The National tribune., 1907-11-07
sNoDGRAss HILL AGAIN.
The 9th Ind. Fired at Confederates Ap.
preaching In the Dark.

PrOnchtng In the Dark.
Editor National Tribune: L was a
member of Co. d, 9Th Ind, during the
war of the rebellion. Inasmuch as
am not an educated man. and never
have written an article for publication
before. feel very reluctant to UNDER
take the task. However. at the urgent
request of some of my soldier friends T
will try and state in my blunt way just
what 1 observed personally with regard
to the closing of the battle OF Chicka-
mauga on SnodgraSS Hill, Sunday even
ing. Sept. 20, 1863. How many regi-
ments participated in the last firing I
don't know. but am very sure the 9Th
Ind. did, for fired one of the shots Of
that volley myself that caused the stam-
pede of the Johnnies in front of our
regiment. Just as it was getting dark
we were lined up on the brow of Snod-
grass Hill in the timber The firing
had ceased, and while standing thera
column of troops marching by fours
led by a mounted man approached us
from our right front. moving in an OBJ
lique direction with their guns appar-
emily at a right-shoulder-shift arms.
When they came up to within a few
PAGES of the extreme right of our
company, evidently supposlng they
were marching up to some OF their own
men, the man on the horse reined in,
halted his column and said, What
troops are you?" No one replied to his
inquiry, but Richard Tyner. of Tyner
City. Ind, said. WHO are you?" AsI
understood him, the man on horseback
replied I'VE are a part of Gen. Triggs's
command" BY this time we could
plainly see their gray uniforms, and
knew they-were rebels. Serg't Tyner
thcn cried out, Surrender" and the
horseman turned to run. BY common
consent and without any command that
heard. we fired, aiming directly at-the
mounted man. or at least 1 did, and I
presume a number of others did the
same. By the flash of our rifles we
could see we were firing directly at his
back. After the panic had subsided
and all became quiet again there was
call for one man from each company to
go forward few PAGES to stand as sem
tinel. an1 I volunteered to go for our
company. While out there l heard the
groans of the wounded man, and on
going to him found whom I have all
ways believed was the mounted man
fired on from our ranks When / got
to him the first thing that he wanted
was water. | had none for him, for
the reason that we had sent a man away
with our canteens in the afternoon in
search of water. He was captured, and
we never saw the canteens again, and
the man himself. William Stambaugh.
of Brookston, Ind, didn't get back to
the regiment for about year. The
wounded man in question was evidently
a commissioned officer, judging from
the side arms he carried, and the kind
of rationS in his haversack, for / think
it would have been considered uncon-
stitutional at that stage Of the game
for the man in the ranks to be found
with soda biscuits and nice fried smoked
ham in his haversack. He had un-
buc1led his sword belt, which, with the
haversack. was lying by his side, and I
brought them away with me. To the
belt was attached sword and a six
shooter Colts revolver. On the march
back to Rossville Gap that night I was
so worn out 1 gave the sword away.
The revolver I sold during the siege OF
Chattanooga to the Commissary Ser
geant of the regiment for SIG, which
was all the money / made out of the
Johnnies during my entire three years
service. Referring back to the firing
incident, I didn't hear anyone demand
the surrender of our regiment; neither
did / hear any command to fire. A
word about the belt: 1t was a common
piece of brass wire loop in each end
and a double hook in the shape of an
S, with an imitation snakes head on
either end to nook it together. Tho
next morning on Mission Ridge our
mess had biscuit and smoked ham,
which was rather a luxurious repast
mixed in with crackers and sowbelly."
Now, right here 1 will say always felt
little remorse of conscience for having
taken the haversack, but what was done
was done and can't ~ helped now; I
can only hope the owner didn't suffer
on account of something to eat while
he lived. Besides the rations it con-
tanned some trinkets, couple of linen
napkins, two pairs of scissors. one small
vest-pocket pair that I sent home to my
sister, and a nickel-plated, smali-sized
table knife that we used on nv fathers
table for some time after came home.
Isaac Smart, Co. D, 9Th Ind, Kent
land, Ind.