The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1863-03-04
Dte RaiGn duurmal
Vermont Stratewr.


ing, -rough-sinewed regiment of Vermont
volunteers was a good shot and smart
soldier. He found great satisfaction in
picket duty, and hardly ever came in after
aday's exercise in that branch Of military
service without having a report for his
superior officer of some new world dis
covered, some circumstance perceived
that might be of use in gaining an ad-
vantage over the enemy
He openly declared that manual labor
on the earthworks was distastetul to him;
and his officers knowing his value on
picket duty, evinced consideration for
him BY keeping him at that service.
The position that he liked best was
the slope of hill, opposite similar
slope occupied by sentinel of the Con-
federates. This last was quite high bit
of ground, whence one mi ght see great
deal that was going on about the bate
ries further down. Joel believed that
the sentinel there stationed learned more
than was well for our side, He accord
ingly harassed and annoyed every one
that showed his head on the hill side.
They learned their lesson and acted
upon it. a 8es t ttt-
Joel, sauntering down bis path one
fine afternoon, heard sharp report, and
felt the wind of rifle ball that came
wonderfully near his head. Turning
quickly, he saw the smoke floating up
from a little pile of fresh earth on the
hill opposite. The enemy had dug pit
wherein the sentinel sits at ease, and ex-
poses his head aid arms only when he
fired. Private Swi pes fastened with
praiseworthy prudence toget out of sight
among the ccdars, and watched for some
time before fixing the location of his foe
man again. Finally discovering the
fresh earth once more, and imagining he
saw hat above it, he took a shot in the
direction. Up pegged a tall sentinel.
bareheaded, and returned the fire in
stantly. He had been trying the old
trick of putting his hat on ramrod.
"Thatll never dew" soliloquized JOEL
"That cuss has got few good berth
over yonder. I'll jest have ter rouse him
out"
The other sentiners deathswas in some
sort signed from that moment The
crafty Vermonters brain was at work on
the problem of dislodqing his antago-
mist; 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
From thicket at the foot of the hill,
however, a shot could be got lengthwise
of the trench, and behind the trihing
breastwork To gain the thicket, then,
without being too visible on the barren
slope, was. Joefs task.
The next day private Swipes took with
him long piece of stout Irvine and re-
volver when he went out on picket duty
1t was not vet daylight, but the gray and
indistinct light of dawn had begun to
pale in the east
The sentinel, as soon as the guard
passed along, FASTENED to drive smooth
stake in the ground, and to rest his mus
ket over fork in a cedar tree in front of
the stake, the muzzle of the weapon
pointing in the direction of the pit on the
other slope.
He then cooked the piece, fastened one
end Of his cord TO the trigger, and began
stealthily crawling down the hill on his
hands and knees, paying out the line as
he went.
1t was hazardous experiment, for the
thicket when he gained it was very
sparse and so near to the point that the
Confederate sentry had he suspected
Joefs presence there; could hardly have
failed to hit him.
Lying down, however, the Vcrmonter
then awaited sunrise. and as the shadows
faded away in the midst of morning, he
saw the light CLEAN upon bayonet
peering from the trench on the hill side
Nov, for to make him show his pic
TURF said Joel to himself
He pulled the string carefully at first
till it was drawn tight, and then a
slight extra tug fired the musket
from the cedars above. He had not
calculated wrongly As soon as the rife.
man in the pit heard this national salu-
tation from the enemy opposite as be
supposed, he raised himself up to return
the fire, and brought his head and shout
ders plainly in sight.
The next moment he went heels over
head into the trench again, with bullet
from the unerring Colt straight through
the side of his head
"The darned fool!'' said private
Swipes, "didn't he know fellow might
shoot off gun without having hold of it?'
The Confederate pickets decided there
after that this position was too exposed
to be pro6tably occupied.
uHrTToa nv little mapr' eaid q oen-