The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1882-06-01
NUMBER %.
Sketches of Army Life.
SECOND SERIES. NUMBER NINE.


lhe eWrlter,Were there because they had promised
us rations. Our column halted in a field. Our
guns We're stacked as if we We're to remain for
time. The firing in our front which we had
heard at intervals that morning seemed to have
died away. We broke ranks. A portion of the
boys ran i'll search of water, and others for
wood. | started on double quick, hoping to
secure fence rail for fuel so that we could
make coffee after our rations were issued. A
thousand men Were in the same field and on the
same business. | ran with all possible speed
for Il half mile before could secure one. 1t was
huge oak rail, heavy enough for four men to
carry. | managed to get the smaller end upon
my shoulder, dragging the heavier and slowly
made my way to the regiment 1t was all
could staggcr under, and when | reached the
company great drops of perspiration We're run
ming down my cheeks. With an exclamation
of triumph ! threw down my load beside nv
comrades, and just at that moment the bugle
blew fall in" fall inr' The bows laughed
loudly at my adventure and advised me to
take the rail along with me. TO say that was
slightly disguised does not express the situa-
tlon. Heavy firing was heard in our front not
over half a mile distant. Orders We're given to
double quick. We dashed through q thick belt
Of woods and met cayalrymen riding back. bad
ly broken up and demorazed They told us
they had been lighting all night, and holding
the rebels in check until we shculd arrive. And
this explained why we had marched all night
We passed through the woods and came out in
n field some forty rods N width ETor
mile in our front was flat and level ground
then there was a ridge Of land, and on this crest
a house, barn, and numerous outbuiIdngs. The
field on either side up to this hill was borGercd
with forest; beyond the hill from where we
stood Was-we knew not what. In the field we
halted. A group Of Union Generals We're sit
ting upon their horses near us-Sheridan. Grif-
fin. Chamberlain, and others. Sheridan was
evidently much excited, and was talking rapid
ly and adding emphasis % his words by bringing
his clenched right hand down on the open palm of
his left. 1t was evident to all that some enter
pr'" of Importance was on foot. At that time
we had but one man in Company II who had
any claims to piety. 4 grand fellow quiet and
beloved by all. He had marched all night,
bound to keep up, and was 20 weak and foot
sore that he could hardly step. When the COM
pany halted and he saw Sheridan he sank upon
the ground with Il comical groan Of despair, and
remarked. The Devil is to pay sure" And
over beyond the hill at about the same time
think General Lee was cherShing the same
opinion. Our brigade was quickly formed in
two lines of battle to make charge. Our regi-
ment was in the front line. General Sheridan
formed a cavalry skirmsh line in our front
The enemy's lines of battle We're evidently over
beyond the hill in our front. as some of their
batteries opened upon US, and threw shot and
Shell very carclessly around. The s1irmishers
advanced at a round gallop, sheridan leading
them on. They reached the crest of the hill
and entered the forest on our right. Then we
advanced rapidly across the plain and climbed
the hill. Just before Wc reached its top shell
exploded in the barn, and i'll moment ii was
in flames. In the confusion hens and chickens
ran from the barn i'll every direction BY this
time the enemy was pouring very heavy artil-
lery fire upon us. But il ALWAYS requires some
thing more than shot or shells TO prevent hungry
soldiers from chasing chickens 50 after the
fowls we ran. Shells Were crashing. officers
shouting for the men 70 keep in the ranks. The
boys We're screaming and laughing as they ran
after the chickens. The flames roarrd and
swept through the air. and the hens squaIed
in their most pathetic manner, as they We're
oNertahen and captured. Altogether it was Il
most remarkable medley. When the poultry
excitement subsidized and we all got back in the
rapidly advancing line and looked out in our
front our mirth quickly subsidized. i was IL
desperate stuation-one in which the most
careless ana indifferent would be brought to
his senses. For threp-fourth of a mile an open
field lay before us. A few rods of this distance
was descending ground, then level plain. and
beyond that ridge of land. At the foot of that
ridge was the enemy's Skrmish line. We could
distinctly see the little rifle pits in which they
We're entrenched. Beyond their skirmi>h line
and higher on the side of the hill was their line
of battle behind breastworlS. and back of this
was their artillery, all in plain view. Their in
fantry had not opened fire upon us, but their
artillery was firing rapidly and with good exc
cution. We saw all this plainly, although adj
yancng ut rapid rate. We well understood
what our mission Was-to assault their position
and silence their batteries. We thought of our
comrades who had fallen out in the night, and
who were then quietly sleeping back in the
woods, and were angry with ourselves to think
that for the hope of drawing rationS we had
been foolish enough to keep up. and by doing
50, get in such scrape. But it was then too
late to fall out, and all we could do was to pull
our hats down over our ewes as far as possible,
keep up with the line and endeaYor to appear
brave. We did not fear the artillery very much.
for they fired over our heads, but dreaded the
moment when the infantry should open on us.
We descended the hill and advanced across the
plain. and We're not far from their skrmi>h
line. Not many words We're spoken, but every
mind was busy. Like a flash we thought of all
the past three years. so many dangers passed
through, and here, after all these hartlships and
narrow escapes, Just as the war was about to
close, our regiment reduced to il hundred men
was hurled into this desperate position where
nearly all must be slaughtered. 1t did seem
hard, but not Il man in that little band
llinched, and as cooly as we had ever marched
upon the parade ground. we marched up to
what we supposed was the gates of death.
We saw white object flutter in an orchard
up in the rear of their line of battle. \ sig
nal for their infantry to open fire. growled
the boys, as they saw it. Then we expected to
see their line of battle mantled in fire and smoke
as they poured vollics of death upon us; but a
moment passed and not a gun had been fired.
We looked again. we saw the object we had
supposed to be signal flag, but it had changed
its position. 1t was advancing, almost down to
their line of battle. 1t continued to advance it
passed their battle line. Three men accompa-
MED it, What could it mean? 1t ros II ~hde
flag. We could not believe our eyes. At
brisk gallop the officers rode to within twenty
rods of our line, then turned down to our right
where Sheridan had disappeared. And on we
advanced. A staff officer came out from the
woods. His spurs We're pressed hard against
the smoking tanks of his noble horse. He was
swinging his hat like madman and Yelling
LEE HAS sURRENDERED. LEE HAS SUR
RENDERED! Halt, hait hatt'" came the order