Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1907-07-26
SOLDIERS AT HOME.
THEY TELL SON. INTERESTING
ANECDOTES OF THE WAR.
How the Boys of Both Armies Whi1ed
Away Life in COMPROMISING Elk
periences, Tiresome Marches-Thri1.
ling Scenes ON the Battlefield.

Resolutions and tributes" said the
Sergeant, do not seem to meet the
case Of a man like General Rosecrans;
they fail to give satisfactory impress
sion Of Rosecrans personality or his
relations to the rank and file of his
army. To do this fairly one must re-
sort to anecdote and incident.
Anecdotes that showed the real
man should go on record, or should be
made a part Of the record. One Incl
dent I know was made matter Of Of
fetal record, but is not mentioned in
any life of Rosecrans or any history OF
the war. This is the case of Philip
Foreman, private In Company G, First
Kentucky Infantry. This regiment
served with Rosecrans in West Vir
ginia before it joined the Army Of the
Ohio. On the second day at Shiloh
young Foreman left the regiment by
permission and went to I'LL his own
and other canteens with water. In
the exigencies Of battle the regiment
moved and Foreman was not able to
find it Wandering about he came to
the brigade hospital in charge of DR..
Menzies, who ordered him on duty as
nurse
Foreman was naturally q sympa-
thetic and handy man. He did such
good service in the hospital that the
surgeon retained him for several days
and then sent him to the company with
| - ioh Io
took the responsibility for the young
mans absence In the meantime Fore
man had been reported missing, or alb
sent without leave. Although the of
ficers Of the company made proper ex-
PLANTATION Foreman's case was taken
before a court martial and he was SEN
fenced to lose six months pay. He
was a cheerful, contented, uncomplain-
ing sort Of a man, and said so little
about the matter that the men of the
company thought he was Indifferent
Between that time and the battle of
Stone River, whenever a report was
asked for as to what each man had
lost at Shiloh, Foreman always an
swered in droll way, $78. This al
ways raised laugh and the boys re-
marked one to another, Phil takes it
as a joke
"On the morning Of the 31st Of De
cember, 1862, at Stone River, Foreman,
who was a short man, fell in next to
the orderly. When some Of the tall men
claimed the place Foreman looked up
to the orderly in a pleading way and
said, mo, want to be right here. This
thing is going to be wiped out to-day.
For the first time in all these months
he showed feeling on the question Of
his conduct at Shiloh, and he was per-
mitted to remain next to the orderly at
the head of the company. In the fierce
enga cement that followed Foreman
was struck in the right arm. He was
advised to go to the rear, but he de-
| clined with the remark that he would
He kept his place in the ranks, loading
with his left hand. He was struck by
another bullet, this time in the 6eshy
| part of the leg. After he fell he tore
open his trousers, looked minute at
the wound, and was again on his feet
with teeth set. Again he refused to go
to the rear, and kept up his loading
with the left hand. He was now al
most the central figure In that COM
pany of sorely beset men. AS he raised
his left hand to ram home a load, a
bullet struck that arm, and 1t fell to
his side.
"Then he dropped down in 4 resign
ed sort of way. looked up at the order
| ~ sergeant and said, easily, without
any excitement, I guess I'll have to
quit. IL would like to wipe the whole
thing out His comrades dragged him
behind stump and prepared to leave
the line The last sight caught Of the
! little fellow was as he crept around in
front Of the stump to face the rebel
| line that was coming up. These com
| rades saw him next after the battle, in
| a hospital at Murfreesboro. He was
| 80 bandaged and bound up that he
! could not shake hands, and he could
scarcely speak, but there was bright,
| contented look in his black eyes, and
he listened with interest to the stories
| of the boys of the battle, after they
left him on the field. AS the orderly
bent low over him. asking if anything
could be done. Foreman said. Is it all
| wiped out now? Is it all gone? This
led to action on the part of the COM
| pany officials.
"a statement of the case, giving the
record at Shiloh and the record at
Stone River, was made out and sent to
| General Rosecrans. 1t touched the
heart Of the General, ard he wrote out
a letter of congratulation and praise
to the wounded man, and had issued
| an order which was read on dress pa
rade before every regiment of that di-
vision, stating the facts, ordering a
| suspension of sentence of courtmartial
| q restoration of the six months pay
| and a definite and distinct honorable
! nj