Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1907-06-22
SOLDIERS STORIES.
ENTERTAINING "REMINISCENCES
OF THE WAR.
Graphic Account of Stirring Scenes
Witnessed ON the Battlefield and I'm
Camp-veterans OF the Rebellion Re-
cite Experiences OF Thrilling Nature.

An army" said the Doctor, was
like 81 trained pugilist. 1t could put
up good fight ON short notice, but 1t
could not pound away forever, and
what the other fellow did counted for
a good deal in the outcome. The Union
army went into the battle of Stone
River In prime condition. There had
been no long. hard marches to get into
position. The several divisions had ad-
vanced In three days from Nashville
to within few miles of Murfreesboro,
pushing the Confederates back onto
their intrenched lines. The General
had explained to the boys what he ex-
pected them TO DO. and the boys be
lieved they could do It.
But the fellows on the other side
interfered. They were in prime condi-
tion also, and they plunged into the
fight TO win The result was a battle
extending over three days, In which two
strong armies strove against each other
until exhausted or until one had scarce
ly strength to retreat and the other
scarcely energy to pursue. One limped
off the field like a man who had re-
ceived pounding and who had lost
most of his clothing in rough-and-
tumble fight, and the other, In little
better plight. limped after. Both knew
that the battle had been fosght and
felt that 1t would be weeks or months
before they would be ready for another
AT Chickamauga. however, the
Union troops went into battle after long
marches and confusing maneuvers.
They had been marching and counter
marching for two weeks In what seem
ed TO them wilderness, and one morn
Ing they found the enemy in front and
hlazet; away. Our battalion was Off
on scouting expedition on the 18th
of September, and returned In the midst
Of the battle of the 10th to find that
our division had moved to the left.
We started for the left, when we were
ordered to the right on what the boys
declared to be a wlld-goose chase, 1t
was the night OF battle, but there was,
as 1t grew dark, little or no firing.
I'VE passed two or three divisions.
bivouacked where they had fought. The
camps seemed dense masses OF men In
blue, sitting or standing or lying on
their blankets, all in order, but not in
line. In the growing darkness the
massed brigades and divisions looked
like clouds that had settled down to
the ground, and occasionally one of the
clouds would take on motion and drift
silently away to the north. But all the
time we moved southwark into the
| space where there were no clouds. Long
after midnight we halted In as pretty
a forest glade MS ever comforted the
eyes of tired men, and sitting down in
line slept
I'VE didn't know where we were or
what was expected of us. We knew
only that strong plckets were I'm front
and that we were to have no fires and
were not to talk. We slept for two
hours in peace, with our rifles I'm our
hands and with light blankets or over
coats thrown over our shoulders. Then
we moved In two ranks along a narrow
road In the woods, quietly. steadily.
but without hurry or excitement. Sud
denly we came upon great cloud of
sleeping men, and we skirted It's edge.
Then In the early dawn we came upon
shiverlng vedettes, who halted us with
low, sharp words, and parleyed with
our officers in the dark.
"As we hurried past the outpost
picket we noticed the men looked at
us In amazement, and we noticed also
that our colonel carried himself with
an air Of triumph and Importance. But
Oh we went without explanation. skirt
Ing in the faint, misty daylight OF Sept.
20 another dark cloud Of men. Here
men In blue, masscd In close battle
order, were still sleeping except a few
on the outer edge, who sat up 10 look
at us stupidity or Inquirng1y. A little
farther on We passed another cloudlike
mass OF men wriggling into wakefuI-
ness. Some Of the soldiers had the
manner Of farmers who had OVERSIGHT
themselves, and others the half-irrlt-
HbF, udlI~ITpllChDiuE lODk OF DOYS pulled
out Of bed
"But az we laughed at the ludlcrous-
ness Of the scene, there came from
somewhere a low, decisive order, and
in an instant the men were on their
feet and in straight lines. Another or
der, and they turned their backs upon
as and moved off In measured step in
the direction from which we had come.
and looking beyond them We saw IN
the distance what had seemed to us.
thirty minutes before, mass Of harm
lees men, a division of the Confederate
army moving into line. We saw our
own divisions leaving their bivouacks
and moving forward 10 the firing line.
and we realized then that we had been
among the enemy and had brought
news that vet the battle going.
I'VE went hurrylng along the dis
ioiuted line to our appointed position.
and saw the Union army In its hour
81