The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-07-14

611a0s ou000Wy arg iron mt1ouo q
death strikes close beside him, and ex.
plodes, sending out twenty or more jagged
fragments, which remorselessly MAIN or
Hill Eve Of six Of his mates before they
have had the opportunity to strike one
blow for their country. His face IL now
very pale; and win not the American SOL
der finch and turn back2 There is q
stack Of hay; it is 90 easy to hide. But
no. He viii not be coward. "Oh God,
support and strengthen me-" lis all bis
prayer. Soon he is at work. Yonder is
the foe. '.Load and FIRE )" ''load and FIRE. +"
But the CRY comes, ssOur flank is turned, %
"Our men retreat With tears pouring
down his cheek, he slowly yields, and joins
the retiring throng. Without az more
nerve and little strength, he struggles
back from lost field Now he drinks the
dregs Of suffering. Without blanket for
the night, without food, without hope, It is
no wonder that panic seizes him and he
runs demoralized away. This disreputable
course. however, is only temporary. The
soldier before long forgets his defeat and
his suferings, brightens up his armor and
resumes his place on the defensive line.
He submits for weary days to discipline,
drill and hard fare he Wades through the
SHOWS Of winter and the deep mud of q
Virginia spring. He sleeps upon the
ground, upon the deck of transport steam
ers, and upon the floor of the platform car.
He helps load and unload stores he makes
fascines and gabions he corduroys quick
sands, and bridges creeks and boys. Night
and day he digs or watches in the trenches.
What world of new experience! What
peculiar labor and suffering he passes
through the soldier alone can tell you. He
now marches hurriedly to his second bat
tie; soon after he is in q series of them.
Fight and fall back! Fight and fall back
Oh, those days Of hopelessness, soerow,
toll and emaciation. How wildly the liv.
ing soldier remembers them, those days
when he cried from the bottom of his
heart, "Oh, God, how long! how long I"
Would You have the patience to follow him
through the commingling disasters from
the battle of Cedar Mountain to the same
old Bull Run, you would emerge with him
from the chaos and behold bis glistening
bayonet again on the successful field Of
Antietam, where glimmer of hope light
ed up his heart. Would you go with him
to the bloody fields of Fredericksburg,
staunch his wounds in the wilderness Of
Charlottesville, and journey on with him
afterwards to this hallowed ground of Get
tysburg, and could you be enabled to read
and record his tolls, his sufferings, and all
his thoughts, you might be able to appre-
oiate the true American soldier. You
might then recite the first chapter of the
cost of the preservation of the American
Union.
Were there time, I would
gladly take you, step by step, with the
soldier, as he bridges and crosses the
broad and the rapid river; as be ascends
and storms the heights of Mission Ridge,
or as he plants his victorious feet waves
his banner and flashes his gun on the top
of Lookout Mountain. / would carry you
with him across the leath-bearing stream
Of Ohickamsuga. would have you fol-
low him in bis weary, barefooted, wintry
march to the relief Of Knoxville and back
to Chattanooga. From this point of view
/ would open up the spring campaign,
where the great General initiated his re-
markable work Of genius and daring.
could point you to the soldier pursuing his
enemy into the strongholds of lAlton, be-
hind the stern impossible features of Rocky
Face. Resaca, Adairsville, Oassville,
Dallas, New Hope Church, Picketts Mill,
Pine Top, Lost Mountain, Kenesaw, Culp's
Farm, Smyrna, Camp Ground, Peach
Tree Greek, Atlanta, from so many points
Of view, and JOnesboro, are names Of bat
tlefelds upon each Of which soldiers
memory dwells
THE CAMPAIGN OF GEORGIA AND THE CARO-
,--. LINAs. n..
For upwards Of a hundred days be
scarcely rested from the conflict. He skir-
mished over rocks, hills and mountains !;
through mud, streams and forests. For
hundreds OF miles he gave bis aid to dig
that endless chain of intrenchments which
oompassed every one Of the enemys forti-
fed positions. He companied with those
who combatted the obstinate foe on the
front and on the tanks of those mountain
Businesses which the enemy had deemed
impregnable, and he had right at last to
echo the sentiment of his indefatigable
leader, ATLANTA is ours, and fairly won. {"
Gould you now have patience to turn back
with him and fight these battles over
again, behold his Communications cut, his
railroad destroyed for miles and miles, en-
ter the bloody fight at Altoona, follow him
through the forced marches, by way of
Rome, Ga, away back to Resaca, and
through the obstrucssd gaps of the noun
tains into Alabama, you would thank God
for giving him stout heart and an un-
f1incbing faith in just and noble cause.
Weary and worn, he reposed at Atlanta
on his return but one single night, when
he commenced the memorable march to-
wards Savannah. The soldier has be-
come q veteran; he can march all day
with bis musket, bis knspssck, his cart
ridge-box, his haversack and canteen up
on his person; his muscles have become
large and rigid, 80 that what was once ex-
tremely difficult he now accompanies with
graceful ease. This fact must be borne
in mind when studying the soldiers
marches through Georgia and the Caro-
linas. The enemy burned every bridge