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Alf Fhiloote, J. H. Young.We have room to publish but one of the many letters of regret.Fair tie Id. Neb.Dec. ;i, 1*h«lJ. W. Mouros,Washington, la..Dkah Comkapk:—Your card containing notice and invitation to the dlth anniversary of the battle of Prairie(.1 rove, Ark., has just been received and contents noted. Am sorry j to say that cfrcuinstances over which I i have no control prevent my attendance. But I frant to teli you that one year ago lam August I had the pleasure of vising what to us is a very noted battwield. As 1 stood on the hill by thu^house and looked down over that valley and note where we crossed the Illinois river, it almost seemed to me that the Rebels must still be there south of the house.I took a stroll around through the orchard, saw the identical spot where we lirst ran against the Job Dies, which was in or beyond a low place in tlie thick young timber,and 1 want to tell you that 1 could almost feel ' my hat raise as i stood and thought of how they raised up six deep and opeued on us that murderous volley ' of musketry. If Torn Johnson is with ( you he can teii you something about it, as lie was with tlie regiment as | color guard and myself as one of the color bearers. Ask Capt. Dray if he remembers giving me the colors at Cassville the morning we broke camp ' there on oitr way to the battlefield. I imagined that I stood on t lie identical spot in that orchard where 1 received my wound, I saw the depression still there where the rebels buried their 1 dead; also where the rebel battery 1 was, just southwest of the house. . The house stands where it did at the ' time of tlie battle, but a much nicer one. 1 have a hickory cane which I ' cut just southwest of the house. I also found a tuinnie ball south of the * orchard; it is wedge shaped and I j think it must be the one Tom John- 1 j son shot as we lay behind that fence. ;I don't think I ever saw such a thin : rail fence in my life.As I went down the hill towards where we crossed the river, 1 saw some holes in the ground. They 1 all seemed to be about ten feet apart, so I concluded that it was my tracks * as 1 went down the day of the battle. 1 Of course I did that to make more J room on the bill for the Johnies. ,Well, comrades, you don’t know , how much 1 would like to be with you at your meeting and shake each one by tlie hand and listen to your J army talk of bygone days. And then when 1 think of good tilings to eat, and then to know that some of you laud lubbers will get my share, is too much for me to think of. *Sincerely trusting that you will have a most enjoyable time and that blessing may continue to all. ^I am Yours Truly,A. R. Randall.
Newspaper Details
Washington Gazette
Washington, Iowa, US
Fri, Dec 11, 1896
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 18 Jan 2024
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