The Mineral argus., 1883-11-01
TIE EKsT DAY AT GETTYSBURG.

Drumner Boy" in January St Nicholas.
Colonel, close MP your men and move
on as rapidly as possible"
1t is the morning Of July l, and we are
crossing a bridge over a stream, as the staff
officer, having delivered this order for us,
dashes down the line to hurry up the regi-
nents in the rear. We get up on a high
range of hills, from which we have a mag
nifcent view. The day is bright, the air is
fresh and sweet, and the sun shines out Of
an almost cloudless sky, and as we gaze
away of yonder down the valley to the left
look Do you see that Apuff Of smoke
IN mid-air' Very small and miles away. as
the faint ard ~long-boming boom" Of the
exploding shell indicates, but it means that
something is going on yonder away down in
the valley, in which, perhaps, we may have
a hand before the day is done. Seel An
other, and another Faint aud far away
comes the DELAYED BOOM BOOM" echo
ing over the hills as the staff office dashes
along the lines with orders to double
quick double-quickln
Four miles Of almost constant double.
ouieking is no light work at any tine,
least Of all on such a day as this IN
able first day Of July, for 1t 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 mp a hill, now over a stream, now
checking our headlong rush for a moment.
for We must breathe a little. But the word
comes along the line again, "double-quick,"
and we settle down to It with a right-good
viii, while the cannon ahead seem TO be
getting nearer and louder. There's little
said in the ranks, for there is little breath
Tor talking, though every man is busy
enough thinking. We all feel, somehow.
that n day has come at last-as indeed il
has
We get in through the outskirts Of Get.
tysburE, tearing down the fences Of the
Town lots aud outlying gardens as we 60.
we pass a battery Of brass gums drawn up
beside the seminary, some hundred yards
IN 'front.' OF vhicn building, in a strip Of
meadoT-land, We halt, and rapidly form
tie line Of battle.
General, shall we unsling knapsacks2'
shouts some one down the line to our di-
vision. general, as he is dashing by.
Never mind the knapsacks. BOYS; it's
the state nOvl'
And be plunges his spurs up to the row
els in the TANKS Of his horse, as be takes
the stake-and-rider fence at a leap and is
away.
-Unfurl the flags, 'or.guArdi-
Now forward, dOu-
Colonel. we're not loaded yeti'
laugh runs along the line as, at the
command Load al will-load" 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 air-a sight once seen.
never to be forgotten.
We drummer boys sit on our drums. and
watch the line goingin with cheers. Forth.
with We get a smart shelling, for there is
evidently somebody else watching that ad-
yancing line besides ourselves; but thev
have elevated their guns a little too mncb
so that every shell passes quite over the line
and blows up the meadow sod about Us in
an directions.
Laying aside our knapsacks, We 60 to tho
seminary, now rapidly filing with The
wounded This the enemy surely cannot
know, or thew wouldn't shell the building
so hardl We get stretches at the ambu
lances, and start out for the line of battle.
We can Just see u regimental colors wav-
ing IN the orchard, near a log house about
three hundred ahead, yards and We start
cut for i'll on the lead and Danev behind
There is one Of our batteries drawn up e
our left a short distance as We run. It is
engaged in a sharp artillery duel with one
OF the enemy's. which We cannot see, al
though We can hear il plainly enough, and
stnight between the two our road lies. So
We 60, Daney and l, at q lively trot, dodg-
ING the shells as best We can, I'LL, pantine
Tor breath, We set down our stretcher un.
dar an apple tree In the orchard, In which
under the brow Of the hill We and the reQi.
mens lying, q or two skirmish lines
ahead.
l count six men Of Co. c lying youder in
the grass-hl'ea, they saw BY a single she'll
Andy calls me away for a moment 70 look
after some poor felloS whose arm Is OF al
the shoulder; and it was lust time I got
away. too. for Immediately a she'll plunged
into the sod where I had been sitting tears
ing my stretches to tctts-s and ploVinq up-
great tarrow uncer one Of the boys whC
bad been sitting Immediately behind me,
ald who thinks That was rather close sha.
wig. wasn't it noWp" The bullets vhis.
ding overhead make pretty music with
their ever-varying -zi-pl MP! and ",
could imagine them so many bees, only the
have such a terrible sharp sting. They tel
me, too, OF a certain cavalry man Denni.
Buckley, 9Th Michigan cavalry Il vas. As
afterWard learned-et history perssrve u,
bnve boys name) who, having had hi,
horse shot under him, and seeing thai first
named shell explode in Co. Q With sucl
disaster. exclaimed, That Is the companl
for mei' He remained with the regimen
an DAY. doing good services with his carbn,
and be escaped unhurti
Here they come, BOYS; We VIII have .
~ Ia az them on a charge l guess!' Creep
ing close around the rne Of the log
house. I Can see the long lines Of ga
sweeping up in hne styls over the fields
but feel the colonels hand on ~
shoulder