Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1907-04-13
THE BATTLE-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.

vile, In East Tennessee, about the year
1888, so that he was in his 18th year
when our civil war began. When 26
years of age Walker accepted the place
Of master mechanic In the railroad ma
chine shops In Atlanta, Ga. The war
had been going on for eight months,
when Walker escaped from Atlanta one
Saturday night, and before his flight
was discovered he had reached friends
In the Cumberland mountains, Within
a month, for the man was a born lead
err Walker had recruited 127 mountain
them into the union services With
these men, dressed in butternut and
armed with old-fashioned hunting
rifles, Walker travelled by night through
the lines of Kirby Smith, and succeed
ed in reaching the union forces under
Nelson in central Kentucky.
Walker received captains commits
sion and he and his men were regularly
mustered into the service; but instead
Of being consolidated into one of the
manS East Tennessee union regiments,
they remained q separate command
known as Walkers Scouts" Because
Of their great familiarity with the
country over which the armies OF East
Tennessee and of the Cumberland were
then operating, Walker and his men
were of the greatest service, and 1t
may be added that 1t would be impos-
sible to find In either army a harder,
handsomer or more desperate body of
mounted men.
l first met Walker at Chattanooga, a
few weeks before the battles OF Look
out Mountain and Missionary Ridge
He had gone through the enerhy's lines
alone with message for help from
Burnside, then starving in Knoxville
Three weeks after he had started back
to Burnside, we had our big fights, and
In the hoy pursuit of Bragg that fol
bowed l was captured with some sixty
men. All the union prisoners We're
sent on TO "the bull pen" an unroofed
Enclosure In Atlanta. from which point
the officers were forwarded to Libby
prison, and the enlisted men to Belle
Isle in the James River.
1t was a cold, sleety evening in early
December when we were marched from
the cars at Atlanta 10 the bull pen at
the edge OF the town. The Enclosure
was more than ankle deep In mud. In
less than the space of half an acre
1000 shivering men were packed. About
the center of the Enclosure there were
two brick piles, remnants of the chin
neys Of q house that had been burned
down. AS l was stiff, my comrades
helped me to the chimneys, and made
seat Of some of the bricks
i sat down, and had Just uttered a
groan caused by mental rather than
physical suffering when my attention
was attracted by the clanking of a
chain near by. Looking quickly mp l
was surprised and shocked to see the
tall form of Captain Walker bending
over me. About his right ankle there
was heavy ring, and fastened to this
a log chain, at the other end of which
was an iron bail that looked like a
1O0-pound shot. This ball the captain
carried on his shoulder with the great
est ease but he dropped 1t beside me
and made a seat of ii, when he took
my hand in both OF his and whispered
as he wrung ii;
my, Cap, but am glad to see you
here! I"
Glad to see me here, WalkerT' 1 re
peated.
That's what l said, old fellow "
well, don't think hate any man
so much that ia IKE to see him In this
pen" And / waved my hands al the
guards on the high platform about the
stockade. and the poor fellows trudglng
through the mud to keep warm Bend
ing nearer and sinking his voice 10 the
low, soft pitch that seemed 20 out Of
keeping with his character, Walker
said
God knows, I'm not glad to see you
a prisoner, old fellow, and You know IT,
too. But as you see" here he shook
the chain. I'm In bad fix, and I'm
here waiting for some men to show up
that / know has the interest In Be 10
see me through"
"You can count on me and my boys
Walker ! responded. But what does
this ball and chain mean on a prisoner
Of war and an 0fflcer?'
THAT Is just II" he FASTENED TO say.
Il am not regarded as a federal sol
der as they call our people
How. then. DO they regard youT !
asked. though. knowing much Of his
past, / half guessed AT the truth In
- habtually quiet way Walker went
on to explain his former place IA At
lanta, and how h had been conscripted
and then detailed to work IN the rail
road shops After his escape 10 the
union lines, he had been set down as q
deserter. and as he had retained his
OWL name and had become 4 coDsplcu-
Gus figure IN the war, a reward vas Of
T. ,.