Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1909-05-14

My First Battle.


could get into a fight with the John
MES. l am sick of this inactivity
this eternal camp life, cleaning I'D,
guard mounting, and dress parade.
This viii never put down the rebellion.
What a farce. this going on picket duty
when there is not a reb within a hun
dred miles. It's enough to drive one
distracted No wonder our hospitals
are filing up with sick men. All that
/ ails them is inconsistencies. caused by
having nothing else to think about. My
| God, want to up and at EN-"
| Second Speaker too; SO do
]. I'll bet we could whip HI out of
| twice our number and make them hunt
their holes.
Third Speaker Oh, yes; you fell
lows can talk big now, while we are at
safe distance; but by the time we are
at close quarters with them, their bay
! onets clashing with ours, and the balls
| flying about your head SO thick you
would think a whole swarm of bees
We're going to light on you, as it was
bad at Winchester, I'll bet you'll sing
I different tune, and wish YOU were
anywhere but there. You would be the
ones to hunt for a hole, and 1t would
not be very big one that would hold
you, either. I've heard big talk before,
and the ones who did the loudest talk
ing were the ones to be the last at the
front, II they ever got there and the
first to the rear. For my part, | am
perfectly satisfied to stay here and do
camp duty as long as 1t is necessary.
I've had enough fighting to do me the
balance of my days,
Such was the common talk while we
were lying in camp at Tullahoma. in
1864. Our regiment zone Hundred and
Seventy-seventh Ohio and the One
Hundred and Eighty-eighth Ohio, with
battery of regulars, were guarding
| the railroad between Murfreesboro and
! Chattanooga, But the grumblers as
well as all others, were soon to have
a chance to up and at EN-" or. rath-
err, up and away from them. and we
were not slow in our manner of doing
1t, either.
Our old scout came into camp one
morning and reported General Hoods
whole army two days march south Of
| us, moving toward Nashville, and that
he was picking up all our small de-
| tachments along the railroad as he
came north. There was plenty of life
and activity In our camp that day for
all able-bodied men. bitches were
dug, breastworks thrown up, and every
! thing done to make our position as
/ strong as possible. even to digging a
trench through the burying ground,
where the dead had been buried at the
| previous battle fought when General
| Bragg made n stand on his retreat
/ from Tennessee. The dead and the liy-
! ing were In the trench together. per
/ haps TO participate IN another fight
| After all these preparations. our com
| mander General Milroy). deeming II
! not prudent to risk a battle. ordered n
| retreat to Murfreesboro. where he
| could join forces with General Rous-
| seau, and n lively race we had for two
days, We had important business
| there. and had no use for Forests
Confederate Cavalry. who tried in vain
| to get on speaking terms with us. /
never saw more ambitious set Of men
In my life. In fact we had to get
there, Eli" And we did not let our
! ambition cool until We were safe I'M
der the guns Of Fort Rosecrans. II
was then that our old Seventh oomrade
| remarked Wen. boys. we gave them
| HI, didn't we3 | never saw old sol
diers more anxious 10 move or show
more zeal. than you. Oh, yes, but then
If Old Milroy hadn't got scared we'd
have smashed them"
/ am satisfied that our boys who
were SO anxious for fight had their
/ ardor somewhat cooled off during the
! retreat. and would have been perfectly
satisfied TO never have seen n Johnny
but such was not to be, as the sequel
will prove.
Our two Ohio regiments went into
camp little northeast Of the fort, and
the One Hundred and Eighty eighth
was ordered out as skirmishers lmme-
diately in our front. on open ground.
The Confederates had line Of rifle
pits which they were occupying. A
casual firing was kept up for the most
Of one day. with only one man killed
on our side. He not satisfied with
lying down and firing, after making
several shots at one Of the enemy who
was firing at him, stood up and ad-
vanced several steps and fred. His
adversary also did the same. and they
became the objects for all behoders
The firing from all other sources near
ly ceased, both sklrmish lines watching
these two. They fred several shots
each without effect. when our man was
heard TO eXclaim. There I hit him -
We looked, and saw puff Of smoke
curling from the Confederate's gun,
while at the same instant he was seen