Rensselaer Republican, Volume 19, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 March 1887 — Reminiscences of The War. [ARTICLE]

Reminiscences of The War.

THE BATTLE OF STONE RIVER. (Continucil from last wet'K.i The next morning was Sunday. 1 ielt pretty well, dressed my wound, examined my gun and told the boys 1 was going to the regiment in front Lwalkod nearly two miles on the pike. (>n the left, la a cedar grove, 1 found my regiment near where we had lain the morning before, when the engagement commenced. W? had advanced near a half mile across a cotton Add to ’ L<river and in a grove near a cotton g’.n, between the railroad and pike, running i from Murfreesboro to Nashville, abotp. three miles northwest of Murfree.s’v ro. on the west bank cf Stone river. The Rebels hail their fortsand heavy .guns mostly in front and to our right nearer the center of the line of battle. This was Sabbath morning, and our old veteran .Gen- always let ids men rest on the Sabbath day, it possible. The army had fallen back in the night to rest over Sunday and the armies laid quiet, except an shot from a rebel cannon and the pickets. The spot where I left my knapsa.el: the day before, when I was sharp-shoot-ing, was about half a mile in our front, across an open cotton field. My cap tain gave me permission to try to get it, Our pickets were only out a little ways along the edge of the open field, and I was allowed to pass by our boys. But on getting near the grove where my knapsack was, I found the Rebel pickets too near to venture, and 1 turned my attention to examining k’c.n. sacks, many of which lay scattered i near me. 1 gc,t a good one and such clothing as 1 would need, and fell back along the railroad about half way between the picket lines A rebel sharp shooter in advance of their lines, about three hundred yards distant, kept firing at me. 1 got a cartridge box that had about three hundred cartridges in it and laid down and, tried my gun many times at the Rebel sharp shooter and many others who came in sight during the day. ‘A came riding up to a Rebel battery about a mile to my right and I supposed them to be a Rebel Gejneral and his escort. I raised the sights of my gun, took careful aim and sent them a ball. They scattered out, and the batterymen sent two shells over me into the cedars near my regiment but did no harm. In the evening a captain and squad of men entne from my rear and took posi ion as pickets. The Rebel sharp shooter fired at me, his ball passed me and Stipek the captain in the hand, which sent him to the rear. My wound was getting painful and I concluded to go back to my company, then was advised to return to the hospital, which I did. On the evening oi the '2nd of January and the fourth day ol the “"Battle, the' Rebels mhdtr a' desperate charge, with a heavy force of masked men, but were repulsed by our boys with heavy slaughter. And such cannonading as was done that evening is seldom heard. , * *