Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-12-16
TIE FIRST GUN.
On the Pennsylvania and Maryland
Boundary, July /,
1858.
[aJ. R.nin Chicaeo News. !.

-. r" in Chicago News.
The day was torrid-one of those sections
of time which seem to have been moved up
from the internal regions for the special tor
ment of man and beast. Out on the dusty
road, which drew its yellow sinuous length,
like a gorgeous serpent, toward the north I'M
til it passed out of sight over a neighboring
hill, a few figures moved laziIy along A
sentry by the roadside wiped his heated fore
head at every turn he made on his short beat,
and Noticed that he fingered lovingly and
oftenest at the point where his path passed
under the thin-leaved branches of a parched
cherry tree. 1t was one of those days when
out of the excessive heat and the silence it en-
genders there seems to grow an ominous fore
boding of something fearful to be Temenl
bered through all coming time
and as we thus lay, partly sheltered from
the glowing sun, Offering fragmentaTy sug-
gestions and then relapsing into the inertia
which seemed to hold all nature in its grasp,
out OF the distant north came a faint, far-of
sound, quivering as it passed along the hot
Biz and sweeping Off TO the south
'Harkg' exclaimed one of the recumbent
party, as he raised himself on his elbow and
listened intently; ''that's a gun"
And then as another and another faint
Of sound than sound itself, we knew that
somewhere beyond the wavy yellow haze
with which the midday sun boroered the
landscape within view, men were sternly
working the engines of death, and shot were
crashing through human lives and crunching
human bones.
It was not D new sound to any of us, but
weeks had gone by since we had heard it, and
| its peculiar significance lay in the fact that,
like the song Of the sirens it would draw
within the vortex all who came under It's
magic spell.
We did not know then, as we afterward
knew, that away up there beyond tie cir
cumsclibed horizon, why're those o1ninous
sounds had birth, our comrades were fighting
! an almost hopeless fight, going down Ike
leaves before an autumna4 gale, Tetreating
before force whose long lines Tapped their
scanty front, rallying, fighting on and dying
! to hold the ground upon which should be
! fought the most Inomentous battle of modern
| times.
So we lay and listened, and as the faint
pulsations grew in volume men and officers
| forsoOk their shady coverts and came out to
the edge of the road as if thinking they could
better hear along the highway than from the
contiguous field.
| And soon, over the brow of the hill; where
the road banded the slope with its bright
| golden ribbon, a rider came into view,
furiously squirting his fast-faiing horse.
L shall never forget the effect of the sudden
appearance of this desperate horseman as he
burst into view on the summit of the ridge,
surrounded by a halo of glittering dust,
which, spattered up by his horses feet, hung
in the still air, an amber cloud. Outinto the
hot sunshine with a rush came hundreds OF
half-clad men, who lined the road On either
side and threw at him broadside OF
questions as he passed through.
Covered as he was with dust. his rank was
indistinguishable; he looked out ahead
through gray mask, and on the sides of his
exhausted horse little rivulets OF blood
sTeamed away from the spurs until theil
courses were choBed in marsh of scarlet
lnire.
1t was not strange that we crowded about
him with our eager inquiries, for he was the
link which bound US to tho tragedy that wa.
being enacted away over the Pennsylvania
hills. A dozen canteens were he'd up to him
but he refused them all, waving them away
with his hand IS he asked:
"Where are your headQuartersp'
A hundred hands pointed to the white tent
bleaching in the sunlight few yards in tn
rear, and he lifted his painting beast to it
: work, saying, as he moved on:
''The First corps is in and badly cut up"
We knew our call would Instantly come
and each one set about the task Of preparin;
for the march. In few moments bugl
blast came up from headquarters and wa
echoed at once by the weird melody Of tn
regimental bugles calling the boys into tn
ranks.
In fifteen minutes we we've strapped UP an
out on the road, headed to the north towar
the field where the grass was growing GRIN
L son and mangled soldiers were crawling on
, of the hot sun under the shade III the bushe
j, to die
: Mile after mile we covered with weary fee
I over the hot, strangling dust, through COZ
Y vistas Of forest, by scattered farm house
4 whose occupants had left their labor an
e leaned Oh the fences looking with curiou
: wistful faces on the long column rolling u
Y to the front. Under the terrible heat th
battery horses struggled on with their tongue
o lolling out, dry and cracked by the dust
! men gasped and tottered and fell by the roae
g side unnoticed; brigades were cut down I
i regiments, and regiments were reduced t
y companies; but through it all came the ster1
II merciless:
&c ''Forward! boys forward" And "
le plunged on.
"a In front, growing nearer and clearer wit
y every step we took, the thunder Of the gun
n swept along, beating the hot air as with il
"a visible wings, and as we approached the tiel
Il the long, crashing roll Of nusketry told US,
y unnaistakable tones, the battle Of Gettysbul
lie was on.