The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1907-08-29
SOLDIERS AT HOME.
THEY TELL SON. TERESTINS
ANECDOTES OF THE WAR.
How the Boys of Both Armies Whiled
Away Life in COMPROMISING Ex-
periences, Tiresome Marches-Thril-
ling Scenes on the Battlefield.


was, a mere lad wh:n the Twenty
eighth Wisconsin went south, and had
recently come from Sweden, but he en-
listed in it. In speaking of the first
large, courageous man who was his
picket companion. The regiment had
marched from its camp in Arkansas to
dismal spot, reaching there late at
night. He and his large companion
were down for picket duty. and. though
nearly dead from the long. weary
march, the pickets were sent out, while
the rest of the troops dropped upon the
ground and slept. Carlson and his
partner heard strange noises that
black. gloomy night. and thought they
saw horrible sights. but held their
peace until nearly daylight, at which
time there was heard, little distance
In front Of them, cracking in the
bushes. and an instant later q hoarse
roar that fairly made the limbs of the
trees culver. 1t was then that the
brave assistant of you'.g Carlson seized
his gun and started out for the reserve,
yelling: Holy Jerusalem. the whole
rebel army is right on u.s. The young
Swede. Carlson. ran a few steps and
looked back. Seeing no rebel army on
his heels, he halted and resumed his
station on the outpost. When daylight
came he was enabled to learn the cause
of the trouble. Ten rods beyond their
station a drove of Confederate mules
had camped. When the night Was done
and hunger made its demands. one of
the mules arose. stretched himself and
sounded his bugle as only a lonesome.
hungry, homesick mule can sound a
bugle.
When Carlson returned to the re-
serve his big friend asked him why he
didn't come back with him. His re-
Spouse was that he didn't enlist to get
scared at the braying of "A mule The
big picket never heard the last of his
outpost exploit.
at the battle of Helena, on the 4th
Of July. 1868. a volunteer was called
for to take a dispatch from one portion
of the line to another. The messenger
must go a considerable distance in
plain view of the enemy, where he
was certain to be the especial mark of
hundreds of good shots. Carlson
promptly responded, was given the
message and told TO make the best pos
sihle time. He ran like a deer, deliv-
cred the important message and started
back with the same degree OF speed,
but when within three or four rods of
the point from which he had started he
fell as if shct Two or three of his
comrades sprang to his side. saw he
was not killed and took him to place
of safety.
The brave Swede had received a Sc
we're sunstroke, from which it took him
n long time to recover. When he had
partially recovered General Fred Steele
had him detailed as an orderly and
intrusted him with important messages
TO Memphis and other points more or
less distant. He was at the leading
hotel in Memphis at the time OF the
Forrest raid in the summer of 1864.
He heard the disturbance, got up and
dressed himself. gathered up his mes
sages for immediate destruction in case
Of capture. and then stood at a window
and looked the Forrest raiders as they
dashed about the hotel and along the
streets. They came within three or
four doors of his room. but something
distracted their attention and they
went away. and his heart crept back
from his mouth to its right place, and
there it stays.
While on this service young Carlson
turned many an honest penny by buy
Ing Memphis papers at allow figure and
selling them ut the market price in the
army, which was anywhere from 10 to
% cents. Finding himself in possession
of more money than he had ever seen
before. he concluded to put on little
style, bought a handsome suit Of
| clothes. darker blue than the regula-
ton uniform, and also an officers hat.
His captain was bound to have him
back in the company, and finally sue
ceeded in getting him. The first evening
after his return TO the regiment Carl
son appeared on dress parade clad in
his officers uniform. Suddenly the CON-
mander Of the regiment. Colonel f. b.
Gray, now pension clerk at Madison,
dashed up and ordered him never
again to appear on parade in such a
uniform. 1t was a bard blow to the
young MANIPULATING to give UP his nice
clothes for the old suit
General Fred Solomon was friend
Of Carlson's. One day Solomon called
the boy into his tent and offered him
captaincy In a colored regiment.
"Nie a captain. and go away from the
boys of the Twenty-eighth? YES" ~
thank you, General, but I'd rather stay
with the boys of the Twenty eighth"
said he, and he did, coming home a
private.
Richard o. Jeardeau, a popular rail-
way conductor, who served through the
war and was terribly wounded in one
of the last battles, tells me this pa
thetic story: A family named Raw
don lived in Wyoming Valley, Wis. in
1861. There were two sons, Miner sad
Plympton. They both enlisted in Com
pany c. Twelfth Wisconsin, Colonel,
later General, George f. Bryant, com
handing They were inseparable, hav-
ing always been together. Both had
worked for my father in Wisconsin
and we boys were fast friends. The
! Twelfth was in the Seventeenth corps
in front of Atlanta. My regiment, the
! Thirty-first Wisconsin, was in the
Twentieth corps. The Twelfth was In
the battle on the left, July %, and lost
heavily. The next day the Seventeenth
corps passed from left to right of Sher-
mans lines. AS they were passing
word went around that the Twelfth
Wisconsin was going by, and hurried
back to see the Rawdon boys and other
acauaintances. They made short halt
as | came up and l saw Miner stand