Rensselaer Republican, Volume 18, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 July 1886 — ARMY ANECDOTES. [ARTICLE]

ARMY ANECDOTES.

Bold Boy> of loth Belligerent* Tell oi Battles, Ballets, Bayonets, and Boiled Beans. Soldiers and Sailors’ Stirring Stories of Solid Shot and Screaming Shells.

The Battle of Gettysburg'. \V. H. Tompkins, of Altoona, lowa, -given the following interesting sketch of the battle of Gettysburg in a late number of tTie the Soldiers' Advocate. It will be read with interest: .. As you know, the battle of Gettysburg was fought on the Ist, 2d, and 3d, and part •of ihe 4th of July, 1803. After the battle of Chaneellorsville our corps—A. P. Hill’s —was left to watch Hooker at Fredericksburg while Lee moved with Longstreet’s corps and a part of Ewell’s to th£ Shenandoah Valley, We remained in front of Hooker until we were satisfied that Lee was well on the way north. Finding that Hooker woe on the move we were ordered to take up our line of march to Warrenton. We crossed the ' Potomac at the Point of Rocks and Shepardstown, and after a great deal of hard marching, very unexpectedly, at least to the boys, ran into the advance of a part of Hooker’s army, but being well trained we were not surprised, and after some hard fighting drove them before us to the historic held of Gettysburg; and here I will say, by the way of parenthesis, that it has always been the opinion of the survivors of the battle, who were engage drin the first day’s fight, that if I»ee ; hud 'uot called a halt we would have •taken the Heights,that day. On the second day's fight my battery was, placed on our right, but with the exceptidh of Bome heavy Cannonading we were not engaged in battle until about 11 o’clock; we were then ordered forward to shell the Federal forces while our infantry took up an advanced position and then the battle of Cts commenced. Believing that Gettyswas the most terrible as well as the .turning battle of the war (as I believe with all truth), the roar of artillery was the most -terrific I ever heard. Our boys, though veterans, Beemed to quail before the terrible rain of shot and shell in our midst. Although the order came to charge and •take heights by storm, our brave boys, who

had never been known to hesitate when ordered, seerped reluctant to move, but when all was 1 ready, with the well-known yell, they rushed forth with that impetuosity of men determined to do or die. Three different times were we forced to retire, shattered, torn, and bleeding, only to rally and again make the attempt to capture the works or break the lines on the now historic Ronud Top. Once we gained a footing on the little Round. Top, broke the lines of the Federals, but for the want of support were forced to retreat (and such a retreat); out of about a thousand young men engaged in that charge only about half reached a place of shelter, only to be called on to again face death. At the close of the second day’s fight my battery, on roll call, out of ninety-two men, had forty-seven to answer to their names, the other forty-live being either killed or wounded. After fighting two days, one without eating from four until nine o’clock, we were further from taking the heights than ever. Early the next morning, July 4, we were again called on to repeat the previous day’s work, but we were discouraged, disheartened, and almost demoralized. The Army of Northern Virginia had never known what it was to be whipped, and almost considered themselves invincible. Wo again moved forward, only to be shot down and at last to retreat, but we again rallied aud after one more effort were compelled to give up the contest. My battery had fired six hundred rounds from ench gun aud were out of ammunition, all our commissioned officers killed or wounded. only twenty-eight sound men out of ninety-six, and only by borrowing a few frqju another battery were we able to man our guns. Now commenced the retreat in earnest, a race between Meade and Lee for old Virginia. Men perishing for want of rations, worn out with fighting, discouraged and compelled to retreat through a country where a few days before we uad marched in triumph was humiliating. Meade’s cavalry outmarched us, got between us and the pontoon bridges, and for awhile it seemed that we would be compelled to give up; but the Federals were either too badly crippled or did not know our strength, or that we were comparatively out of ammunition. At length we retook the river passes, after lying at Hagerstown for a week. Mv corps crossed the river into Virginia at Williamsport, some of the teams being lost in the rapid current while crossing, jlso two men; being hard pressed, we did not have the time to try to save them. After crossing, we were formed on the Virginia heights, and opened an artillery duel across the river, so as to protect the rear. We lost several men by this unnecessary action. The Federals being too badly crippled to attempt to follow us on our own ground, as we were now at home, we could choose our own position, but we continued'! to retreat until we reached Culpeper Court House, where we went into camp for a few days, and finally crossed the Rapidan and took up our permanent camp. We were cast down, bnt not subdued—could still show a bold front, and had we been again led forth we would as willingly have tried it over again. Our confidence in our commander was unbounded; we believed that he could make no mistake, if the government at Richmond would let him pursue his own course, but that it would not do, and we were left to become careless by inactivity. Many of the men were discouraged, yet determined to stick a 9 long as there was hope. Thus ended a campaign, which opened at Chaucellorsville with so much promise, in disaster and failure. We were crippled and could never recover from the battle of Gettysburg. Never more were we to be able to act as a whole on the offensive.

A Woman Soldier. In conversation with Mr. Joseph N. Allen, of No. 88 Fifth street, Brooklyn, a veteran of the war of the rebellion, who was a member of Company I, Second Regiment Michigan Infantry, concerning the petition of Mrs. S. E. Seeley, of lowa, for a pension for disabilities resulting from service during the war, says the Grand Army Gazette, he related the following curious and interesting stoiy concerning the lady and her claim: “Among those enlisting in Compapy F of my regiment at the first call for troops in 1861 was a delicate-looking youth, answering to the name of Franklin Thompson, who was mustered into the United States service for three years- After serving two years, and doing all the duties of an enlisted man, going through the different battles of First Bull Run and in the advance on Richmond in 1862 under McClellan, it was discovered that Thompson was a woman .- When Thompson first applied to W. R. Morse, who was recruiting Company F for the Second Regiment to serve three months, under the first call for troops in 1861, he was rejected because he did not reach the requisite height. Later, however,* when the three months’ men returned and were asked to re- enlist for three years, many dropped out. We were then rendezvoused at Fort Wayne, Detroit, and volunteers were asked for. Among the first to respond was Frank, who was accepted. He was faithful and brave, and gained all hearts by his cheerful, obliging activity and good sense. He and I became comrades and warm friends. He stood guard, did police work and fatigue duty and (trilled with the rest of us, but was never an expert with the musket. He said his father was a New Brunswick farmer, a mixture of Scotch and Irish, and his mother an Englishwoman. In 1862, Colonel Poe, who commanded the regiment, detailed Frank as mail carrier,-in which position he remained until he loft the regiment. After leaving the regiment Thompson resumed feminine attire and entered Oberlin College-and studied for a time, and then married a Mr. Seeley, whp had known her from infancy, and is now a resident of lowa. This bill, now pending before Congress, is to grant her, in her married name, Mrs. S. ■ E. Seeley, formerly Franklin Thompson, private, of Company F, Second Michigan Infantry, a pension for disabilities, resulting from service during the years she was my comrade and friend in the army. I need hardly add that I was the most surprised of all to learn that she was a woman, for I never suspected it* Mrs. Seeley is also the authoress of the book ‘Nurse and Spy,’ which is an account of her adventures while a soldier.” We are glad to note that her application for pension has been granted. Grant on Bragg. It was known that Mr. Davis had visited Bragg on Missionary Ridge a short time before my reaching Chattanooga, suyS Gen. Grant in the Century. It was reported and believed that he had come out to reconcile a serious difference between Bragg and Longstreet, and, finding this difficult to do, planned the campaign against Knoxville, to be conducted by the latter geueral. 1 had known both Bragg and Longstreet before the war—the latter very well. We had been three years at West Point together, and, after my graduation, for a time in the same regiment. Then we served together in the Mexican War. I knew Bragg in Mexico, and met him occasionally subsequeutlv. I could well understand how there might be an irreconcilable difference between them. Bragg was a remarkably intelligent and well-informed man, professionally and otherwise. He was also thoroughly upright. But he was possessed of an irascible temper, and was naturally disputatious.

A man of the highest moral charnetersand the most “ correct habits, yet in ’ the old army .he was in frequent trouble. As a subordinate be was always on the lookout to catch his commanding officer infringing ujion his prerogatives, as a post cpmmander he was equally vigilant to detect the slightest infringement of the most trivial order. I have heard in the old army an anecdote told characteristic of Bragg. On one occasion, when stationed at a post of several companies commanded by a field officer, he was himself commanding one of the companies and nt the same time acting Post Quartermaster and Commissary. He was a First Lieutenant at the time, but his Captain was detached on other dntv. As commander of the company be made a requisition upon the Quartermaster —himself—for something he wanted. As Quartermaster he declined to fill the requisition and indorsed on the back of it his reason for so doing. As company commander he responded to this, urging that his requisition called for nothing but what he was entitled to, nnd that it was the duty of the Quartermaster to fill it. The Quartermaster still persisted that he was right. In this condition’of affairs Bragg referred the whole matter to the commanding officer. The latter, when ho saw the nature of the matter referred, exclaimed: “My God! Mr. Bragg, you have quarreled with every 1 officer iu the army, aud now you are quarreling with yourself.”

Just Missed Bull Run. I was mustered into tho Fourth Michigan Volunteers, John Randolph, of Mexican war fame, Captain. I served four years. We began army life at Washington, nnd soon crossed into the sacred State of Virginia. Our first move was a dash at Cloud's Mills, where we captured 1,500 barrels of flour. We were kept busy looking after the railroads and the rebels. In this way we were used until the day of the battle of Bull Ruu. Of this day, my diary thus reads: ——‘——— We arrived at Fairfax Station in good time, and soon had the deep cuts filled, so that on Sunday, July 21, 1801, three trains of cars from Alexandria, Va., arrived there with supplies for the boys at the front. At this time we were detailing men to load the cars, when an order came to Col. Woodbury to have the regiment fall into line and double-quick to Fairfax Court House, four miles north. When the bugle souuded to rally we fell into line and the order was read. The next order was, “By the right flank, right face, double quick, march! “We were not long reaching the Court House. On arriving there an order qame that we remain until General Patterson came up with his thirty thousand, to relieve the fighting men at the front, or Bull Run, but he never put in his appearance. In the afternoon we were ordered down the road to prevent the army stragglers from retreating. But you might as well try to stop a raging torrent as to stop them. The first we saw going to the rear were the red tape, or White House gentry, making for Washington at the rate of ten knots per hour, with their coat-tails flying to the breeze, and their horses at their best, and they plying the rattan at everv jump, and hallooing at the top of their voices. Next after the horsemen came the vehicles of every description, laden with beaten, demoralized humanity. Next came the stragglers; we aided many" of these. We saw from this point much of that mournful pageant, our defeated army hurrying back from the field of their defeat. We were next double-quicked to our old quarters near Washington, at the brick yard. Thus have I detailed a few of the events and scenes which we witnessed in the immediate vicinity of the first battle of Bull Run, as taken from my diary. , It shows that the soldier’s life is not all glory or glorious.— Chicago Ledger.

A Night in Libby Prison. It was November 5, 1863, and some of the prisoners had got into a row about some bread which they had got from the guard in exchange for a pair of shoes. A free fist tight resulted, iu which a goodly number took part. During the thickest of it in marched the officer of the guard aud a tile of soldiers. He ordered us into ranks, four deep. He then placed a guard over'us, giving him the following orders: “Shoot the first man offering to leave the ranks, sit down, or speak. AljpfW no. man to leave the ranks under whatever. Cock your gun, Bn'!” The guard obeyed. The officer and soldiers departed.' The guard -left with us then let the hammer of' his gun down, threw his gun over his shoulder, and paced up and down iu our front. Soon one of our men rested his hands upon his knees and bent forward. The guard suffered it. Others followed. No response from the guard. One sat down, and then another. The guard walked his beat with steady pace, and never a word. All sat down. Suddenly there was a quick step on the stair. Every man endeavored to be in line but in vain. He discovered that we had been allowed liberties, although hardly sure what. He. acid sternly to our guard. “Johnny, I did not expect this of you.” Johnny hung his head and uttered not a word. After a severe reprimand he forgave him. We did not sit down anymore while Johnny was on guard for fear of harm to him. The next guard was a good fellow and allowed us to sit a part of the time, he watching at the head of the stairs and giving us the signal so we could be up in time. The. next guard was rigidly strict, and we were kept standing his watch uutil six o’clock. Should like to hear from the first Johnny: ’ . E. J. Best. Connersville, Wis. Marching By a Sleeping Army. The Confederate army under Price had been on the march four days, and on October 3, previous to the attack on "Corinth, bivouacked by the roadside. A Union force marching for Corinth passed this sleeping army without recognition. It is probable that they were heard passing, but those resting supposed it was a portion of their own army. The orders to the Union soldiers were to make no noise—not to speak above a whisper, and to allow no clanking or rattling of arms. Great was the astonishment of the Johnnies in the morning to learn that the Union force vesterdayin their rear was now at Corinth, aud that they had actually allowed an enemy under arms to march within a few steps of and pass unmolested. An anecdote furnished us by an eye-wit*' ness serves to illustrate the real ignorance of their own immediate neighbors on bosh sides. A Union soldier thought to steal a blanket, and, slippingonTof“the ranks, approached the sleeping soldiers, supposing them “soldiers of the blue.” What was his surprise upon raising the blanket to see thatfhe sold'iefflbcneath it 'were ‘‘wearing the gray.” He spread down the blankot noiselessly and made his wav out of their camp and into onr ranks again. He then informed his comrades in a whisper that the camp they were marching by was what they would be fighting before night. This division of our army reached Corinth and wheeled into line just as the attack began upon that place. This achievement was probably not excelled daring the war for lucky conception and boldness of execu-

tion.

J. A. ROBERT.

Greencasfle, Missouri*