National Republican., 1883-05-10
TWO ARMIES IN A JUNGLE.
The First Night and the Dawn Of the Second
Day in the Wilderness.
Musings on Mortality While Waiting for
the Coffee to Boil,
he Startling Suggestions offered by the First Musket
Shot and the Ambulance Train.
THE wild Greeting by Which tho Boys
Knew They Were Finally "In."
Written for The Repubiican.


When we lay down 10 rest in tho Wilder
ness on tho night Of the fifth of May we
knew there was no voice on earth of suff-
cient authority to stay the slaughter Of the
morrow. Notwithstanding the appalling
butchery of the day just gone, neither one Of
the commanders dared risk his future by a
retrograde movement. Fate was remorse-
lessly pushing them on. SO far as the two
armies were concerned, the blood already
shed had only whetted the appetite for more,
and in the hours Of darkness tho giant wrest-
lers, like Anth@us Of old, were receiving
strength from contact with old mother earth.
] think that night must have been one OF
supreme anxiety to Grant and Lee. For the
first time during tho war they had felt each
others strength, and each must have been
convinced that in the other he had found
something like his match In daring as we'll as
skill. Grant had set the example by his at
tempt to move across tho face of vigilant
and active enemy on that enemy's own
ground. Lee responded by his prompt and
dextrous blow at an enemy who outnumbered
him considerably. The first days battle
had been fought in fragments, but the tramp
ing feet of thousands pouring up to the front
through the long hours of the night promised
the completion of hlled-out lines by the
morning sun. And while we slept-we, the
workmen, who were to furnish the manual
labor for the execution of the architects plans
they, the designers, thought and planned
and paced their tents, knowing that single
word from them would fill the air with sui
phur and fatten the lean earth with blood.
About an hour before daylight l awoke
with the impression that some crafty enemy
had stolen into camp and was jogging my
he NVtNl De har~A s..uv
vealed the presence of sharp stub upon
which L had been lying, and which, in the
course of the night, had penetrated my blau-
keJ and clothing. AS our bed chamber was o
the amplest dimensions, i sought another
couch few feet distant, and drew my "mar-
tial cloak " about me, but the pleasant
dream5" " refused to materaliZe. After num-
ber of g hops," to which the would-be sleeper
is generally given, / relinquished all hope of
dropping Oft and found comfort in O strong
pipe with my back against convenien
stump.
All about the earth was covered with little
mounds, dispersed in the rear of the long line
of gun stacks, which, quite plainly seen at
the nearest point, faded away to the right
and left in the obscurity. Among the Sleep
ers, the dim forms of the camp guard moved
with careful step. Now and then one of the
dreamers muttered something in smothered
tone, or turned uneasily in his sleep. And as
witnessed these evidences of life, wondered
was it some voice that came to tell them the
close of the coming day would find their
hours numbered, or was it the angel of death
brushing them with his wings, as he swept
through the darkness in his noiseess flight?
From somewhere in the forest at intervals
the querulous cry of whip-poor-will came
floating down on the quiet air, and passed
along, cleaving the night like the wall of a
dying child. So still, and yet under that
brooding silence 100000 soldiers lay, awaiting
the coming of day to begin their woful task.
All round the long, black line of woods lay
heavy against the lighter sky, and out of the
great dome the stars twinkled and cleaned,
those silent sentinels on the heights Of
heaven. .
"All men think all men mortal but them
selves" ConstitutionalIy timid myself-or,
at least, not constitutionally braye-it may
seem strange that in my speculations on the
fate of the sleeping ones before ME was for
getful of the fact that the doom to which |
assigned SO many of them might we'll be my
wn. The grim archer would that day shoot,
into the herd at exceedingly short range
and, while TO many the shaft was certain, it
was possible to all. Recalling the character
istics of each, could think of but few within
my range of acquaintances whose companion
ship l would readily relinqush. great
many individualities are necessary to supply
the wants of one. This one furnishes amuse-
ment; that one instruction another stirs you
into energy; a fourth soothes; still others
bring to you relaxation from care, friendship
almost pure, devotion or some other need,
while to u few is reserved the unhappy privi-
lege of constituting themselves frightful ex-
amples of everything undesirable and afford
ing foundation for the doctrine of instinct
i've dislikes.
While singing out those whom would be
most willing to give up the line which begins
l..... LIE A
mind, and for a few moments was decidedly
uncomfortable. l had been coolly disposing
of my friends as a FIJI potentate would desig-
nate which of his chums he would have served
up for dinner, and here was set back of the
most pronounced character But fell back
on the soldiers philosophy, which was only
that of the fatalist in another form: when
your time comes, it has come, and what are
you going to do about it?' and relapsed into
IA state of indifference or resignation
A gray band in the east, gradually enlarg-
ing, and edged with dull yellow, ushered
in the day of battle. The dim, rounded out
lines Of the forest resolved themselves into
sharp spurs and projections in the growing
light, and there was a gradual emergence of
surrounding objects into definite shape The
bundles of humanity behind the line of stocks |
went through a season of agitation, and be- |
fore the advancing day had routed the |
shadows from the face of the earth each man
was pcnulhB oNcr MS ilbtlo Ilo preparing MS
frugal breakfast.
As yet no sound came from within the |
jungle TO indicate the presence of two J
mighty armies standing face TO face. As |
peaceful rs nature in her most genial mood, |
the landscape stretched out on all sides in the |
thin mist of the early dawn, which shrouded |
without hiding its fresh verdancy.
thought they would begin ut daylight" |
said Capt. d., as he leisurely slipped cup of |
coffee, the chief merit of which lay in its |
high degree Of temperature.
Good heavens! man." exclaimed Lieut..
X; II you were running this machine, | |
should want TO get mild wound and a
ninety day leave of absence in the first fight |
of each campaign, There wouldn't be
enough men left in O week to bury your
dead"
There's something going on at the colonel's
tent" said the captain, looking oil TO the rear
at the canvas structure which, in this early
stage of the campaign sheltered the person
OF our regimental commander. Later in the
season colonels Jared no better than privates
in the matter of quarters.
can't see anything strange there" re-
turned tho senior lieutenant.
Why the officers are all going that way.
suppose the old man has got his usual lecture
TO deliver; Now, gentlemen, for the honor of
the command, &c, &c, &c, ad libitum, ad nau-
seam. i don't need TO bo told about my DUTY
Plagonit | can recite the articles of war like
"A well-educated parrot now. | wonder what
10 means though. We haven't even been
invited"
"There's nobody there but tho adiutant
and old Stick-in- the-mud Cartar aud ~ ,o,t |