Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1912-05-23

at the Stephenson Post, G. A. R., at Roxbury
Mass
Never so long as live shall forget that
dreadful day when l lay wounded on the bat
tlefeld. from sunrise until the shades of night
had closed down on the dead and the dying"
said Senator Knute Nelson of Minnesota. 1T
was In the siege Of Port Hudson, La. when on
June IA, 1868, an unsuccessful attempt was
made by Banks army to capture the place by
storm and my regiment led one Of the charg-
Ing columns. Just as the sun was peeping
over the hills we sailed forth In battle array.
The Charge was given and we tore across
the open ground straight at the enemys
oreastworks. When within eight or ten rods
OF the intrenchments I fell to earth with
bullet In my thigh. My comrades were driv-
en- oack-no man could long stand against
tnat avalanche Of leaden death that poured
out OF the fortifcations-and was left with
only the dying and the dead to keep me COM
pany. Then began my long vigil in the ghast-
~ ln1erno. The cries Of the wounded-the
merciless sun-the torment Of It all-and the
tnirst, the maddening thirst! Only those who
nave lain thus can appreciate It's terror.
In the same battle were two other soldiers
one under the stars and bars. the other under
the Stars and Stripes-who now hold posi-
ions OF unusual trust and prominence under
the same flag. The former was no less a per-
sonage than Chief Justice White, of the
United States Supreme Court, serving then as
aid to General Gardner, commander OF the
Confederate forces within Port Hudson during
the siege. The latter was Senator Francis e.
warren OF Wyoming At the time, Of course.
no one Of the three men knew of the existence
OF the others, and indeed II was not until the
past few months thy became aware of the
facts. Senator Warren, who enlisted when
out II years OF age, was awarded a medal of
honor for conspicuous gaIlantry in the en-
gagement
When I look back on the Civil War. as 7
frequently do, and especially on Memorial
Day" he said as he sat in his rooms in the
Senate office building. "one fact stands out
with increasing clarity as the years roll by.
ana tnat Is that the great struggle was waged
principally by boys The rank and file OF the
Union army was made up Of mere lads, and
In the Confederate forces they we're even
younger. They were tried as perhaps no 9th.
er generation Of American youth has ever been
trled' Tne horrors, the struggles the hard
ships they faced, made men OF them. Nearly
all OF our presidents since then and a great
portion Of our public men throughout the ma.
ton. Including the Congress OF the United
States. have been those who served as officers
or enlisted men in those two armies of strip
lings"
Wartime recollections crowd go thick and
fast on Cen Isaac R. Sherwood representa-.
time from the Ninth district Of Ohio. that To
single out one of them s but to omit otbers
OF equal import. He participated In 45 bat.
ties. and there is not soldier now living who
was under fire a greater number of DAYS than
he. Six times he was compimented in gen.
eral orders for gaantry on the field OF bat.
tie. Today he is the only Union W seran on
the Democratic side Of the House. But more
remarkable than all else. he Ia the only man
who entered the Union army as a private and
emerged from the war a brigadier general
Il suppose" said General Sherwood "tba
fight at Franklin Tenn. November 30. 1894
Is as wildly impressed on my mind az anv.
maybe because. considering the size of the
forces engaged. It was one Of the most desper
ate engagements Of the entire war The Con.
federate loss was 40 per. cent In 1ve-bour
battle, and larger number Of their generals
we're killed or wounded than at Chickamauea
Of Gettysburg. where their forces we're twice
ss strong. Ny regiment the One Hundred
and Eleventh Ohio of which 7 was colonel.
lost more men In that battle than any other
regiment on the Union side
My horse was shot from under me three
times In the engagement- My third horse fell
In a most unusual manner. The bullet that