The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1880-04-16

pany ride out to the front with their guide
flags fiuttering in the breeze, and right gal
liant they looked, armed cap-a-pie, and riding
out with jingling sabres and glancing spurs
net on holiday review, but right INTO the
fire of the enemy
Toward sunset, when the sun Just looked
over the tTee-tops from the western horizon,
the sudden crash of rolling fire broke out
in that direction, making the forest resound
with continuous volies and presently the
broken fragments Of our right wing began to
surge through the woods in our rear. The
StOnewall had moved on Howard with crush
ing power, and broken the Eleventh Corps
into atoms.
The full moon came out in splendor, and
lighted the embattled hosts, while the gleam-
ing barrels Of myriad rifles and their glitter
ing bayonets rendered the scene one Of wars
choicest Indexes.
The Third Corps soon bent before the
weight of a furious attack, and the indomi-
table Second Division bid fair to join the
Eleventh Corps in its fragmentary excursions
through the woods by moonlight. Shells
came skipping and bounding along In dan
gerous proximity TO ones legs, and one went
through right amidst the Twenty-sixth drum
corps, which stood in the edge of the woods.
Then came the pell-mell retreat of a confused
medley Of cooks, teamsters and non-combat-
ants Of every description and occupation, the
shell and solid shot making sad havoc in the
affrighted and turbulent ranks. The Second
Division had given away for an instant or
two and in the hurly- -burly and topsy-;uryy
Of the mOmentary panic some injudiciOus
person cried out that the Confederate cayal-
~ had gotten into the rear, and were about
to cut us all down. One poor fellow, a non
combatant, in his utter panic fell headlong
over an obstructing log and lay there as help
less as a child, perfectly exhausted and una
bic to move. Such is the nature Of a sudden
panic. Men who have previously faced al
most anything will become infected with
contagious flight and flee from danger like
arrant towards. The gallant Second Djvi-
sion remained not long thus derelict in sol
dierly duty, but sprang back to their places
like a trusty bow. Night set in and full
moon lay high in the lea yens. \ devouring
fire had fastened on the surrounding forest,
whose blazing trees and falling stumps pre-
sented an apt representation Of Pluto's do
main-Smoke, darkness and lurid flames,
with wandering soldiers intcrspersed.
All through that long night the rafting
yolley ever and anon harrassed the tired sol
dieTs, but there was no more retreat in the
ranks Of the Diamonds" Stonewall, the
Confederate avalanche, had in the meantime
fallen, or it were hard to say what might
have happened.
The next day-the Christian Sabbath
brought battle most fierce and deadly. Shot
and shell hissed, howled and shrieked with
most terrific ferocity, carrying destruction
into the ranks OF the indomitable hosts, who
seemed like salamanders in their internal
element. The white Diamonds were lit
orally decimated each company averaging
ten fallen comrades, whose presence was
sadly missed at the next roll call. Our Iegi-
ment, the 25th Pennsylvania, looked wild
and powder stained after that days fierce
trials.
Breast-works were thrown up along the
edge OF the woods fronting al open field,
and here our troops maintained their stand
against the flushed and fierce legiOns Of the
Confederate army. Nhipple was killed
here, right in front Of the Second Division,
while observing the hostile lines-kilIed by a
sharp-shOoter hidden in the tree-tops.
AS a specimen of the sharp shooting was
sitting behind the earth works, or earth and
log works, to be more explicit, where the
company had their little dog-tents raised and
were living quite peaceabiy. I was sitting
there quite at home alongside one of my
terminates, the other having been killed in
the Sabbath's battle, when 1 jumped up to
stir around a little. I was standing looking
over the works to the front, when, zip, came
a rifle bullet and pierced neat hole in the
tent just alongside. 1t was close clip, for
the missile just passed me 20 hit where il
did.
About noon we were all sitting about be-
hind the works, conveTSing and amusing
/ ourselves, rs soldiers are wont to do under
almost any circumstances, when all at once
/ a din, racket and hulaballo broke out which
/ might have been compared to the sudden
eruption Of Il new volcano. Bang bang
/ bang went the big guns in rapid succession,
( like the discharge of rifle volley, and shells
/ began to shrek and burst in every direction
/ just at that moment Joe Hooker came along
the line with his staff, riding with his hat of
before our lines, conversing, and paying n,
more heed to danger than if he were immor
tai A brigade Immediately bounded owe
/ vortex before them, ana nett the "Johnnies
who were coming out Of the woods on th
other side Of the field. The contest wa
short, sharp and decisive, and at its close tn
''Rebs'' went back to their lairs. Quie
reigned for the rest Of the day, but that nigh
/ a rumor circulated about that sieEe-gun
were being planted to drive Us from our pc
sition. This was anything but weicom
news, for nothing is so repugnant to the fee
ings as the terrible rayages of these huge
monstrous shells, which tear humanity litel
ally 10 pieces in their dread course. Mex
day road was cut through the forest, an
that night in a drilling rain we commence
retreat Across the pOntoons again, an
the great battle was over and lost. Th
next time we met the "Johnuies" was &
Gettysburg, Of which more anon.
A. u. IL.
NoTE-The Third Corps lost two diyisio
commanders at Chancellorsyilie-Be All
Whipple.
2 AN editors business Is to write editorial
J grind out poetry, sort and re-write comml