Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1911-05-17

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Continued from last week.
On the morning of September
18th the troops at Corinth under
command of General E. o. G. Ord
by rail for Iuka, where a battle was
expected with the Confederates un-
der General Van Dorm. Arriving at
Burnsville on the Memphis and
Charleston railroad, the troops left
the train and marched to a point
north of Iuka. Our regiment with
one from Ohio, numbering in all 900
men was left behind as a guard for
General Grant, who made Burnsville
his headquarters for the time, and
also as reserve in case we should
be needed. During the progress OF
the battle which took place on the
10Th, we received orders to- push on
to Iuka, but we had not proceeded
far before General Grant, who had
gone on ahead, returned and order
ed us back. Boys he said, 'you
may return to Burns Vile; the battle
is all over and you will not be need
ed' Whereupon the column faced
about and made all haste back to
Corinth, where it was soon to be
needed in defense of that important
strategic point.
CHAPTER XIV.
On the morning of October 3rd,
with two days rations and one hun
dred rounds of cartridges, we left
Camp Montgomery, and took up a
position on the outer line of the old
rebel rifle pits, two and half miles
distant Just as we started Lieuten-
ant Snowden said to me: Sergeant,
! want you to do me a favor; we
are going into battle and / shall
never come out of 1t alive" at the
same time taking his watch which
was valuable one, from his pocket
he said After the battle is over
j want you to send this home to
my wife, and tell her how it hap
pened.' Under ordinary circum-
stances l would have cheerfully
rendered him any service in my
power, but | could not take his
watch, believing as / did that there
was no greater reason TO suppose
that he would be killed than myself,
and If / should be killed also, and
the watch found on my person, my
friends would never be able TO ex-
plain. the matter and thus an un-
just stain might rest upon me. l
was obliged to decline to take it and
tried to make light of his fears.
All to no purpose, however, for
he was sadly depressed, not through
any physical fear, Tor he was a brave
man. but under the occult influence
of that mysterious second sight or
premoniticn which sometimes comes
to the children of men. do not at
tempt to explain it; know of no
philosophy that is able to unyeil this
secret of mental forboding which,
under certain conditions assails us.
1 only know that during my life |
have observed two instances of its
influence and in both Of them have
been made to play a secondary part.
The first was the case Of Lieutenant
Snowden, the second was that of my
own father, to which shall refer in
it's proper place. That God in His
infinite goodness has mercifully
withheld from us the time and the
circumstances connected with our
decease, as we'll as the exact condi-
tion OF each individual in the future
state, is cause for thsnkfulness on
our part; for If we knew before
hand all these things II would unfit
us for the part we are assigned in
this life. Therefore. let us be con-
tent TO walk in mental darkness,
where we must, cropping our way
among the profound mysteries OF
the universe, only making the most
of what few rays of light may fit
athwart our pathway from the era