The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-06-01

baeco. found that tho rebels could talk Eng
lish and WINS Just a little surprised at this and
they could drive a sharp trade. much like Yam
KEGS. talked and toased tho gray coats, and
snapped for tobacco, and got cheated az l
should have been.
Six days and six nights Of continuous fight
ing and slaughtor All, how tired got Of II.
child M l was, with all OF strong ehilds
strength and rocklessnessi Four men carrying
a pale infantryman stop for an instant in my
battery. The wounded ono suffers intensely
from wound through the foot My sympathy
is excited for the young fellow, and rs We at tho
moment are doing nothing. ask for half an
hours leave. Getting 1t. accompany him back
into tho woods to ono Of the Second Corps field
hospitals. Hero, grooming loudly, he
awaits his turn. which soon comes.
Wo lift him on tho rude table.
surgeon holds chloroform to his nostrils and
under its influence he lies as II in death. The
boot is removed then tho stocking. and
see great ragged hole on tho sole OF tho foot
where the ball camo out Then hear the coat
less surgeon who Is making tho examination
cry out, Tho cowardly whelp" SO l edge
around and look over the shoulders OF an as
slstant surgeon. and see that the small wound on
the top OF the foot where the ball entered is black
oned with powdcrl I, too, muttcr Tho cow
ardl' and am really pleased to sec the knife and
saw put to work and tho craven's leg taken Off
below the kneol He Is carried into the shade OF
n tree. and left there to wake up when he will.
watch the skilful surgeons probe and carve
other patients. Tho little pile Of legs and arms
grows steadily while wait for tho object Of
my misplaced sympathy to recover his senses.
With long breath he opens his eyes. am
with him at once. and look sharply at him.
| will never forget tho look OF horror that
fastened on his face when he found his leg
was of. Utter hopelessness and fear that look
ex pressed. l entered into conversation with
him. and he. weakened and unnerved by the
loss Of the leg and the chloroiorm. for once told
the truth. Lying on his back. he aimed ut his
great toe meaning to shoot It OF; but being
rudcly ioggled by n comrado at the critical in
slant his rifle covered tho foot Just below tho
ankle and an ounce ball went crashing through
the bunch Of bones and sinews. The wound.
instead OF being n furlough was n discharge
from tho army probably into eternity. Our
guns at the front began to howl Mt the rebels
again. and was forced TO leave the hospital.
SO with the kindly uneNpressed wish that tho
self-mutilator may die before he breeds little
towards. l hasten back to my guns. The
utter contempt OF the surgeons. their change
from careful handling to almost brutality.
when they discovered tho wound was seli-in-
I
whiskcy would have done. l liked it, and
rammcd home the ammunition In gun No.
with vim.
On one Of tho six days whom our battery was
in full FRO l saw party OF horsemen riding
toward us. l smiled as tho ahsuriity Of n mans
riding on limo Of battle for pleasure gradually
filed my sense Of the ridiculous. But as |
| looked | saw that tho party consisted OF a
| civilian under escort. As | got time from my
work at the muzzlo Of my gun, gave it 10 look
| ing ut tho novel crowd They passed and in
passing the civilian exposed a large placard
fastened to his back. bearing the words.
Libeller Of the Press" We all agreed that he
| had been guilty OF some dreadful decd. and
were pleased to see him ride tho battle line.
| He was howled ut. and the wish 10 tear him
limb from limb and strew him over the ground
was ferccly expressed. This man escaped
death from tho shot and shells that filed the
air. / aiterward met him in Washington. and
he told me that he was a newspaper war CORE
| spondent. and that his offence was in writing
ms he thought truthfully TO his journal that Gen.
Meade advised Gen. Grant to retreat after tho
battle OF the Wilderness. Meade was greatly
ncensed by this publication. and so.with Grant 2
assent tried to take his life by sending him
along the lines at Cold Harbor.
| Worm out - the horrible. long continued
percussion OF our nerves. we were loanng
in the shade OF the works. lying under the
guns. was making map OF my fathers farm
in the sand. and explaining its beauties 10 my
comrades. when We saw stan officer riding
slowly toward us. lie gave our Captain orders.
and rode quickly away. The battery to the lott
| Of us had gone 10 work. firing rapidly, We
Were called 10 our guns 10y buglo call. and be-
gan firing at a rebel earthwork armed with 81
| pound howtzors. as we knew from the bits Of
shells that had dropped among us. To our
right another battery opened. another beyond
and stl another. | took some interest in this
| pounding for q while. hut tho folly Of standing
on Goo or 200 yards and shooting good iron into
a sand bank quickly tired me. The rebel guns
replied slowly-ycs. sullenly. They would bo
! silent for while: then we would see
a pun Of smoke issue from gun,
and tho dun "thud" Of shell burying
itself in our carthwork would be heard
done simply 10 show us that their guns were
still mounted. Our pieces were served rapidly
and the shot and shell must have screamed
dreadfully by and above those howitzers After
n while got tired, and asked a spare man "a
take my place at my gun. He checriully did So
and lay in the lee of n great oak tree and
watched the rebel work. | saw the dirt fly
from il. but | could not sec any OF tho guns dis
mounted by our fire. saw their Gunners rise
| out OF the earth; could soc them load and dis
appear could see one gunner bending over tho
piece. see him raise his hand TO No. 4 and see
the ball in the air as 1t FASTENED to us. / lost
interest in this prolectile business when out OF
the woods to the rear Of the rebel battery came
an officer on white horse. He trots brskly
into the works. and through my glass | can
see him hand n paper to the officer In
command. Expecting to see him torn to bits
by shell, glue my eyes on him and breath
lessly wait. Ho sits calmly on the white horse
talks and gesticulntes M quietly as II he were
in his tent. Then lifting his hand in salute tc
tho visor OF his cap. he turns his horse and
rides slowly back over tho opcn ground where
tho shot and sholl are thickly coursing. The
dirt and sand rise above him ms the shells cx.
plode; shot strike the ground and skin pns
him; but still he does not urge the white horse
out Of n walk. as he rides back into the woods
disappears in the timber, is lost TO sight and is
safe With II Thank God that that bravo man
is not killedl' rise up from the shade Of my
tree. and, greatly refreshed by the display a
courage | have witnessed, checrlully resume
work at the frutless task of trying to batter
down a rebel sand bank.
On some ono Of these intcrminablo six days