Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 September 1900 — At Chickamauga 37 Years Ago. [ARTICLE]

At Chickamauga 37 Years Ago.

Our previous mention of the 38th anniversaries of the battles of Anteiltam and luka, has called attention to the fact that Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 19th and 20th. were the 37th anniversary of the ever memorable battle of Chickamauga. The 87th Indiana, which included one company, A from Jasper county was in that battle from start to finish, and-in the great stand on Horse-shoe Ridge or Snodgrass Hill, the regiment stood-off a whole bridge of Confederates, In killed and wounded, the regiment lost over 50 per cent of those who went into the battle. Company A was commanded in the first part of the battle by Capt. G. W. Payne in the last half by Capt. J. A. Burnham. Col, E. P. Hammond was then major of the regiment. Elijah W. Israel, orderly sergeant of this county, was killed. A tree top, cut off by a cannon ball, injured 8 men in the company, one of whom. James M. Jacks, brother of Hiram Jacks, of our city, afterwards died from its affects. Matthew P. Hopkins was also killed, and Henry J. Parker, a brother of F. M. Parker, died a month later from a wound received. Wilber P. Tatman received a flesh wound, and was taken prisoner and afterwards died in Saulsbury N. C. prison. John E. Randle was wounded, Uncle Charley Platt got his bad one in the arm, at that time, Tom Crockett got a "hot grounder” in the leg, and Franklin T. King got another of the same sort in a similar place. Lieut. W. H. Gwin was hit in the right shoulder and John Obenchain was also wounded. Our townsman, Hiram N. Jacks had a shell exploded so near him that the whole side of his head and face was literally “cooked” and the scars of that fearful burn he carries to this day. Henry H. Watson was so full of business that it took four guns to last him through the battle. One was shot to pieces in his hands and two others got so foul from the many times he fired them, that he could not use them.