Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1907-12-13
THE FIELD OF BATTLE
INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES OF
THE WAR.
The Veterans of the Rebellion Tell of
"htst1tng Bullets, Bright Bayo-
nets, Bursting Bombs, Bloody Bat
ties, Camp Fire, Festive Bugs, Etc.

II was at the Stone River National
cemetery the other day." said the
Colonel, land counted 1913 graves of SOL
diers belonging to Col. Shepherds brig
ade Of regulars. Those and others of
that brigade were killed in the battle
of Dec. 81, 1862, and a good many of
the volunteers have reason to remem-
Der the time. Our regiment was in
Palmers division and had been thrown
10 the front just before the Confederate
attack burst like tornado on Palmer's
right. We were caught in a sort of
whirlpool, Confederates dashing against
us In front and sweeping past our flank
on the right. We made a good fight
and really believed things were going
our way when brigade Of Union
troops came from the right at a full
run and swept over us.
I'VE saw these men coming, but sup
posing they were after the Confederates
trying to reach our rear we gave them
little attention. They ran over US as
we had been SO many weeds, breaking
OUT line and sweeping many Of our
men away with them. Our boys, dazed
and bruised, rallied on the colors and
after few minutes formed thin
line TO resist the heavy Confederate
column advancing in front We retired
slowly toward what we thought was
our reserve. Before we reached it
the lime melted away. We changed
direction, and, still firing at the ad-
Tancing Oonfederates, maneuvered to
attach ourselvesh to a regiment or
brigade some distance to our left. Be
fore we reached that line it was swept
away by a Confederate charge and we
were again alone
1.-THE advancing Confederate line,
three Or four regiments deep, came
steadily forward, and we fancied we
could see the Johnnies smile at our
attempts to stop them. Our men were
like enraged animals, and had almost
given up all hope Of help from any
quarter, when we caught sight Of
long, firm line of men in blue crouch
ing or kneeling. AS their saber bayo-
nets flashed in the sunlight our boys
said, They are regulars; they will
stop the rebs.' Then, on a mistaken
impulse the men in our thin, short line
started forward or toward the charg
ing Confederates. A horselnan shot
out from the regulars shouting at us
to come back and get out of the way.
"As our boys sullenly obeyed the
regulars pushed US impatiently through
their ranks and opened fire. Just then
General Rosecrans rode to us, and af-
ter shaking hands with the Colonel and
complimenting us for our stubborn
fight, assigned us to position on the
left, so near the regulars that we knew
they stopped the advance. The second
day after that l walked along the line
held by the regulars and counted the
dead bodies of men who had not moved
AN inch from where they were posted.
The line of dead men was as straight
as if they had been on dress parade.
This showed that the regular brigade
had not wavered at all. They stopped
the rebs, but lost twenty four officers
and 513 men, killed and wounded, in
fifteen minutes
There had been up TO that time no
love between regulars and volunteers.
But as the scene comes UP to me now
I can see the look of acknowledgment
and interest on the faces Of the kneel-
ing regulars as the thin line Of stub
born volunteers gave way to them. And
I remember that when we walked two
days later along the same line two of
the volunteers took off their hats. AZ
ter that battle regulars and volunteers
were better friends"
'sThe volunteers" said the Major,
"were just as good as the regulars,
and under some circumstances better.
But at first they had queer experiences.
up the Ohio in steamboats,. The sit
uation was new to most of the men,
and pretty strict orders were given to
the guards to prevent quarrels. On
the first day number Of half-drunken
privates resisted a guard. and he
k1lOCkNU LuOIu OFcIUOdlu Will LIS UuS-
ket. In two minutes the boat was like
theater filled with a panic stricken
crowd A man had been killed This
was a tremendous fact then. The
guard was seized as though he were
desperate criminal. His hands and
feet were tied, and, though he said not
word a gag was put in his mouth,
and he was literally thrown into the
hold.
1.-The whole regiment was astounded
to learn that we had a man in the
ranks who could kill another. The
murderer was described as q most fe-
rocious brute. Nobody could place
him; nobody could tell whnt company
he belonged to. But all agreed that he
must be desperate fellow, and with
great officiousness the officer of the day
doubled the guards about him. Finally
I discovered that the man belonged to
oa1r C,omDany. that he was OF of the