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The Mississippi
River being cleared to Vicksburg,
everything now centered in taking that stronghold. Sherman's force
was to reach the mouth of the Yazoo,
above the city, and await the arrival of Grant's force across the country,
but the latter was compelled to return to Memphis. After Sherman affected
a landing on the Yazoo
River,
it leaked out, some way, that he was to wait till General McClernard arrived,
who was the ranking officer, and would assume command. This angered Sherman's
officers and was displeasing to Sherman
as well. A council of war was held, and the decision arrived at, that
"we would be in Vicksburg
or in hell," before General McC. arrived. Many, I fear, reached the
latter place, but we did not get into Vicksburg. Before
leaving for Chickasaw Bayou, where the battle was to be fought, Captain
Schleich, of Co. F, took breakfast with my mess, and after eating said “boys,
I am going to be killed in this battle, and I want you to bury me in this
sand bank!" I attempted to change his trend of thought, but without
success. The night before leaving Memphis he was
quite unwell, and his tent did not protect him from rain. I had taken a room
with a comfortable bed, and asked him to lodge with me, which he did. In the
night he made a nervous spring, which aroused me, but I refrained from
suggesting that I was disturbed. He was fearful that he had disturbed me, and
recited the strange dream which he had, that so moved him. He said: "I
seemed standing facing a rebel about fifty yards away, and he shot me through
the heart," and when thus shot he made the spring which he feared
disturbed me. All the way from Memphis
to the Yazoo, he was
unlike himself, and spent much of his time in his stateroom. This dream had
so fastened itself on him that he could not shake it off. After the battle
had opened on the Bayou, I had charge of some wounded and the temporary
oversight of two bodies awaiting burial some distance from my regiment, when
I felt I must go to the regiment, and obeyed the impression. I was
overwhelmed with an inner sense of impending calamity. On reaching the boys
Captain Schleich was "falling in" my old company, to go on to the
picket line. The day as fearfully dark, and the woods were draped with
Spanish moss, giving the enemy every advantage over us. I was much moved, and
urged the Captain to take the utmost care. As they marched off I had to
follow them, and as they filed by me to the left, I spoke to the Captain
again, and also to the men, urging the utmost care, and then started for my
post of duty, 100 yards away, but before reaching it I was compelled by this
unspeakable heart concern to turn right about and go to the regiment. As I
reached it, I met three men bringing the dead body of my Captain in their
arms! He had done just as he dreamed. On reaching the picket line he stood
facing a rebel, who was hidden from him, and as he was stretching out his
hand to warn some of the boys of danger, he was shot through the heart! After
those grounds were taken a soldier showed me the place where the Captain
stood, and the tree which sheltered the rebel, and I stepped the distance and
made it just fifty yards! I have always hoped that this warning was given the
Captain to give him time to shelter his soul by the cross.
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