Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1907-09-19
South Nountain and Ukat IT Meant
By Lieutenant Colonel J. A. Watrous.

TENDER IA, the southerners had large
force on South mountain and held the
mountain range all the way to Har-
per's Ferry, a dozen miles or more.
Cannonading, by both sides, began,
at several points, including South
toms gap, about the middle of the af-
ternoon, and an hour and a half later
came the sound of popping from the
sllirmishers; lines of battle were ad-
vancing
The confederates held tenacicusly
to their positions in the passes, ra-
vines and mountain side, and poured
telling streams of lead and iron into
the ranks of the moving columns of
blue killing and wounding by the hun
dreds.
1t was brave Americans against
brave Americans. Did men ever fight
more stubbornly?
South mountain, the highest point
on the long range was very steep-al-
most straight up in places.
To climb that giant mountain and
fight as they climbed was to do what
few soldiers, in any period of the
worlds history, were ever called upon
to do Every step forward was a
climb and every shot meant heroic
effort to keep from sliding back.
There was no wavering in that rug
1f II III,
ley thinned it, but it quickly closed up
without hating, shut its teeth harder
and harder, only lowering the jaw to
tear cartrides-for theirs were not
modern guns and ammunition-and
pushed on, steadily though slowly driv-
ing a most stubborn body of victory
winning men in gray, greatly to their
establishment and dismay.
Then sun goes down but the sons
of the north keep right On going up, up
and yet up.
Darkness comes but the line of
blue, now a black one, goes on on
and yet on, shooting and shouting as
it climbs; behind it are widrows OF
dead, dying and wounded-general and
field officers, company commanders
sargeants, corporals and strapless and
stripeless heroes.
Sergeant Kerr, with a shattered
knee is calling at the top of his voice.
Whats the matter, Chicken asks
Col Bragg.
I'm wounded, colonel put some
body in command of Co. D."
The sergeant had been in command
of his company since the first day of
second Bull Run. Sergeant Kerr as cap
tain, major and lieutenant colonel,
commanded his regiment in a number
of great battles and came home in
1865 as it's leader
1t was O'Clock when the last charge
was made and the crest of South noun
tain swarmed with victorious blue
coats. The climbers had fought and
climbed to the army of the Potomac's
most substantial. its first great. telling,
permanent victory. Generals McClel-
Ian and Hooker were in the valley
watching the advance up the noun
tain.
General Hooker, what troops are
those?' asked General Mcclellan.
"They are General Gibbons wisoon-
sin and Indiana brigade"
"They are men of IRON
The correspondent of a Cincinnati
paper heard the conversation and in
his account of the battle spoke of Cen
eral Gibbons western men as the iron
brigade and by that name il will al
ways be known.
Three days later. the hopeful vic
torious army of the Potomac again met
General Lee on ground of his own
choosing. with his whole army present
or within striking distance. and fought
and won one OF the most important
battles of the war-Antietam. Septem-
her II, 1862, 'the bloodiest day of the
war" Twenty-Five thousand men
killed and wounded in one day--the
sacrifices of one ten hours that we
might have our present great country.
The nation was saved from the aw-
full results of captured capitol and
an invaded North. European help for
the South went to cover forever.
49, -. A