The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-02-21
Vermont strategy.

q Private Joel Swipes, Of hardworking, rough.
. sinewed regiment of Vermont: volunteers, ives
Q good shot and smart soldier. He found great
satisfaction in picket duty, and hardly .came in
q after days exercise in that branch Of military
service without having report for bis superior
officer of some new world discovered, some cir
cumstance perceived, that might be of use in
gaining an advantage over the enemy. 7toE
Joel was a long, lank, yeilow.haired fellow,
mot very soldierly in speech or bearing He was
L frikhtfuy sun-burned, and his face, coarse.fea-
-tured and demure, suggested good humor and
d power Of endurance, more than courage or disc
cipline. But there was twinkle about his
small grey eyes which enlivened them, despite
q sher scanty and chsracterless white lashes, AMI
impressed the closer sort of observer with
r wholesome respect for bis courage and intellis
sence His nasal voice and drawl, his round
shoulders and fat build, could not shake this re-
spect, if one kept those clear, cool, cfar.sesing
d eyes in sight, and Joel'sy comrades prophesied
in his own way, to gain pair Of epauletts some
fne day. gsb
he openly declared that manual labor on the
earthworks was distssteful to him; and his Off
GERS, knowing bis value on picket duty, evinced
enough consideration for him to keep him ct that
service. M rss
The position that he liked best was the slope
of hill, opposite similar slope occupied BY
sentinel of the Confederates. This last was
, quite high bit Of ground, whence one might
zee great deal that was going on about the
batteries further down. Joel believed that the
sentinel there stationed learned more than was
well for our side. He accordingly harassed and
annoyed every one that showed his head on the
hill side. They learned their leseon and acted
upon it.
4, Joel, sauntering down hs path one fine after
noon, beard sharp report, and felt the wind OF
rifle ball that came wonderfully near bis head
Turning quickly, he saw the smoke floating up
from little pile of fresh earth on the hill OPP
posite. The enemy had dug pit. wherein the
sentinel sits a: ease, and exposes bic head and
arms only when he fred Private Swipes has
tened with pra;seworthy prudence to get out OF
sight among the cedars, and watched for some
time before fixing the location OF his foeman
again. Finally discovering the fresh earth once
more, and imagining he saw hat above it, he
L sentinel, bareheaded and returned the Ere in
stantly. He bad been trying the old trick Of
putting his hat on ramrod. gaa ~
"Thatll never dew" solloquized Joel. 'That
cuss has got tev good birth over yonder. I'll
jest have ter rouse him out" 5ra s1ab !.
The other sen.inel's death was in some sort
- signed from that moment The crafty YER
monters brain was at work on the problem Of
D disodgng his antagonist; but it was presumable
that he could see the batteries in the process Of
construction, without exposing himself, for the
earth taken from the pit was piled upon the side
toward Joel. EElgE SCI 81 z,iaaas
From thicket at the foot of the bill, howev.
er, shot could be got lengthwise OF the trench,
and behind the trifling breastwork. TO gain the
thicket, then, without being too visible on the
barren slope was Joes task as5
The next day private swipes took with him .
long piece Of stout Irvine and revolver when he
went out on picket duty. It was not yet day
light, but the gray and indistinct light Of dawn
had begun to pale in the east.
The seminal, as soon - the guard passed
along, hastensd To drive 4 smooth stake In he