The Republican journal., 1882-01-26

meant business we returned tne nfe, ana sent
| our bullets wherever we could see gray form for
| a target, and we're about to advance on a charge
| when an order came for us to get down over the
| bluff and recross the river as rapidly posslbl
| and down through rocks and trees we ran The
| river reached, and made most mastery
| advance on Mary land The enemy followed US to
the Top of the bluff and would have Inflicted Sc.
| rious loss upon we're retreatng across the
river bat one of our batteries went into position
| on the Maryland side, and threw shells over our
| heads and drove III IN back to the woods Several
| Of the regiments our right had sustained great
losses. 0ue-the llSth Pennsy lvania-had been
almost annihilated Upon reaching the Maryan
| snore we took possession of the Chesapeake and
Ohio canal-and there formed the advance line OF
| the army.
An FRESHMAN on TIE RETREAT
| A very aughaole incident occurred in our re-
treat In our company by the name of
Tommy Wech, an Irishman, about forty years of
age, brave, generous hearted fellow. He was an
old bachelor, and one Of these funny, neat, parlic
| ular men we occasionally meet He always looked
| as if he had Just emerged from band box and the
boys used to say that he would rather sacrifice the
whole army of the Potomac than to have spot of
rust upon his rifle or Of dust upon his uniform
he vas always making the most laughable blum
ders and vas usually behind all others in getting
ready to obey any command When our regiment
went tumbling down over the side of the bluff to
| reach the river, the men all got down before Tom
my was under way Slowly he descended picking
MS path carefully among the rocks and trees, and
when he reached the water the rear Of the regi
ment was nearly one half of the way across The
officer who commanded our regim ent that day
rode magnificent gray horse, and as the regiment
recrossed he sat very coolly upon his horse near
the Virginia shore. amidst the shots of the enemy
speaking pleasantly to the men as they passed
him. He haa evidently determined TO be the last
N IN Of the regiment to leave the post Of danger.
He saw uncle Tommy, and although the danger
great he kindly waited for him TO cross
" hen the latter reached the water, with great de
liberation he sat down upon rock and removed
his shoes and stockings, and slowly packed them
away IN hls blanket Then his pant legs must be
rolled up they would not come in contact with
the water; and all the time the rebels we're cotn-
ing nearer, and the bullets were flying more thick
ly. At last he was ready for advance but Just
as he reached the water the luckless pant legs
slipped down over his knees, and he very quietly
retraced his steps to the shore to roll them up
again. This was too much for even the courtesy
of the commanding officer, who becoming impa-
tient at the protracted delay and not relishpg the
sound Of the lead whistling around him. cried out
in sharp voice " CoH.e con,e, ma man harry up.
hurry 4i,- will both be shot And Tommy
looked up with that bew wdered sero comic grav
ty Of expression for which the Emerald Isle is SO
noted, and answered in the broadcast brogue: The
Divll bit, sur. It is no mark Of gintemen to be
in harry The officer waited no longer put
ting spurs to his horse he dashed across the river
while Tommy, carrying his rifle in one hand and
holding up his pant legs with the other followed
after, the bullets flying thickly around him Poor
Tommy Welch, brave, blundering and kind he was
laughing stock for all his comrades until he vas
shot down in the Wilderness. He was then car
ried 70 Andersonvlle, where be died Of starvation
SHARP SHOOTERS pIsLoDGEp
On forming our line at the canal we soon found
that We we're IN an uncomfortable position The
rebels were concealed the bluff across the river
by the trees and uDderbrush SO that we could not
see them, but the moment one Of our men stepped
from the muddy canal to the bank the air around
him would be filled with bullets Quite anunber
Of our men thus wounded We soon learned
to watch for the little cloud of smoke, and the mo
ment it was detected we would send hundred
bullets at il. Thus through the day and night
that followed constant picket firing was kept MP
n, ~ tI~x
weary of this and almost ceased firing, but there
another and mora dangerous annoyance
Down BY the side of the river we're the brick walls
Of an old mill and in the n ght company of rebel
sharp shooters had taken possession of it, and if
man would make his appearance anywhere on the
Mary land shore within range of their famous rifles,
there wouli instantly be the little puff Of
smoke. the peculiar singing sound would be
heard and the victim, unconscious of darger,
would fall We peppered away al the walls with
our rfes, but of course with no effect. On the af
ternoon Of the second day a battery of artillery
gaoped down near where we were stationed. The
bullets came thick and fast from the brick walls
men and horses tell-bnt the guns returned the
compliment with twelve pound shells Whizz-
tang-CRAsH - they went into the old mill and
the air filled with bricks and mortar Whole
sections Of the walls went tumbling down The
guns roared wi b remarkable rapidity. A thousand
rifles opened upon the ruins, and the rebel sharp
shooters or the few who survived made dash
from the ruins and amidst the wild cheering of
our men, rushed up over the bank and troubled us
no more
A YANKEE ON PICKET
One Of the most difficult things in the world for
a genuine Yankee to do was to settle down and
become accustomed to the experience of sol
diers life Naturally lnquisitive, be would want
before he could obey it. Accustomed to be indie
pendent, the words 90 aud come grated harshly up
on his ear. At home be had considered himself
about good as any one; and IN the army he
failed to understand why couple of gilt straps
upon the shoulders Of one who at home was far
beneath him. should there make him so much his
superior The Yankee is usually practical man,
and in all his work shows great deal Of good
common sense. When in his loyal love for the old
flag he went South to help crush the rebellion he
expected to use the same practical common sense
he had used at home to fight rebels in as practi
cal a manner as he had planted potatoes, felled
the forest trees, and consequently all the red tape
of army life was distastefal to him He did not
understand how "Dress parades," and 'guard
mountlngs, and grand rounds could ever crush
the rebellion, and they we're consequently regarded