The National tribune., 1907-01-10
ChickamRuGa.

Editor National Tribune: Should this
be used as a rPicket Shot" 1t could
hardly be ascribed to an "alert COM
rade.' since 40 or more. years have in
tervened since the incident took place,
and only for the sake of 3S or 40 brave
lads do i now relate it. On that Sunday
morning. Sept. 20, 1868. at Chicka-
| mauga, the division on the right center
| lifted out of the battle line, and passing
to our rear and right while the attack
on our left was closing in like a pair
of shears, soon made business for all
recoiling till that fatal gap opened the
way for successful assault. The doubling
back of our division to the incoming
wedge caused great confusion. / slept
into the widening breach, and called tc
the men to form a line at right angles
to the line of battle extending to the
hill. Thirty-eight or 40 brave fellows
obeyed and took position behind friend
ly trees. All others were gone. There
we stood, loaded and fired on the wedge
as If we were a thousand. Some brave
Confederates past up to the point of
the ridge and to our rear, but were
called back by a staff officer, who rap
idly rode after them. We saw Gen.
McCook's left doubled back to the right
without firing on the advancing enemy,
and were soon lost to our sight. The
field was open there, and suddenly there
dpptoicu W SlSHl III our rear dIl
officer on gaily capariSoned horse,
who commanded us to cease firing, as
the supposed enemy were really our own
men. / looked around and said: "Fll
be - II / don't know what I'm do
ing" He wheeled, remarking that he
would report me. and was gone. I then
knew he was a Confederate. We con-
tinued as before, and saw the Johnnies
drawn back to where they had come
FRI ri of
Confederate was in sight, I formed the
men in two ranks and marched down
the valley to look for the army After
time we came to Gen. Turchin, at the
corner where the line continued at right
angles up and across the hill I saluted
the General, and told him where we had
been. He asked me to stay there and
form line with him, but l refused, as
my men were from several different
regiments, so 1 dismissed them there
and told them to follow the line up the
hill and return to their own regiments
which they did. / soon found some of
my company. The first one was Phil
Cochran, who had been badly hurt by
a shell. I lay down with a lot of men
of no particular command, who told
me that Longstreet had tried them sev-
eral times, but was driven back. In a
natural sink close to the line Gen.
Thomas had his headquarters. Wei
heard him when he said, Tell Gen.
Rosecrans 1 am here and as firm as a |
rock" i can hear the soldiers now as
they, scheered that message, and as it |
was repeated along the line 1t became
fully deveiopt, and came back to us |
full-born yell. Late in the day a new
came into view In our rear
in almost perfect alignment. halted for
a moment apd ], B. Steedman. astride
his horse, rising In his saddle, called, |
Attention! Guide Centeri Forward,
March!" We rolled into files, and they
past thru, down the slope, up the as
cent, over the crest and out of sight. |
Presently the singing bees were heard |
passing over;' then the roar of volleys |
They had found the enemy. Then quiet
over the crest, and in the same good
order they returned. We again rolled
INTO files. and Steedman, with what was
eft of his command past thru. AS night
came on we could hear the noise of
and it would have been strange
indeed had we not known what it
meant.
Some time that night we were or
1ered to fall back to Rossville. Light
ming, thunder and rain set in, as did
also rebel shells, and between the two
our pathway was sufficiently Illuminated
% prevent stumbling. We reached Ross
vile at daylight, and the flag-pole told
ls' wherehto go.-Riehard Boyle. Ser
seant Co. Il, 10th KY, Lancaster, KY.