How Gen. Polk got into an Indiana regiment.
Col. Freemantile, the English officer who has returned home from the Confederate service to write a volume on the war, relates the following story which he says was told him by General Polk himself:‘ "Well, sir, it was at the battle of Perryville late in the evening — in fact, it was almost dark — when Lindawn's battery came into action. Shortly after the arrival I observed a body of men, whom I thought to be Confederates, standing at an angle to this brigade, and firing obliquely at the newly arrived troops. I said, 'Dear me, this is very sad, and must be stopped,' so I turned round and could find none of my young men; so I determined to ride myself and settle the matter. Having cantered up to the Colonel of the regiment that was daring, I asked him in angry tones what he meant by shooting his own friends.
’ "He answered with surprise, 'I don't think there can be any mistake about it, am sure they are the enemy,' 'Enemy,' I said, 'why I have only just left them myself. Cease firing, sir. What is your name?' 'My name is Col. --, of the -- Indiana; I pray, sir, who are you?' Then I saw to my astonishment, that I was in the rear of a regiment of Yankees. Well, I saw there was no hope but to brazen it out; my dark blouse and the increasing obscurity befriended me; so I approached quite close to him, shock my first in his face, saying. 'I'll show you who I am, sir! Cease firing, sir, at once!' I then turned my horse and cantered slowly down the line, shouting in an authoritative manner to the Yankees to cease firing; at the same time I experienced a disagreeable sensation, like screwing up my back, and calculating how many bullets would be between my shoulders every minute. I was afraid to increase my pace till I got to a small copse, when I put the spurs in and galloped back to my men. I went up to the nearest Colonel and said: 'Colonel, I have reconnoitered those fellows pretty closely, and there is no mistake who they are; you may get up and go at them' And I assure you, sir, that the slaughter of the Indiana regiment was the greatest I have seen in this war."
