Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1879-08-13

back without their Colonel. Some of
our friends drop out of the ranks and
seat themselves in our battery. They
tell doleful tales Of the strength OF the
rebel eerthworks, and seem to bo utter
| ly discouraged. We draw the guns back
beyond the crest OF the bills, and there
lie in the sand. Inotice that the sun is
now up half an hour high. Now and
then we load a gun run it by hand 10
tho crest of The hills, and suddenly shoot
twelve-pound ball into the rebel lines
More of our acQuaintances drop in
men hunting for their regiments-resi-
ments that are practically annihilated.
lie and smoke, and talk to such men
as are inclined TO talk, and see that they
are all tired Of charging earthworks -
that they are discoursed. The strangers
DRIFT off, and in some mysterious way
find their commands. A column march
ing by fours passes in our rear. l watch
them see a puff Of smoke between the
marchers and myself, hear the report ol
an exploding shell, and twelve men o.
that column are sea ttered on the ground
The officers cry, Close up! close up )!
and the column passes by. The man
cled humanity lies there, with rifles
scattered among them. ! see STALL
officers ride up and down. Soon see
the majors and captains mastering their
men into lines. l wonder where the
colonies are. Dead, maybe. Then
hear the charging commands given
With many oaths at the general officers
arise and sit on the trail OF my gun
and watch the doomed infantry. Mer
7 knew we'll stood, rifle in hand, moi
twenty feet from me. Again the COM
mand to charge is given. Not man
stirs from his tracks. The army to
man refuses to obey General Grant,
They had been up to the rebel earth
works had seen them. Grant had
not aud the men refused to again
make an assault that they knew wouh
be unsuccessful, The works could not
be taken by assault if defended by brave
men and we Of the Potomac army new
er complained of lack of courage IN
the Army of Northern Virginia.
So passed the day away. That night
we entrenched ourselves. When en-
trenching the rebels ventured night
attack. But they were not in earnest
at least that was my impression at the
time. They were repulsed with small
loss.
By daylight we had our earthworS
finished, and were safe. The heavy ar
tillery, armed as infantry, were some
sixty or seventy yards in front of u.s.
We being on the crest Of the hill, they
were below us. Behind US were a cou-
pie of Delaware regiments, the two
having about 140 men combined. Back
of us was a ravine, an alderswamp, and
in the thickets bordering on the swamp,
was a spring Of clear, cold water. Men
in front of us had to go to this spring
for water. They would draw lots to
see who would run across the dangerous
open ground. This settled, the victim
would hang ten or fifteen canteen;
around him, then, crouching low in the
rihe.pits, he would give great jump
and when he struck the ground was
running at the top OF his speed for our
earthwork. Of course every rebe
sharpshooter in range fired at him.
Some Of these men were shot dead bu
generally they ran into the earthwori
with laugh. After filling their can
teens they sit and smoke and talk,nery
ing themselves for the deadly return. -
Adjusting the canteens, they would &C
out of the work on a run back over tht
bulletswept course. Sometimes they
would come to us in pairs. One day
two Albany men came leaping into oul
battery. After filling their cantsen'
they sat and talked of the beautiful city
on the Hudson, and finally started fol
their rlhe-pit. l watched through ar
embrasure and saw one fall. Instantly
he began to dig little hollow with hi
hands in the sandy soil, aid instantly
the rebel sharpshooters went to worl
on him. The dust flew upon one side
of him, then on the other. The wound
ed soldier kept scraping his little trench
in the sand. We called to him. He an
swered that his leg was broken below
the kaee by rife ball. From the pi
we heard them call to him to take Of
his canteens, tie the strings togethe
and set them on one side. He did 80
and the thirsty men in the pits drew
lots to see who should risk his lii'
for the water. l got keenly interested
in this dicing with death, and watched
intently. A soldier springs out OF th'
pit. Running obliquely, he stoops al
he passes the canteens, grasps the
strings, turns. and in fash is sate.-
Looking out l see the dust rise in LITTLE
pufls around the wounded man, ant
with quick0ning breath feel that hi
minutes are numbered. l noticed
conspicuous man IN the rihe-pit and re-
cognized him as the comrade of th'
stricken soldier. He calls to his disabled
comrade, saying that he is coming fo
HIM and that he must rise rs he come
near aud clingng to him he stops. The
hero leaves the pit on run the wound
ed man rises up; the runner clasps hin
IN his arms the arms of the wounded
one twine about his neck, and he is car
red into our battery at full speed. II