
threats. l was adjutant. He ranked
me, and confess that for time | did
fear that he would make me trouble
in the way Of court-martial, but the
matter seemed to blow over.
"One fall afternoon the captain in
vited me to take walk with him.
Thinking that our troubles had COM
pletely healed, / consented. On the
way back to camp we passed through
an orchard 1 climbed tree to get
some apples. Just as reached for an
apple I saw the captain reach for his
revolver and glare at me like very
fiend. Instantly loosed my hold and
dropped to the ground. Selling stake,
l took my place by his side and said
Now, you cowardly dog, put up that
gun or I'll brain you This time he
was kept on hot griddle for month,
though / made no threats and had no
thought of reporting his attempt to
assassinate me.
THE next fight We got into we made
up for good and all, and remained fast
friends until the final roundup, when
Gen. Joe Johnston had his men throw
down their guns and go home to make
CROP 1t happened in this way: The
colonel had given the order to form
line Of battle. As adjutant, 1t was my
duty to see that each captain carried
out the order. When 1 reached the
would-be assassin and had performed
my duty and started to go away, he
called out, 'Adjutant. come back When
1 complied he took my hand. looked me
squarely in the eye and said: Lieu
tenant, can you forgive me for all of
my meanness to you? hope so. 1
have never had good hour since that
incident in the orchard
with all my heart, captain No
one but you and myself knows anything
about that little affair
AS / said, nothing else came up to
separate US while In the army We
never met after being mustered out.
He died a few years ago. OF course
l could have sent him out of the army
in disgrace and placed him in the peni-
tertiary after he was out, but I've al
ways been glad I did not He was a
good soldier in battle. as brave as they
made them, but bulldog in camp. He
left the army major. His name?
Never mind that. 1t Is true story. 1
wish ii were not, for | cannot forget
that at one time in my life 1 was in a
fair way to be murdered"
A captain on the staff of division
commander at the battle Of Gettysburg,
who afterward became a general and
commanded division himself for
time, once told me that If he had 1t he
would willingly give million dollars if
he could forget and never recall Get
tysburg tragedy.
"we needed every man in line" said
the general. "Orders had been given to
let no well or unwounded man go to
the rear. Our general had told the
whole staff that If we couldn't stop
stragglers any other way to shoot them
down. AS soon as the firing began
certain class OF men fed from the front
and the staff few at them on their
horses and pushed them back into the
ranks 1t was always job l hated.
1t made me mad TO see fellow run
away from his comrades when. they
were In trouble, and used to be rough
err with them than wanted to be with
any class of Gods creatures. The en-
envy was pressing our line very hard.
A break was greatly feared. Back
came another cluster of stragglers, big.
hearty fellows, who never stay under.
fire a second longer than they are
forced to stay. made direct for three
of them with my drawn sword. Two
Of them went back to duty. The third
told me to go where 1t was hotter than
1t was that hottest day at Gettysburg,
and said he was going back no mat
ter If the whole staff stood In the way.
Go back to your place instantly, de-
manded. At that he cooked his rife
and was lifting the barrel so that 1
would get its contents. Down went my
sword to the ground and out came my
revolver. Quicker than 1 can tell you
it cracked and the man fell dead Yes,
it was a case of shoot him or be shot.
1 only wanted to disable him, but that