Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1884-06-12

breathe In such an enfilading fire as the
IRON monsters in the forts could pour on
an advancing enemy; besides this inter.
val Is lined with rifle pits; now these
are nothing but high earth embank-
ments with the ditch inwards, and were
the invention of Gen. Pillow, who failed
in making a breastwork and stumbled
on this idea. Maj. Calls life is bound
to be eventful: in three days after he
reached his new command, he was en-
gagged in desperate battle with the
rebels under Breckenridge and Early
around these Notifications. The Maj
or thinks that Breckenridge wanted am
munltlon, for almost every man, officer
OF private in the reserve corps carries
some lead in his body which the rebels
would like to get. He feels just pride
in hi regiment and corps, and declares
they saved Washington. The rebels
fought us three days says the Major
1T was formidable invasion dsigned,
to devastate Maryland and Pennsylva-
MIA with fire and sword. The last day
OF the fight the rebels must have had
$4,000 men in line of battle. | COM
manded ut Fort Brand; concealed
battery annoyed us; we could see its
lying flakes of smoke. | pushed out
on horseback to discover the precise To-
cation of the battery so as to insure its
destruction when our guns should be
ready to open fire upon it. fell upon
line of rebel sharpshooters; their bull
lets whlstled around me. l spurred
away for dear life, but | discovered the
place of the fated gunners. Signals
wese given and | never beheld such y
glorious sight; the batteries of three
adjoining forts hurled their balls and
shells upon the rebel battery. They burst
over it, around it and in it. Cannon
jumped from their wheels and plunged
into the earth; gunners turned somer-
set, went up in the smoke and came
down in drops. The survivors ran
away from the iron hail, and no rebels
disturbed my section of the defences
again. Mount this horse, | will show
you what war does" On we dash ON a
ferocious cavalry horse, over the battle
ground; there is field as bare as Sa-
hara: the best corn in Maryland grew
there few days ago; ii is trodden
down like a brick yard. There stood
President Lincoln cheering ON his sol
diers; surgeon is shot down by his
side, Surely that means me, said the
President, "a sad mistake for my
friend the DOCTOR Give them the
Presidents Proclamation. roared the
gunners. Here lone chimney marks
the place where once stood n fine resi-
dence; nobody has right to build in
the range of artillery. so the house was
reduced to ashes. Bravely the work
OF destruction went on, and the works
OF man were DESTROYED in his rage.
Minnie balls have passed through these
oak rails; they go in like lamb and
come out like a lion; they tear their
way out like the demon who was ex-
PEELED from the maniac. A six pound
ball has entered that house by the lane
through well defined, round hole; but
it has grown To the size of mill stone
on the opposite side, and carries away
a large part of the wall. Here tree
has been cut off and the upper half car
ried away, ''for Birnam'5 wood had
come to Dunsinane. And here lie 40
union soldiers who died to give me the
safety | was now enjoying. They lie
side by side, neat headboard speaks
the name and regiment, new picket
fence encloscs tue ground, and monu-
ment is TO be erected to their memory.
And here is place where shell burst
! and killed six of our men at once. The
earth is torn up as if some demon had
tried there to rend and force his way to
the internal regions. o, Mr.. c., what
said those quivering limbs; those ghast-
" wounds, those shriekS of agony?
Cursed be war, cursed be treason, slav-
cry. rebellion, twin furies! Ii we do not
crush this rebellion and its cause, your
children and mine will fall as did those six
men. And behind yonder hill lie the
bodies of three hundred rebels: the last
ditch was dug and they were rolled in
to it. Aye, such is war! We left the
pike and gallopped by the side of q
corn field and found ourselves in a
beautiful grove shaded by tall syca-
mores, sylvan scene. We heard the
merry fall of water, and there was Sill
Yer Springs, on the premises of Mont
;, omery Blair. The water bubbles out
o. marble fountain, and marble walls
enclose it. A thousand better springs
in old Grant have no such costly adorn-
ings. There is dipper for the travel
Ter Here were breckenridge head
quarters. The dwelling house is burnt
to the ground. The fine edifice of his
father near by is untouched. We called
on Mrs. Blair, the mother of all the
Blairs. She occupies a stately mansion
with maiden daughter and neice.
Mai. Calls had extended his pickets to
embrace her premises at her particular
request. She told the Major she was
under his protection and felt perfectly
safe why the Union soldiers, !" said
she care the best men | ever saw
They have all theself respect and NOR
al department of Cromwelfs lronsides
Tell your men," said she to the Major,
ito watch the peaches when they fall;
these belong to them. Whatever have
| will divide with my protectors.
Learning who | was she told me she
knew that all my relations We're union
men. She knew them when she lived in
Frankfort, Kentucky. She insisted we
should come and take dinner with her to-
morrow. II know YOU and Montgomery
will agree exactly" Il cannot dine with
you tomorrow as much as | desire it
Mrs. B., but | have one of Montgom-
erys speeches in my pocket, | will read
that tomorrow" She gave me some
peaches to take home as a memento,
and | promised her visit in the good
time coming when the war is over. SO
under the guns of Fort Stephens, found
one of the most Intellectual women of
the nation, one who shone bright in the
world of beauty and fashionin the haley
on days of Calhoun and jackson. She is
well acquainted with thepersonal history
of all the leading men of her time. she
informed Col Calls of one fact that he
did not know. "You have under the
range of your guns the only daughter
of Mr.. Calhoun; her husband, Col.
Calls, is fighting You in the rebel army,
and she claims the protection of the
stars and stripes; take care sir of the
grapevine telegraph Col. Calls said
he did not know who the lady was that
occupied that house but it had been re-
Gently destroyed. She denounces the
rebel General Breckenridge with all the
sincerity and eloQuence of the wizard
Of Lochiel. He was Vice President of
| the United States once, candidate for
the Presidency, now an outcast. cattle
drover. except he steals the cattle, an
incendiary. burning up the very house
that SO often sheltered him and his in
firm and amiable wife whom he has
deserted He looked wistfully at the
spires of Washington; so Satan gazed
into Heaven when he passed by it once.
He could not enter there, and in his view
petty larceny. burglary, and arson is
{ sa,r. 81. .a.ssat. \