Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1908-09-25
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company with several war-worn veter-
ans who had dropped in for a chat.
WELL" said he, that is a question
that is hard to answer. did feel,
though, that there were other places in
which I'd rather be-"
by the way, major, you must have
seen some hot times during your period
of service. Tell me of battle where
bullets few thick and deeds of heroism
We're performed"
"Oh, colonel, those things have been
told SO often and by better men than
l that my story might not be worth the
telling"
''Never mind that" said l. Every
one has a different way of narrating
his experiences, and no two men in the
same regiment will give the same &C
count of a fight"
THAT is true, colonel, and if you care
to listen I will give you the particulars
of fight which occurred in April,
1865"
Just imagine comparatively fiat
country, broken up somewhat by ra-
vines, which were, possibly, ages ago,
beds of streams which cutting their
way into the earth to depth Of ten
or fifteen feet, left the surface of the
ground scanned with wrinkles, as age
makes it's mark in the human face.
Well. there lay the Union and Confed-
crate armies close together on that
pleasant April day forty odd years ago,
stretched along in parallel lines for
miles, locked in close embrace, as 1t
were, and each struggling for the mas
terry. Hidden behind massive breast
works, Union and Confederate, SO close
that the men on the outer picket lines
could easily converse with each other;
with the continued rafting Of musket-
ry, the hiss Of bullets, the booming OF
cannon and bursting Of shells constant
ly around, over and into us, we had
remained for months with scarcely any
perceptible change in the situation. The
places where we lived and slept were
bomb-proof-holes dug in the ground
like cellars for houses, with logs laid
across and earth piled thereon to the
depth Of several feet. In these holes
we spent our time, a fall Of rain leav-
ing for days afterwards the steady
drip, drip Of water that slowly perco-
lated through the roof, making our
dreams of home in the North sweeter,
as the drops fell on our uncovered
heads or trickled down our spinal col
umns The bomb-proof that l called
my home was occupied by the adjutant,
another officer and myself and here we
passed the time as best we could.
'"Well. one night about 10 o'clock an
aide from brigade headquarters came
down the rude stairway Of our cabin
with orders which he delivered to the
adjutant.
"'Be prepared to move at O'Clock
in the morning in light marching order,
one days rations and no knapsacks.'
That was all-be prepared to move
And we'll we knew that to some of us
it meant be prepared to die After
giving instructions to our orderly ser
geant we sat down to write some let
tiers to those at home and arranged our
papers for final settlement with the
government.
"At 2 o'clock the men fell into line,
silent and oppressed by the thought of
the near approach of some indefinite,
intangible calamity. Forward! and
slowly and in perfect order, through an
opening in our breastworks, and follow
ing the dugway that led to the outer
picket line, the regiment marched on.
Then we knew what was coming. Then
we knew that across the narrow space
which separated our line from the enc
my's, bristling with cheval de frise and
abatis. we would be ordered to charge
the works which the federal army had
for months been hammering unsuccess-
fully with shot and shell. Further to
the left troops had been massed and
desperate attempt was to be made to
carry the Confederate works at that
point. And what were we to do? Just
charge-that was all. Selected with
two other regiments to create diver
sion to lead the enemy to believe an
assault was to be made here-only to be
sacrificed, that seemed our fate. Our
colonel was dissatisfied with the order
to simply charge and insisted upon
more definite instructions. The aide,
with a peculiar smile, said Colonel,
you are to charge the Confederate
works. capture ali within the length Of
your regimental front and hold your po
sition until driven out or relieved All
right replied the colonel, and turning
to his men he said Boys, We'll do it.
"Soon after this came the command
uttered in a low tone of voice, for
ward Every man was instructed to
make as little noise as possible, lest we
should draw the enemy's fire before we
were upon them. Pressing steadily for
ward we reached the line of cheval de
frise, which resembled somewhat an
old fashioned haV rake wired together