Daily Nashville union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1862, 1862-05-14

noy rHg uES woEgtD - rHB fnENcHEs.
70 may be puzzle TO many TO conceive
how our men can throw up Qualifications
right In the face and In the plain sight Of the
enemy without being seriously disturbed by
them. brief description may be interest
ing, inasm1ch as 10 cannot be cOntrabaud
because tle work is done right under the
noses Of the rebels
working party Is detailed for night duty;
VITA muskets slung on their backs and SHOW
ella and picks on their shoulders, they pro.
coed TO the selected GROUND. The white tape
marks The line Of excavation. Tho dark
lanterns aru kept faced 10 the rear - the
muskets are carefully laid aside the shovels
ere 10 hand, aud each man silently cOmmenc
es 20 dig; not % word Is spoken not one
spade clicks against another each man digs
hole large enough TO cover himself; he
then turns aud digs 10 bis right hand neigh
Dor; then the ditch deepens and wdens, and
ihe parapet rises. Yet all is silent the re-
lief comes. and the weary ones retire. the
words aud iasts Of the enemy are often plain
~ herd, while no noise from our men die
turhs the stiffness save the doll rat!c of the
earth as each spadeful is thrown TO the top {;
nc daylight long line OF earthwOrks. afford.
ing complete protection 10 our men, greets
the astonisbed eyes of the enemy, while the
sharpshooiers bullets greet their ears. Ere
quently this work ia done In opeu daylight,
he sharp shooters aud pickets keeping the
enemy from annoying our men.
ONE or SUMMERS FRIENDS GONE UNDER.
The best work of the morning Of The 29th
UT. was reducing TO a state of permanent 10
utility In this mundane world, negro rife,
man, who, through his skill az a marksman.
has done more injury TO our men than doz.
en- OF biz white cOmpeers in the attempted
labor OF reducing the complement OF our
sharpshooters. Our men have known him
Tor long time, have kept an eye on him.
have lain in wait for him. His habit has b en-
TO perch himself in big tree, and, keeping
himseli hid behind the body, annoy our men
BY firing upon them, He climbed the tree
THE morning in advance of the others com
ing out smugglcd hims Il In bis position, and
was anticipating his usual day Of quietudr
Our men might have killed him as be- came
out, but avoided shooting. 20 as,not to alarm
the other-, His tree was about twenty rods
from one Of our pilg. When our men fired
on the advancing rebel pickcis be, OF course.
saw the fix be was ig--thaI be was dec deily
upa tree.
cay, big niger, called out one ct our
men, "you better come down from there"
What for ~ responded the nggct
want you as ptisoner.'
Not as this chile knows Of" replied ,ho
concealed E.hiope.
Just rs You say replied our sharp shoot
ia about an hour toe deylley petrod his
head out, Our man was on the look ont for
him be had bis rife on the headline ready
pulled the trigger--whizz went the bullet,
and down came the negro. He was shot
through the head
BERDAN's suAgrsuo0rERs
These enterprisiug marksmen furnish the
romance OF Che siege, IL il may be 20 termed,
and many and marvellous are the stories told
Of the teats OF daring and skill they execute,
aud the Lairbrcadlh escapes they experience.
Their duties are certainly Of the most urdu
0us and hazardous character. They are gen.
orally stationed ia pairs in rife pits or in
some other protected position furnished by
she nature gt the GROUND, Generally within
from 1--WE 10 eight hundred yards OF the eOe-
my's pickeis aAd almost always ia front of
their inuenchea works, Tor there il is that
the accurate maTksm9n can be Of the most
service, every movement they make, every
shot they make, s st the hazard OF lie /;
for the enemy is by NO means without good
marksmen, some OF whom have "a eldll that
rivals " Old California joe aud would try
the skil of Col BuIdau himself One of
these was d slalwart negro, whose accurate
firing made him the dread as well az the ad
miraion or our own maTksmen. 10 used TO
be the boast OF the old English archers that
each maa carried the lives Of twelve men at |
hs belt, but this blackamOor carried an in |
Vulnerable number of lives in the bore of |
his musket. At any practicable range with |
the least sight on one Of our men, he seemed /
TO know no such thing as failing to hit !
Happily be Is no more. Two days ago. at |
ter watching aud waiting with the patience |
aud perseverance, with which none but the !
practical rifle picket eau exercise, he expos.
ed himself az q moment and was tumbled |
over with a bali through his head. The sad |
part of the story ia that the mau who bad |
shot him had scarcely withdrawn his riff, |
ezclaiming got the range that time !
when "A ball entered his brain, ADD stretched |
him lileltss. He was buried yesterday by his |
comrades. lie was a German by birth, but |
did not learn his name The Berdau ride |
men are The least soldigrlylUokiug men |
abeul here, bul there can be no question as |
10 their great service. They wear all suTis /
Of uniforms, aud use every description Of |
rife, each man having that kind wirh which !
be Is most proficient.