The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1864-02-25
to expose the whole flank of the col
umo IN dan0ar

uma to danger.
Now we pass other dead horses be-
longing to cavalry. men, which we're shot
in the road by the rotreating Rebel pick
cts. At length we reach fork where
is regiment drawn up, and Gen. Gro
yer sitting on horseback with his staff
"a light-haired man, with face sufii
Ccntly rOsolute, his beard cut in a peak,
and wearing a cavalier hat. We halt
only for a moment. The generals
pointing hand indicates the direction
we are to take: so down wo 60 through !
wooded road, driving before US the
enomy's pickets; our Aaukers in the
woods seeing them mount their horses
and gullop off aS we come within mus
ket-range. Presently we 60 by camps,
where they have cut on trees some def
ance or warning to Us: "Beware, Yam.
keel this is a hard road to travel"
By the side cf the columu rides an Of
Gcer of engineers, who stops every now
and then to note by path or promi-
nent knoll, or draw a rough plan of the
wood. The dust has hardly settled yet
along the road from their retreatng in.
fantry. We press on close behind, un,
til at length the column halts close
within the range ofthe Port Hudson
batteries.
We fell back that Saturday night two
or three milss, then camped in the
woods. Liter, a battery went forward
to a position near that to which VIC nd
vanced, and fired shells for a whilo to.
wards the Rebel intrenchments. Our
blankets and baggage were four miles
behind. We hung equipments and ha-A
ersacks on the gun-Stocks; and, wst
with sweat, lay down in our clothes,
without covering. Wilson and l lait
rails on the ground; then madeja slopinI
roof Of rails overhead, which was som
= protection against the damp.
The eyelids shut togsthcr like pal
of scissor blades, and cut the thread 0
consciousness; but in the midst of m
dreaming, crash after crash broke upo
my car, like the chorus of doomsday
We ell jumped to our posts; for W
thought tho hour Of battle had come
I looked at my watch BY the light Of
few embors It was half past eleven. -
At the time, we were in complete igno
rauco Of the events that were transpil
, ing. We know now that it was the fee
just passing the batteries, and all thi
was the uproar of the bombardment. -
Through the trees to the westwar
arose the fashes, iucessant, like tn
winking heat-lightniug Of hot summe
evening. Through the air rolled re
ports, now isolated, now twenty com
biuinL in grand crash, now a contin
uous roll Of them, "a laundering rub
dub, as if the giants were going to tor
heaven again, and were beating a rerei
te to summon every gnome and all tn
, genii and each slumbering Titan to fa
in for a charge. The centre of the re!
, iment, the color guard, rested in ii
road. The pickets, four or FIVE rods ot
r could see the falling of bombs, ii
streams of comet-like rockets, and tn
2 OUTLINES of the shore batteries lit up b
the cannon-hlShes. 1t went on, and "
sat listening with our hand close at OF
guns, Then, at last, the heavens reddcl
ed high and far with fercer and stea,
ier glare, that moved slowly southwar
crimsoning in turn the moss and oil
scars on the north, on the west al
south west, Of the tree trunks. Mea
timetcame up the boom of cannon, slo,
ly receding inthe same direction. So '
heard the swan-song of the stern o
"Mississippi, "-abaDdoned beaten wi
. shot, ragged through her whole frar
4 where shollshad torn aud burst. On tn
: night, a freight Of dead men were
- her deck, and the bodies ofdrOwned m
10 foated about her hoary hull for retinu
Then came a crash, "a light making
10 brightAuugbackfrom the FURNISHED GU
q stocks, from the pool by the roadsit
u' revealing the watching soldiers and t
G. slain steeds fallen headlong in the ro
II in the midst of tho camp. So pass
the veteran ship through fire and cart
quake-shock to an Immortality in h
ID tory.
oi The book is published in Boston,
d. Walker, Wise d Co., who will send
'IS free by mail on receipt of SIPS.