Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1855-08-01

The night was pitch dark, and as the storm
of shells whist!ed through the air, nothing
could be grande- than the fiery parabolas
of those terrible messengers, from battery
to redoubt, and from redoubt back again
to battery.
1 have neither time nor power to de.
scribe the magnificent but awful pyrotech,
mic scene. A badly aimed she'll from the
Malakoff passed high over the Mamelon,
and fell some sixty yards from where |
stood but though this was safe enough,
I deemed it best to shift my quarters and
so retired A loud three times three
rose upon the midnight air from the di-
rection of the Redan, aud as one can new
er be mistaken iu this peculiar product of
British lungs, l jumped to the pleasant
conclusion that the days stain had been
wiped away and that Redan was our own.
[ was, however mistaken aud the expla-
nation of the whole affair was this Du
ring the night, the French, endeavoring
| to take advantage of the 1Ltkuezs, had
crept out from the Mamelon to recover a
number of scaling ladders which they had
| been compelled to abandon during the at
tack The Russians perceived them and
guns of the Malakof, which was repeated
by she'll from the Mamelon. Almost
| simultaneously party of the enemy
emerged from the Redan in expectation
of what they deemed similar attack to
| that attempted by the French, and being
perceived by our men, a volley of musket-
ry was poured into them, and chase given
with the bayonet After short time the
Russians turned and fed, aud it was at
! this juncture that the hurrahs | mentioned
were sent after them. After this the can
nonade was kept up for some time by both
lines, in the manner | have remarked
Next morning there was hardly gun
fired on either side; and about twelve
o'clock we hoisted flag to request the
necessary truce for the burial Of our dead.
A delay of some minutes having occurred
before an answer was given-but during
which messengers were sent hurrying from
the redoubt towards where we supposed
the general of the Russian trenches to be
the wiseacre of an officer in command
on our side, guardsman of more height
| than apparent intelligence ordered the
flag to be pulled down.
Five minutes after several Russian of
fcers mounted the parape5 aud waved
their caps, as if inviting US to renew the
request; but Captain - refused, al
| leging that he must wait for further or
ders;" and this, though many of our poor
wounded fellows were lying within sight,
writhing in pain and thirst under broll-
| ing sun "Further orders we're waited
| for, and 10 truce was again asked TIL
o'clock, when it was at once granted, and
when our dead and wounded, the latter
in most painful state, were brought in.
| The Russians threw out an advanced
line of sentries, to keep CO pFgirg eyes
| from the Redan, and similar pracaUtion
| having been taken on our sde, the neutral
space was thus narrowed greatly. The
scenes of battle carnage nas been often
enough described, so l ned only say that
this was like the rest-hrrowing to look
on. Dead and dying by all over the
ground.
During this proceeding number of
| Russian officers mlngledamonSst our par
ty, and as several of thn spoke English
huently, good deal Tas said. Their
pumping inclination however, was so
marked as in most casesto defeat itself
though one of our oficerwas guilty of the
indiscretion of informing a very suave in
terrogator that their gnpe did sad inju-
ry to our men In possession OF the lately
taken Quarries-a reuark which pro
cured his instant order ttthe rear by Gen.
Airey.
| 1t was by one of thos polite foes that
the inquiry was made ofap Englishman
at nv side whether or Generals had
really been drunk or nc during the re-
cent assault" The russians having
helped US to gather in TIE dead, the whole
sad duty was soon perormed, and the
truce brought to an nd. Since then
} nothing of interest has ccurred, and the
firing has nearly been suspended alto
gether.
: 1t is is impossible to gire notice of
the manner in which tn earth is SCARED
by explosions, and by th passage of shot
The grass too, is scanned in all directions
: by grape shot, and furroved by large mis-
: sizes, as if plows, large and small, had
been constantly drawn over 1t. Some
4 times it is difficult to get over the Unequal
tiles in the ground which is naturally OF a
broken and uneven surface.
There is red jacket in the grass-a
private of the 34th is lying on his face as
if he was asleep; his rife, with the bar
rel curved quite around and bent nearly
in two by the grapeshot which afterwards
passed through the soldiers body, is un-
der him, and the right hand, which pro-
trudes from under his chest, still clutches
the stock. 1t was the first body [ saw,
and the nearest to our lines, but as we
advanced and passed the sentries, they
lay thick enough around and before him
| The ter-bearers were already busy
| Most of our dead lay close to the abattis
of the Redan. and many no doubt, had
been dragged to it at night for plunder 5
sake Colonel Yeas body was found near
the abattis on the right of the Redan
his boots and epaulettes were gone, but
otherwise his clothing vas untouched =
His head was greatly swollen, and bis