The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-05-30

URING the latter part of the
VA war, in 1864, and until its
M close in 1865, l was con-
~ nected with the armies under
Gen. Sherman, usually desig.
mated the Army OF the Ten
essee, the Army of the Cumberland
Id the Army of the Ohio, wrote Maj
en-. o. o. Howard. The campaigns
ere exceedingly active. From Chat
'nooga to Atlanta Sherman's soldiers
ere under fire every day, except the
rec just before crossing the Etowah,
II 1l3 days. There was not day or
ght In which there we're no soldiers
ain. The screeching shells burst
yer our heads while we were sleep
e, but, wonderful TO tell, the sol
lers had become so used TO this con-
let that they lost very little sleep in
onsequence Of the fitful and random
ring at night.
In that period Of 113 days there we're
sizable battles fought. In one at
ack I made at Pickett's MIL lost
w hlllOu anu lIItt llIlltS dS many
Wounded within the space OF 10 min.
ties. At night / sat among the
Wounded and realized something OF
he horrors of war. II seems to me to-
lay as | think OF 1t like a terrible
nightmare, but 1t was a more tHrrible
'eality, which will not attempt to de-
scribe
When come to think Of the March
% the Sea" and later the March
Through the Carolinas," what occurs
% my memory first is the exceeding
hardihood OF the soldiers. They re-
covered quickly from their wounds, l
mean from those that were not too
severe, and there was scarcely any
Illness. But when Columbia was on
ire an untold number perished in the
flames. Still more perished from ac-
cidental explosion OF confederate
shells at Columbia and Cheraw. We
like to turn away from the mangled
corpses and distorted faces of the
wounded that cannot be described
feel the same horror and depression
In view of these things as ! did at
Gettysburg. where on both sides up
ward OF $4,000 men we're placed hors
de combat. For several days poor fell
lows, union and confederate soldiers,
waited in patience, unattended by sur
seons, simply because there were not
enough of them.
without further detail imagine the
Joy that came over the armies OF Sher-
man as they gathered about Raleigh,
n. c., In 1866, and were told that Lee
had surrendered and that Grant had
sent Lees soldiers home to begin life
anew; that Johnston had surrendered
On the same terms as Lee and all that
belonged to Slocum's, Schofeld's and
Howard's armies were to march on
the morrow toward Washington, the
capital Of the nation, soon TO be mus.
tered out Of service and then to go
home. I remember the sudden depres-
sion at the news OF Lincoln's death;
but still this going home produced too
great Joy to keep ever this catas.
trophe OF their heavy loss very long
before their minds. They marched
habitually at 20 miles a day from
Raleigh 10 Richmond, and never
seemed weary at the close OF any
days march--the camp fire was bright,
the old songs we're sung over and over
again and the comradeship knitted
during the war would never cease--it
was at its best when the word peace"
flled all the air.
know that we were proud when
we marched past the president OF the
United States in our last great re-
view but, as remember It, 1t was
fearful pride even then. A regiment