The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-01-09
Gte Intelligence.
HE Pirst INV ~ oetty,hpr,.


From Harry ". Klsnefs "RccollectionS Ola Drum
msr Boy In January ". EIcholai
Colonel, close up your men and NOV
onas rapidly US possible"
1t is the morning Of July /, and we ar
crossing bridge over stream, rs the stat
officer, having delivered this order for Us
dashes down the line to hurry up the regi
ments in the rear. We get up on a higl
range Of hills, from which we have a mag
nifcent view. The day is bright, the air 1
fresh and sweet, and the sun shines out o
an almost cloudless sky, and as we gaze Of
yonder down the valley 10 the textbook
Do you see that2 A puff Of smoke in mid
airl Very small and hiles away, as tht
faint and longcoming "boom" OF the ex
ploding shell indicates, but 1t means tina
something Is going on yonder away dOwr
in the valley, in which, perhaps, we may
have hand before the day Is done. See
Another-and another Faint and faraway
comes the long delayed "boom /" "boomf
echoing over the hills, as the stafEofIicel
clashes along the lines with orders &c
"double.quick double-Quickw
-Four miles OF almost constant double
quicking is no light work ut any time, least
Of all on such dry rs this memorable first
day Of July, for II Is hot and dusty. But
We are in our own State now, boys, and the
battle is opening ahead, and 1t is no time
to save breath. On We 60, now up hill,
now over stream, now Checkingour head
long rush for q moment, for We must
breathe little. But the word comes along
the limo again, "double.quiCk," and We
settle down to II with right goodwill, while
the cannon ahead seem TO be getting nearer
and louder There's-lttl said in the
ranks, for there Is little breath for talking,
though every man is busy enough think.
ing. We feel, somehow, that our day has
come ut last-as indeed il has!
We get in through the outskirts OF Get
tysburg, tearing down the fences Of the
town lots and outlying gardens as we 60 /;
We pass battery OF brass guns drawn up
beside the seminary, some hundred yards
in front OF which building, in strip OF
meadow land, we halt and rapidly form
the line Of bitttle.
General, shall we nnsling knapsacks 2"
shouts some one down the line 10 our
division General as he is dashing by.
"Ncver mind the knapsacks, boys its
the state noww
And he plunged the spurs up to the row.
els in the TANKS Of his horse, as he takes
the stake-and.rider fence at leap and is
away.
"Unfurl the flags, Color-guardl"
Now, forward, double -"
Colonel, we're not loaded yeti"
A laugh runs along the line as, at the
command load ut will-loRdp the ram.
rods make their merry music, and at once
the word is given, Forward, double
quick !" and the line sweeps up that rising
ground with banners gayly flying, and
cheers that rend the ARA sight, once seen,
never to be forgotten.
We drummer boys sit on our drums, and
watch the line goiugin with cheers. Forth.
with We get smart Smelling, for there is
evidently somebody else watching that nd.
vanCing line besides ourselves; but they
have elevated their guns little too much,
50 that every shell passes quite over the
line and plows up the meadow sod about
US in all directions.
Laying aside our knapsacks, We go to
the seminary, now rapidly filling with the
wounded. This the enemy surely cannot
know, or they wouldn't shell the building
so hard We get stretchers at the ambu-
lanccs, and start out for the line OF battle
We can Just see our regimental colors way.
in the orchard, near log house about 800
yards ahead, and We start out for i'll on
the lead and Daney behind.
There is one of our batteries drawn up
to our left short distance MS We run. III
isengaged in sharp artillery duel with
one Of the enemys, which we cannot see,
although we can hear it plainly enough,
and straight between the two our road lies
So, up We 90, Daney and |, at q lively trot,
lodging the shells us best we can, till,
painting for breath, We set down our stretch
er under an apple tree in the orchard, in
which under the brow of the hill we find
the regiment lying, one or two companies
being out on the skirmish line ahead.
count six men OF Co Clying yonder in
the grass-killed, they say, By a single
shell, Andy calls me away for a moment
to look after some poor fellow whose arm
is off nj the shoulder, and it was Just time
got away, too, for Immediately shell
plunged into the sod where l had been sit.
ting, tearing my stretcher to tatters and
blowing up great furrow under one Of the
boys who had been sitting Immediately be-
hind me, and who thinks That was rather
close shaving, wasn't it now?" The bull
lets whistlng overhead make pretty music
with their ever-varying "z.i-pl z-i.pp and
we could imagine them so many bees, only
they have such terribly sharp sting
They tell me, too, OF Il certain cavalry man
dennis Buckley, 9th Michigan cavalry it
was, us ! aftcrward learned-let history
preserve the brave boys nance who, hay
ing his morse shot under him, and seeing
thut iirst-named shell explode in Co. &
with such disaster, exclaimed, THAT is the
company for mep He remained with the
regiment all ilay, doing good service with
his Carbine and he escaped unhurt!
Here they come, boys; we'll have to 20
in at them on a charge, | guessm Creep.
ing close around the corner of the log
house, l can sec the long lines OF gray
sweeping up in fine style over the fields;
but feel the Cononcl's hand on my shoul.
der
keep back, my boy; no use exposing
yourself in that way"
As get back behind the house and look
around, an old man is seen approaching
our line through the orchard in the rear.
He is dressed in long, blue, swallow
tdiled-coat and high silk hat, and coming
up to the Colonel, he asks:-
would you let an old chap like me
have chance to fight in your ranks,
Colonel"
"Can you shootP inquiries the Colonel
ooh, yes, / can shoot, Ireckon," says he
But where are your cartridges ?"
1--WE got EN- here, sir" says the old man
slapping his hand on his pantaloons
kpocket.