Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1909-05-06

Lhdi Cutu5 anu uODG some uSuLIuS. "
had started out On the Atlanta cam
Daign in early May, 1864. We had
Ought many heavy battles during the
summer, and on he 10th Of November
70 lowing were off for the sea. We
reached the confederate lines at Sa-
vannah December 9Th. After We had
Desieged the place twelve days, the
cOnfederates crossed the river into
South Carolina and we took posses
ION Of the ci y. We remained there
until the 5th oil January, when we set
off on the campaign Of the Caroinas,
and by the oath Of March we arrived
at Goldeboro. North Carolina We
had gone through 425 miles Of hosti g
country flooded with wa.er and trav-
ersed by several large rivers. Fifty
days Of mid-winter had been spent
marching. and only ten in camps by
the way. We had been ffty-fOur
days with no news from the Outsid
wOrId,-nO letters from home ii took
as some .ime to catch up. We spent
two weeks at GoIdsborO in order to
rest and get a fresh start for Rich
moud.
News came to us at GoIdsboro that
caused such rejoicing as | cannot un-
dertake to describe Time and again
wc had hoard the report, Richmond
t. takenl" and as often had shouted
ourselves hoarsc with joy-on Y to be
disappointed. But this time there
seemed no doubt about the nat er; it
was what we had good reason to eX-
pect. Two Of our boys-and others
got their cauteens filled and pro
cecded to make merry. They gave
as an excuse for their capers that
Richmond was not apt to be taken
more than half a dozen times a year,
and that the occasion was we'll worth
celebrating. They made fun enough
for all the rest of us. The report was
true this time.
On the 10th Of April we took UP our
march for Raleigh sixty miles north
west. The starting out was like a
gala day performance. All the bands
of The great army were putting the air
aqnIyer with lively music and we
boys sang songs and shouted TWO OF
three of the other columns were in
p ain sight OF us as they took differ
ent roads up the valley of the Neuse.
1t was a most enlivening and Joyous
spectacle.
Two or hree days out we heard that
Lee, IN his retreat from Richmond,
mad been oNertaken ana captured
Again we made ourselves hoarse with
much noise though the news seemed
100 good 10 be true. But "heh we
began TO meet soldiers or Lee late
army slraggIing along unarmed on
th'lr way nome Our doubts dISso Ved
ana we wished Tor JOY. Inc poor
beaten ieHo"S cam" along SIhSIN ana
IN squads actFhS as II slad II was al
over we could PLAINLY see that thlS
was the beginning OF the END we
nad enough 10 laih ABOUT ana Specu-
Id upon TO make that four-daIS
"larch up TO RalelSh seem snort. Al
most before we could reaIIZe that we
were so near, we saw, as we marched
up to the top OF ridge, the beaut-
tul capital OF the state-only three
miles away. This was the 18th day
of April
General Johnson had in the mean
time moved out beyond Raleigh, and
was IN camp near Durham p miles
TO the northwest We marched
through the city and went into camp
,hree miles beyond. When morning
came the ram was pouring down III
torrents and all our belongings were
so2py yet we were. nevertheless, or
dered into line. Soon we were on al
ter Johnson. The ground was so
covered with wa 50, that as we
marched over the brow OF hill the
water flowed down the slope in a
broad sheet. We neither whistled nor
sang nor cheered, and didn't care
much just then what became OF John
son and his men. We knew that
now. as Lee had surrendered, John
son cou d lead us merry chase clear
10 the MISSISSIPPI riVer-if he chose.
tie was ShIIIIW In retreat and could
9'IlNe backward surprisinglT. How
We wished ned just stop and let Us
capture MN. But he had plans Of
his own.
After passing over the brow OF this
III we came INTO large open field,