Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-06-02

A DUEL IN THE RIFLE PITS.

The opening of the war with the South
had the effect to stimulate newspaper en-
terprise to marvellous extent. Here in
the West everything in the shape Of q
Journal sent its correspondent to the front.
consequence was that the newspaper
men swarmed about headquarters like
1ies around sugar hogshead. Even
deacon Bross put rusty horse-pistol in
the pocket of his coat tail, and entrenched
himself in the st. Charles, at Cairo. The
number of rebels which that valorous
gentleman annihilated form his position
at the st. Charles-through the columns
OF the Chicago Tribune was frightful.
Whole platoons would 20 down before
each sweep of that grizzled veterans pen.
like stalks Of rye at each swing of the
cradle In the hands of some stalWart Ia
borer
When we went up the Cumberland
river to Fort Donelson, early in 1862, the
Bohemians all went along. There were
from one to five ON every gunboat; and
from eight to fifteen with each division
commander. 1t was while the Federal
troops were closing about the place that
the Bohemians took command every
where.
Mack, of the Cincinnati Commercial,
took charge Of gunboat, and instructed
Foote how close to 60 to the batteries, and
the pilot-who was killed by his side
how to hold the vessel SO as to get the
best range upon the batteries. It was
there that Colburne OF the World, rode up
to quiet man by the name of Grant, and
remarked: why in h-ll don't you send
some men around by the log school house
to close up gap in the line!"
1t was there that Tom Cook, of the N.
Y. Herald, who was prowling hungrily
around for something to eat, ran across
big house in which man by the hame of
Grant was eating his breakfast and which
being seen by the hungry Cook, he reached
over Mr.. Grants shoulder, and quietly
lifted the dish of coffee, and ration Of
hardtaek, and proceeded to eat and drink
the same as coolly as if at his own fire.
side.
1t may be inferred that the Bohemians
had not yet struck their gait. Any such
inference would be correct. They knew
when in the presence of great men, They
went everywhere and did everything with
a perfect sang froid that is marvellous
when contemplated from this distance.
| On the morning of the day on which oc-
CURED the incident am about to relate,
Junius Henri Browne. of the New York
Tribune, and Webb OF the ST. Louis DEM
Ocrat, and one or two others of the frater-
nifty, started out to look up some items.
None had ever been in battle, and they
knew as little of war as mule Of mater
nifty. They moved through the timber on
| road that went in the direction of the
| rebel fort. 1t was the first morning of the
investment, and there had been no fight
ing of any consequence. There was no
| suggestion of danger in any direction;
and SO Browne, Webb and some others,
went valiantly forward. They moved on
and soon overlook battery. They fol-
lowed it. In a little time they reached an
open space on the brow of the walls Of a
ravine. The battery stopped.
"Going into camp" said Browne. know
| ingly, to Webb, as the guns halted.
''Ya-as," drawled Webb.
Lets sit down, I'm tired" suggested
Browne.
There was a convenient log Just in front
of where the guns stopped, and upon this
the tired Bohemians seated themselves.
Whats that? ?" asked Browne, pointing
across the ravine to the opposite hill, here
there appeared some fresh earth. Webb
allowed that somebody was going to build
and had just finished digging the cellar.
just then the cellar vomited forth a
fierce sheet of flame and great volume
OF smoke. Simultaneous with the occur
renee of this astonishing phenomena the
air about them was filed with strange
twisting noises, and the ground about
them was torn up in showers by bushel
or more OF grape shot. Webb looked
wonderingly at Browne.
| run you sons of-!' came from the
battery behind them. 1--WE are going to
open on the Johnnies ~
webb ran and SO did Browne. And
then ensued an exchange of compliments
between the cellar" and our battery,
which ended in the taking up of position
| further to the rear by the latter.
1t was soon after this that occcured an
| incident which started out to relate. One
of our Bohemians, in wandering about in
search of adventure, or something to eat,
came across lot of Berg's sharp-shoot-
ers. who were moving up to take position
as skirmshers. Recognizing one Of the
men, the Bohemian was induced to ae-
company him. just for the fin of the thing.
The company deployed. when near the
rebel works, land then began to work them
selves forward, by dodging from tree to
NV lOSS anu tufOuQn
all hollows in the surface which led in the
right direction.
The. work was not without danger, for
there came constant scattering Of bullets
from the front. Finally position was oc-
cupied about two hundred yards from
which across a ravine there ran an i-regu-
lar row of fresh earth, marking line of
rebel rifle pits on the crest of an opposite
hight.
Our Bohemian and his friend stuck and
crawled together, until they found them
selves lying behind an immense tree.
whose vast body and raised roots afforded
as fine cover as could be desired. And
now commenced the work of the sharp
shooters. 1t amounted to but little more
than popping away at an occasional head
which was bobbed up above the pits be-
yond. The rebels had laid logs upon the
top of the earth, underneath which they
dug little holes for the admission Of their