The conversation and demeanor of the
officer attracted the attention of the crowd,
and several looked at the name, among

others, Lieutenant , who, on glancing

at the register, was observed to change
color, and with a nervous motion to huny
from the room. A murmur of surprise
and amazement soon swelled into a cry of
"Morgan! Morgan!" but the stranger
was not to be seen. Scarcely twenty min-
utes elapsed when a company of infiuit-
ry, fresh from the office of the Provost
Marshal, rushed into the room with bay-
onets fixed and determined countenances.
" Where is he ?" inquired the command-
ing officer. "He passed out the back
way," replied a wag, " and is now at the
Sewanee House." "Right about fece,"
and away they went at double quick — ^the
last report representing them as still going.
The origuiator of the cock-and-bull ruse
was Captain Morgan, of one of the brave
Ohio regiments of cavalry, a worthy officer
and an inveterate wag.



Behind the Trees: Maine and Oeorgia.

At the siege of Yorktown, and during
the first day's skirmish on the Federals'
right, two soldiers, one frx)m Maine, and
the other from Georgia, posted themselves
each behind a tree, and indulged in sundry
shots, without effect on either, at the same
time keeping up a lively chat. Finally,
that getting a little tedious, Georgia called
out to Maine, " Give me a show," meaning
step out and give an opportunity to hit.
Maine, in response, poked out his head a
few inches, and Georgia cracked away and
missed. " Too high," said Maine, — ^ now
give me a show." Georgia poked out bis
head and Maine blazed away. "Too low,**



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245



cried Georgia. In this way the two alter-
nated sevei^ times, without hitting. Fi-
nally, Maine sent a hall so as to graze the
tree within an inch or two of the ear of
Georgia. "Cease firing," shouted Geor-
gia. "Cease it is," responded Maine.
" Look here," says one, " we have carried
on this business long enough for one day ;
'spose we adjourn for rations ? " " Agreed,"
said the other. And so the two marched
away in different directions, one whistling
' Taiikee Doodle,' the other ' Dixie.*



Family Oaaxrel Settled on the Battlefield.
In the Confederate charge upon McCook*s
right, at the battle of Stone River, the Con-
federate Third Kentucky was advancing
full upon one of the loyal Kentucky regi-
ments. These two regiments were brought
from the same county, and consequently
were old neighbors, now about to meet for
* the first time as enemies. As soon as they
came near enough for recognition they
mutually ceased firing, and began abusing,
and cursing, and swearing at each other ;
using the utmost license of denunciatory
and outlandish names ; and all this time
the battle was roaring around them, with-
out much attention from either side. It
was hard to tell which regiment would
come off victor in the wordy battle, for
both sides were terrible in the use of pro-
fane nouns, adjectives, verbs, etc. But
this could not always last ; by mutual con-
sent they finally ceased curbing, and grasp-
ing their muskets, charged into each other
with the most unearthly yell ever heard,
even on a field of battle. Muskets were
dubbed, bayonet met bayonet, and in many
instances, when old personal or local feuds
made the belligerents rank-crazy with pas-
sion, the musket was thrown away, and at
it they went with nature's weapons, pum-
melling, pulling, gouging, and clinching, in
rough ani tumble style, and in a manner
that any looker-on would consider a free
fight indeed. The secessionists were get-
ting rather the better of the fight, when
the Twenty-third Kentucky succeeded in



giving a fianking fire, when they retreated
with quite a number of prisoners in their
possession. The Confederates had got
fairly under weigh, when the Ninth Oliio
came up on the double-quick, and charging
on their now disordered ranks, succeeded
in capturing all their prisoners, besides
taking in return a great many of the Con-



Humphrey Marshall.

federates. As the recent belligerents were
conducted to the rear they appeared to
have forgotten their late animosity, and
were soon on the best terms imaginable,
laughing, and chatting, and joking, and, as
the Confederates were well supplied with
whiskey, the canteens were readily handed
about from one to the other, until they aU
became as jolly as possible imder the cir-
cumstances.



Two noble Women savlnsr a Befrlment.

When traveling on the cars from Bethel
to Jackson, Tennessee, the Twenty-seventh
Iowa regiment was saved from a fearful
loss of life by the heroism of a couple of
Union women. The train was running in
the night at a high rate of speed, and just
before reaching a railroad bridge the engi-
neer saw a couple of lanterns being vigor-
ously waved in the distance, directly on the
track. He stopped the locomotive, and
men were sent ahead to ascertain the cause
of the alarm. They found that the lan-
terns were held by two women, who ex-



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THE BOOK OF ANECDOTES OF THE REBELLION.



plained to them that a party of guerrillas
in that vicinity had been informed of the
coming of the regiment, and that about
eight o*clock that evening the villains had
set the bridge on fire, and allowed the mam
timbers to bum so much that they could
not bear the weight of the train, and then
put out the flames and went away, hoping,
of course, that the cars would run on the
bridge, that it would break down with the
weight, and thus kill and injure many of
the soldiers, and prevent the regiment from
going through. The noble women had
learned of these intentions, and had walked
ten miles through the darkness and mud to
save the Union soldiers.



Thirteen Battles and Three Flaffs.

At the battle and capture of Port Gib-
son, Sergeant Charles Bruner, a Pennsyl-
vanian, of Northampton County, with a
squad of fifty men of the Twenty-third
regiment Wisconsin volunteers, was the
first to enter said fort. The flag-sergeant
being wounded, Sergeant Bruner seized
the colors, and, amid cheers and a rain of
bullets, planted the Stars and Stripes upon
the ramparts.

Again, at Champion Hill, the Twenty-
third was about breaking, when Sergeant
Bruner took the colors in his hand, and
cried, "Boys, follow! don't flinch from
your duty ! " and on they went, following
their brave color-bearer ; and the intrench-
ment was taken.

Again, at the battle of Big Black, Com-
pany B, of the Twenty-third Wisconsin,
got orders from General Grant to plant a
cannon and try to silence a battery, which
was bravely done, when the cannon was
dismantled, Captain and First Lieutenant
were gone and wounded. Sergeant Bru-
ner again cheered on his men, and, in a
hand-to-hand fight, the enemy were routed.
The Sergeant was made prisoner twice,
bat hid ci^tors were soon put hor$ du com-
bat hj las brave followers, who would die
for the brave Sergeant — afterwards Cap-



tain. The Confederates were driven back
with lost colors.

Singular to say, Sergeant Bruner, who,
up to June, 1863, had led on his men in
more than thirteen battles, and always in
front, had the good fortune to escape being
wounded. He captured, with his own
hands, three Confederate fiags, which he
handed over to General Grant



Well Done for a Touth.
The gallant conduct of Henry Shaler,
of Indianapolis, Indiana, at the battle of
GrettyBburgh, was worthy of all praise and
remembrance. He seems to have more
than equaled the self-told mythical per-
formance of the Irishman who " surroimd-
ed " a half-dizen of the enemy and bagged
them plump. Henry's parents reside in
Indianapolis, and are Germans. Harry
IB a brick ; he did more, that is, he took
more prisoners in the battle of Gettys-
burgh, than any other man in the army.



Qen. Mewled Headqaarten.

He took in all twenty-fire men, — one
Lieutenant and eighteen men at one time ;
he took them by strategy that w^ strat-
egy — he surrounded them, and they had
to give up. On the morning of the fourth
he went out with his poncho over his
shoulders, so that the rebs couldn't see his
coat, and thus they thought he was one of
their own men. He went up and told
them to lay down their arms and come



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247



and help cany some wounded off the
field; they did so. When he got them
away from their arms he rode up to the
Lieutenant, and told him to give up his
sword ; the Lieutenant refused at first, but



Well DoDe for & Youth.

Harry drew his pepper-box, and like
Crockett's coon, the Lieutenant came down
without a shot Harry then took them
all- into camp. He took a Captain and
five men at another time, making twenty-
five in all. Pretty well for a little Dutch-
man, like Harry— one of Meade's noblest
fighters.

Ballyinfir Aguin. for fhe Battle.
At the battle of Chickamauga, the
diivalrous courage of General Reynolds
enabled him not only to keep his own di-
vision in effective order, but to give effect-
ive assistance to the forces around him.
A tremendous onslaught of the enemy
broke General Palmer's lines, and scat-
tered several of his regiments in wild dis-
may toward the rear. Amongst these
was the Sixth Ohio, which, in charge of
the fine-spirited Anderson, had, up to that
moment, nobly maintained its ground.
General Reynolds perceiving the danger,
quick as lightning threw himself amongst
the brave but broken Guthries.



" Boys ! " he shouted, " are you the sol-
diers of the Sixth Ohio, who fought with
me at Cheat Mountain? You never
turned your backs upon traitors in Vir-
ginia. Will you do it here ? "

" No ! no ! " they screamed almost fi»n-
tically ; ^' Lead us back ! lead us back ! I "

From every quarter came rushing back
the scattered fragments of the regiment ;
with magic swiftness they re-formed the
ranks; with General Reynolds at their
head, they charged the jubilant enemy,
and, after a moment's struggle, every Con-
federate in front of them, not killed or
wounded, was in confused retreat.

The example of the Sixth Ohio was
communicated to the flying fragments of
other regiments, and it is a memorable
fact in the history of this battle, that these
rallied stragglers, principally from one di-
vision, re-formed ranks almost of their
own accord, and drove back the forces of
the enemy which at that point had been
victoriously pressing on.



Xilpatiiok's 3attIe-Flafir at Hasrerstown.

On Monday, the thirteenth of July,
1863, General Kilpatrick was anxious to
make an advance, but could not obtain or-
ders. Some of the Pennsylvania militia
were placed at his disposal, and he thought
he would try one regiment under fire.
The Philadelphia Blues were selected,
and, accompanied by the First Vermont
cavalry, a demonstration was made on the
right — the Confederates then occupying a
' fortified position. The militia were now
deployed, the General desiring them to
move to the crest of a knoll, where the
bullets were flying pretty lively. There
was some hesitancy at first, whereupon
the bAttle-flag presented to the division by
the ladies of Boonsboro was sent to the
fix>nt. Sergeant Judy, bearer of the flag,
cried out —

" ITns IS Gfeneral Kilpairic^s, haUle-flag ;
foUowxtr

The militia obeyed the summons prompt-
ly, and fell some distance in front of the



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THE BOOK OF ANECDOTES OF THE REBELLION.



line, and it was supposed for some time
that the enemy had captured the flag ; but
at night, when Judy was brought in on a
litter, he proudly waved the battle-flag.

The novelty of being thus under fire
for the first time was keenly felt by the
militia. About the first man touched had
the top of his head grazed just close
enough to draw blood. He halted — threw
down his musket — truly an astonished



Uij. OcQ JudsoD Kilpatrlck.

man ! One or two officers and a dozen or
more privates ran up hurriedly to see what
the matter was. Running both hands
over his pate, and seeing blood, he ex-
claimed, "A ball! A ball!"— while the
others stood on agape with astonishment,
until the shrill voice of the General sound-
ed in their ears : " Move on there I "



<<ru Do It, tell General Grant.''
One of the Fort Donelson correspond-
ents, writing from Cairo, gives a most
graphic description of the attack by Gen-
eral C. F. Smith's division upon the ene-
my's works in that splendid fight. Cap-
tain Hillyer, General Grant's Aide de
Camp, rode down to General Smith, with
the order to charge at the point of the bayo-
net It had been long and impatiently ex-
pected. " 111 do it, tell General Grant,
I'll do it," was the reply ; and then, facing
his men, he shouted : ^ Soldiers, we are
ordered to take those works by assault ;



are you ready ? " "Ay, ay. Sir. Beady !
Hurrah!" burst from the ranks. Then,
placing himself at their head, he thun-
dered — " Charge bof/onetsf forward/
double-quick I March!" The douUe-
quick soon became a run, but, never fal-
tering, the solid column charged through
a storm of shells, solid shot and bullets,
over the parapet into the fort, like a thun-
der-bolt, upon the panic-struck foe.



Koihinff Lost by True Ck>iixace.

An illustration of the spirit of the brave
men who fought the battles of good
government against treason will be found
in the following, — ^though this is but one
of a thousand similar noble and heroic
instances.

A New Hampshire regiment had been
engaged in several successive battles, veiy
bloody and very desperate, and in each
engagement had been distinguishing them-
selves more and more ; but their successes
had been very dearly bought, both in men
and oflicers. Just before the taps, the
word came that the fort they had been
investing was to be stormed by daybreak
the next morning, and they were invited
to lead the ' forlorn hope.' For a time
the brain of the Colonel fairly reeled with
anxiety. The post of honor was the post
of danger, but in view of all circum-
stances, would it be right, by the accept-
ance of such a proposition, to involve his
already decimated regiment in utter anni-
hilation? He called his .long and well-
tried chaplain into council with him, and,
asking what was best to be done, the chap-
lain advised him to let the men decide it
for themselves.

At the Colonel's request, he stated to
the regiment all the circumstances. Not
one in twenty probably would be left alive
after the first charge. Scarcely one of tlic
entire number would escape death, except
as they were wounded or taken prisoners.
No one would be compelled to go, if he
did not go with all his heart. ^ Think it



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249



over, men, calmly and deliberately, and
come back at twelve o'clock and let us
know your answer." True to the appoint-
ed time, they aU returned.

"All ? ** was the interrogatory.

** Yes, Sir, all, without exception, and
all of them ready for service or for sacri-
fice."

** Now," said the chaplain, *< go to your
tents and write your letters — settle all your
worldly business, and whatever sins you
have upon your consciences unconfessed
aod unforgiven, ask God to forgive them.
As usual, I will go with you, and the Lord
do with us as seemeth Him good.'*

The hour came, the assault was made,
onward those noble spirits rushed into
" the imminent deadly breach," right into
the jaws of death. But, like Daniel, when
lie was thrown into the lions' den, it
pleased God that the lions* mouths should
be shut. Scarcely one hour before, the
enemy had secretly evacuated the fort, and
the * forlorn hope ' entered into full pos-
session, without the loss of a single man !



Fiff htinflr, Dyiiiff , and Btixiad " with his Kiff^



Few military names among the fallen
brave in the war against rebellion will
maintain a more endearing freshness and
hallowed association, than that of Colonel
Robert G. Shaw. Of the most aristo-
cratic family connections, wealthy, accom-
plbbed, he must have possessed the truest
moral courage to have enabled him to
march out of New York city, at the head
of the Massachusetts Fifly-fourth regi-
ment, all black or colored men, amidst the
jeers and scoffings of the ** roughs," and
the contemptuous pity of many far re-
moved fit>m that class. Yet this did Col-
onel Shaw, one dawning spring day, with
a brave, trustful heart, leaving mother and
the beauteous young being wliom he had
just wedded, to go forth with those poor,
despised men, the first regiment of " nig-
gers" called into the field, and to share
their hardships, and teach them the same
16



knowledge that he himself possessed of
things present and of events and duties
to come.

Two months afterwards he was with
them before Fort Wagner, sitting on thei
ground and talking to his men, very famil-
iarly and kindly. He told them how the
eyes of thousands would look on the night's
work on which they were about to enter ;
and he said, " Now, boys, I want you to
be men ! " He would walk along the line,
and speak words of cheer to his men. It
could be seen, too, that he was a man who
had counted the cost of the undertaking
before him, for his words were spoken
so ominously, — the Confederates having
openly threatened to make an especial
aim of any white officer leading colored
troops, — his lips were compressed, and
now and then there was visible a slight
twitching of the comers of the mouth,
like one bent on accomplishing or dyit)g.
One poor fellow, struck, no doubt, by the
Colonel's determined bearing, exclaimed
as he was passing him, ^* Colonel, I will
stay with you till I die ; " and he kept his
word — he was never seen again after the
charge.

The Fifty-fourth colored Massachusetts
regiment held the right of the stormmg
column that attacked Fort Wagner. It
went into action six hundred and fifty
strong, and came out with a loss of a third
of the men, and a still larger proportion
of officers, but eight out of twenty-three
coming out uninjured. The regiment was
marched up in colunm by wings, the first
being under the command of Colonel
Shaw. When about one thousand yards
from the fort, the enemy opened upon
them with shot, shell, and canister. They
pressed through this storm, and cheered
and shouted as they advanced. When
within a hundred yards of the fort, the
musketry from it opened with such ter-
rible effect that the first battalion hesi-
tated—only for an instant Colonel Shaw
sprang forward, and, waving his sword*
cried —



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"Forward! my brave boys!"

With another cheer and shout, they
rushed through the ditch, gained tlie par-
apet on the right, and 'were soon hand to
hand with the foe. Tlie brave Shaw was
one of the first to scale the walls. There
he stood erect to urge forward his men,
and, wh'le shouting to them to press for-
ward, he was shot dead, and fell into the
fort. His body was found with twenty
of his men lying dead aro ind him, two
lyin;^ on his own body. In the morning
they were all buried together in the same
pit. When the Federals asked for the
gallant officer's body the next day aficr
the fight, tliey said —

" CJolonel Shaw ! we buried him below
his niprgers ! "

Thus died Robert G. Shaw — the rich,
prosperous, accomplished member of one
of the choicest circles of refined and ele-
gant society in America, and who might
have lived at his ease in the beautiful
companionship and surroundings of his
home on Staten Island. He who might
have fought gallantly in splendid uu'form
on a noble charger among his fellows in
riches and station, died fighting side by
side with a race who, for generations, have
been unstintedly despised and ** cast out "
— spending the last months of his life in
friendly contact with them — and finally
buried beneath "his niggers" with con-
tempt and msult. There is no thread or
filament of fiction interwoven with this
sketch. It is reality unadorned with
fency.



Good Samaritan in an XTnezpected Hour and
Place.

Soon afler the battle of Bull Run, a
gentleman who happened in at the quar-
ters of the Michigan Fourth regiment,
one morning, came in contact with a very
intelligent CJorporal, who became sepa-
rated from his regiment during the retreat,
and was obliged to seek shelter among the
bushea When night came, he wandered
along and lost his way in the woods. Be-



ing slightly wounded in the leg, hiB pro-
gress was somewhat slow, so that by Wed-
nesday night he had only reached the en-
virons of Fairfiix. Exhausted and com-
pletely dispirited, he espied a Ckmfederate
picket, and deliberately walked up and



Good Saniaritan.

told the sentry who he was. To his
gratclul surprise the southern soldier pour-
ed out some whisky, gave him food, told
him where he could find a stack of arms,
and where he could sleep in perfect seou*
rity in a negro hut. He added : '^ I am a
Union man, but preferred to volunteer t<i
fight rather than to be impressed. I thus
save my property, and will tnist to luck.
If we meet ^gain in battle, I will not try
very hard to shoot you, and mind you don't
me.** Truly a good Samaritan and a wise
man.



fllmlklng and Fourth-of-July Speec h es at
Pittsborff Landing.

On the blufis above the river there was
— at the battle of Pittsburg Landing — a
sight that made many a brave man*8 cheek
tingle. There were not less than five
thousand skulkers lining the banks !
If asked why they didn't go to their places
in the line, their reply was : " Oh ! our
regiment is all cut to pieces." If asked,
** Why don't you go to where it la forming
again ? " "I can't find it," was the sknik-



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er^s answer, — and he looked as .if tliat
would be the very last thing he would
want to do. Officers were around among
them, trying to hunt up their men, storm-
ing, coaxmg, commanding — cursing. One
strange fellow — ^understood to be a' Major,
undertook to make a sort of elevated,
superfine Fourth of July speech to every-
body that would listen to him. He meant
well, certainly — as for example: "Men
of Kentucky, of Illinois, of Ohio, of Iowa,
of Indiana, I implore you, I beg of you,
come up now. Help us through two hours
more. By all that you hold dear, by the
homes you hope to defend, by the flag you
love, by the States you honor, by all your
love of country, by all your hatred of
treason, I conjure you, come up and do
your duty now ! ** — ^and so on for quality.
*'That feller's a good speaker," was the
only re^sponse heard, and the soldier who
gave it nestled more snugly behind his
tree as he uttered it. Enough is known
of the nature of the skulking animal in an
army during a battle ; their performances
show but little variation of programme,
but rarely have they been known to " come
ofi*" on so large and heart-sickening a
scale, as on this occasion. Still, it was a
big army, and perhaps the skulking did
not much exceed the average percentage.
The runaways all sought the Landing.



Ssoape of General Tyler and Stait
The scene at the military head-quarters
m Baltimore, July 13th, 1864, on the ar-
rival of Brigadier- General Tyler, com-
manding the first separate brigade of the
Eighth Army Corps, and who was re-
polled to have been either killed or cap-
tured in the action at Monocacy Junc-
tion on the Saturday previous, was most
exhilarating. Accompanying him were
Captain Webb and Lieutenant Goldsbor-
ough, of his staff.

It appeared that on Saturday, after the
Federal troops had retired from the Mon-
ocacy Bridge, Greneral Tyler and his staff
made a stand on the hill on the east side



of the bridge, but were not there long be-
fore they discovered themselves, to be sur-
rounded by the rebels. The General and
his party succeeded in making their es-
cape on the north side, closely pursued by
the enemy, who fired upon them repeat-
edly, killing one of the General's orderlies,
a German. To this fistct, the General 9tr
tributed his escape, as, when the soldier
fell from his saddle into the road, the pur-
suers stopped to see who it was, and to
inquire if General Tyler was not of the
party. During this time, the General
reached a clump of woods, and the three
officers secreted themselves fix)m their pur-
suers. A negro, who was endeavoring to
make his eseape from the rebel lines,
pomted out the way to the house of a well
known and patriotic citizen of Frederick