The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1909-01-07

Green Flag in Battle.

serseant. lin good many battles of
the civil war. IN most eases. the reg
mental or state flag carried with the
colOrs of the stars and stripes was solid
blue. The Irish regiments, from some
Of the states at least. carried green
flags instead of blue. and it always
made my heart swell with pride TO see
that the green flags in the charging
line never Jagged behind Nearly every
Irish regiment in the Union army
made n good record, and ! have always
been sorry that so many of the anec-
aotes of every day experience have not
found a permanent place in the war
literature
For example. there was an Irish
man of the Thirty-SiXth Indiana who
while on the skirmish line at Dallas.
saw a good chance to capture rebel.
He awaited himself OF the opportunity
captured his man, and was passing to
the rear with his prisoner. when one
Of the boys called out to him. Pat. let
me have that man. | will take him
over to General Gross, our brigade
commander 'Niver mind, me boy re-
piled Pat. Il left million back over
the hill there. Go yourself and fetch
one OF the lads over and take him to
General Gross
~ member Of the Chicago Irish reg
iment which at the time was in the
Fifteen corps. became very much excit-
ed because he couldn't force a cartridge
into his musket, fouled by continuous
firing. He tried and tried again. and
at last called out TO his Colonel ex-
planning why he could not load. 1t was
in TIE midst of a furious engagement,
and the colonel advised him TO try
again. Pat tried again, failed. and
then facing the enemy, came to an
order Of arms, and stood like statue.
The colonel asked him what he meant,
for a Johnny to come up till | can
knock his brains out with me musket
| am waitin' for him. and in the midst
Of the hottest possible fire, he waited
until the regiment charged forward"
II remember CASE said the cap
tain, lin which an Irishman named
Casey. little mite of man, dis
tinguished himself at Bull Run. After
everybody had been withdrawn from
our line, 'asey remained loading and
| firing. TN, .sciOus of the fact that the
regiment fII retired and that he alone
was holding the advanced line. Final
ly he was surrounded. and q rebel Crap
pied with him, ordering him to sur
render. Casey caught his man. and
shouted back to the regiment reform
ing in the rear, Colonel. OF have a
| prisoner here. but he won't let me bring
him in. Casey was rescued. but he
lost his prisoner.
I'VE lad in our regiment a captain
| who had served his time in railway
building. and who had risen from day
laborer to the position Of subcontractor
| and boss He WAS often severe with
| bis men, but many time | have seen
him in the midst of a hot engagement
| when 1t became necessary to throw up
| lntrenchments. throw off his sword belt
| and blouse, take up a spade or shovel.
nnd do as much work as three or four
men, On one occasion the colonel.
dashing along the line, discovered the
captain in the trenches and ordered
him out The captain declined to come.
saying, good-humoredly, There are
4 al al -bAr
migh:ier than the sword. This is one
of the tines
~ remember that on that famous
day at kenesaw when the burial
! parties were sent out to take care of
| the dead, between the lines. General
J. ID. Morgan. of Davis division. work.
ed. shovel in hand aiding the men to
bury the dead. There were a dozen OF
more rebel officers in the immediate vi
cinity. and not one of them recognized
the general, dressed. as he was. I'm 4
common soldiers blouse. trousers. and
cap. He paid no attention 10 General
Cheatham or any of the other rebeI
officers on the ground. but continued Il
the last 10 work with his men. person
ally directing every detail I saw nj
that time General ID. S. Stanley of the
Fourth corps sitting quietly on his OWL
intrenchments. smoking his pine and
watching with an amused smile the
rebels in his immediate front. He re
ceived many an adniring glance but No
one seemed to notice General Morgan
Chicago Inter-Ocean.