Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1863-07-15
The Picket's Rinse.

lsfactlon in picket duty, and hardly
came In IRON a days exercise in that
branch OF military without having a
report to make to his superior officer
OF some new work discovered. some
conversation overheard, some little
chance circumstance perceived that
might be OF use in gaining an advan-
tage over the enemy.
Joel was a long, lank, yellow haired
fellow, not very soldierlv in speech or
bearing, but of infinitely nore service
than many a one of u snug dapper,
well-looking city soldiers. He was
trlghttully sunburnt, and his face.
coarse featured and demure, suggested
good humor and power of endurance
mere than courage or discipline. But
there was a twinkle about his small
gray eye, which e~nlivened them, des-
pIte their scanty and characterless
white lashes, and impressed the close
observer'with a wholesome respect for
his courage and intelligence. His mas
al voice and drawl, bis round shout.
ders and fiat build could not shake this
respect so long as one kept those clear
1ar-seelnS eyes in sight, and JOel's
comrades prophesied that he had only
TO behave himself, and keep on in
ms own way, to gain a pair of epau-
let's n fine day.
lie openly declared that manual la
DOT on the earthwOrks was diStaste-
1ul to him, and his officers, knowing
MS value at picket duty, evinccd
III nncfAapaf,o, g., L. A. L.,
him at hat service.
The position he liked best was on
the slope of a hill, opposite a similar
slope occupied by a sentinel of the
C~onfederates. This last was quite d
nigh piece of ground whence one
might see a great deal that was going
on about the batteries further down.
Joel believed that the sentinel station
cd there learned more than was well
for u side. He accordingly harrass-
cd and annoyed every one that show
ed his head on the hillside opposite,
and LETT several adventurous fellows
stretched on the turf, one after anoth-
er, as a reward for their temerity.
1t was nearly a quarter of a mile
on, but as L have said, the long Yer
monter was a good shot, and it became
really dan gerous for the enemy's pick
cts to show themselves at all, near the
forbidden hillside. They soon learn
ed their lesson, and very soon acted
upon It. Joel sauntering down this
path one fine afternoon heard a sharp
report, and felt the wind of a rife 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 ene-
my had dug a pit wherein the picket
could set at ease aud expose his head
n arms only when he fired. Private
Shapes FASTENED with praiseworthy
prudence to get out of sight, among
some cedars, and watched for some
time before fixing the location of the
toeman again. Finally discovering
n fresh earth again, and imagining
thai he saw a hat just above it, he
took shot in the direction. Up peg
ged a tall sentinel, bareheaded, and re-
turned the fire instantly. He had on
~ been trying the old trick Of putting
his hat on a ramrod.
"Thisll never dew" soliliquized
Joel. "That cuss has got tew good a
berth over yonder. III Just have to
rouse him out" The other seDtinel's
death-warrant was in some sort sign
ed from that m The crafty
fermonter's brain was at work on the
problem ofdisloging this man thence
forth.
SO long as Joel kept quiet so did his
antagonist, but it was presGmable that
he could see the batteries in process
Of construction, without exposing him
self. for the earth taken from The pit
was carefully piled upon the side to-
ward joel.
From a thiCket at the foot of the
" hills, however, a shot could be got
l~engthways, ofthe trench, and behind
this trItiing breastwOrk. To gain the
thicket, then, without being too visi
BILE on the barren slope, was Joel's
idea.
The next day Private Shapes took
with him a long piece of stout Irvine
and a revolver, when he went out on
picket duty. 1t was not yet daylight
bat the gray and indistinct light of
dawn had begun to pale in the east.
The sentinel, as 500 as the guard
passed along, FASTENED to drive u
smooth stake in the ground, and rest
his musket over a fork in a cedar tree
in front of the stake, the muzzIe OF
the weapon pointing in the direction s
OF the pit on the further slope. {
He then cooked the piece, and fas- :
tened one end of the cord to the trig- !
ger beginning steaIthily to crawl down
the hill on his hands and knees, pay
ing out the line as he went.
1t was 4 hazardous experiment, for
the thicket, when be gained it was
very sparse, and so near the point that {
the confederate sentry, had he sus- e
pected Joel's presence there could
hardly have failed TO hit him.
Lying down, however, the Vermont 4
er awaited sunrise, and as the shad- $
ows faded away in the mists of morn q
ing, he saw the light CLEAN upon a J;
bayonet peering from the trench of t,
the hillsides. ::
"Now for TO make him show his d
picturll" said Joel. Il
He pulled the string carefully at t;
first, until it was drawn tight, and b
then a very slight extra jerk fired
the musket from the large cedars =
above.
He had not calculated wrongly. As \
soon as the rifeman in the pit heard
this martial saiution from the enemy +
opposite as he supposed, he rails "a
ed himself up TO return the fire, and Il
brought his head and shoulders plain Sc
ly into sight. a
The next moment he went heels vi
over head into the trench again, with p'