The Elbert County tribune., 1912-05-24


at the Stephenson Post, @. A. r.. at Roxbury,
Mass
Never SO long live shall forget that
dreadful day when lay wounded on the bat
tleheld. from sunrise until the shades of night
had closed down on the dead and the dying"
said Senator Knute Nelson OF Minnesota. "It
was In the siege Of Port Hudson. La. when
June IA. 1868. unsuccessful attempt was
made by Banks army to capture the place by
storm and my regiment led OF the charg-
Ing columns. Just the peeping
over the hills sailed forth in battle array.
The Charge was given and we tore across
the open ground straight at the enemy's
oreastworks. When within eight ten rods
OF the intrenchments l fell to earth with a
ouiiet In my thigh. My comrades driv
en- oack-no man could long stand against
that avalanche OF leaden death that poured
out or the Notifications l was left with
only the dying and the dead to keep me COM
pany. Then began my long vigil in the ghast
~ Inferno The cries Of the wounded-the
merciless sun-the torment Of II all-and the
thirst, the maddening thirst. Only those who
nave lain thus can appreciate its 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-
lions OF unusual trust and prominence under
the same flag. The former was no less n per
sonage than Chief Justice White of the
United States Supreme Court, serving then as
ald to General Gardner, commander of the
confederate forces within Port Hudson during
the siege The latter Senator Francis E.
Warren of Wyoming At the time. Of courae
no one OF the three men knew of the existence
OF the others. and indeed 1t was not until the
past few months thy became aware of the
iacts. Senator Warren. who enlisted when
put IT years Of age. awarded medal of
nonor for conspicuous gaantry in the en-
gagemeut
When l look back on the Civil War as
frequently do. and especially on Memorial
Day he said he sat in his rooms in the
senate office building. "one fact stands out
with increasing clarity as the years roll BY
and that Is that the great struggle was waped
principally by boys. The rank and file of the
Union army was made up of mere lads and
In the Confederate forces they were even
younger They were tried as perhaps no 9TH
or generation Of American youth has ever been
tried The horrors, the struggles the hard
ships they faced. made men of them Nearly
all OF our presidents since then and great
portion OF our public men throughout the ma
uon. 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 so thick and
iast on Gen. Isaac R. Sherwood, representa-
time from the Ninth district Of Ohio. that TO
single out one of them Is but to omit others
OF equal import. He participated in Is bat
Ties. and there is not soldier now living who
he Six times he was complimented in gem
erai orders for gallantry on the field OF bat
tle Today he is the only Union W seran on
the Democratic side of the House. But more
remarkable than all else he ts the only man
VINO entered the Union army as private and
emerged from the war brigadier general.
Il suppose" said General Sherwood "tbe
night at Franklin. Tenn November 3O 1864
Is as vivfdly impressed my mind as 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 nve-hour
battle. and larger number OF their generals
were killed or wounded than at ChickamauRa
OF Gettysburg. where their forces were twice
as strong. My regiment. the One Hundred
and Eleventh Ohio. of which I was colonel.
lost more men In tina. cattle than any other
regiment on the Union SIDE
My horse shot from under me three
times In the engagement My third horse fell
In most unusual manner Tho bullet that