The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1885-08-04
THE MYSTERIOUS OFFICERS.
A "Reminiscences Of the Siege of Pc.
tersburE.


A Rcminiscence Of the Siege of Pc.
tersburE.
Last February, while in Virginia, says
a writer in the Chicago Times, met
with gentleman who was in the artille
ry service during almost the whole OF
the war, being at lrst In the field SER
vice and then shut no 10 mortar batte-
ries at different places. When Peters,
burg WAS invested, he, q sergeant, and
his brother, a lieutenant, were 10 NOR
tar battery situated near the old Bland
ford cemetery, his brother being in
charge Their principal duty was to FIRE
at the FEDERAL batteries aud draw their
fire. When the Federals made a
demonstration they had bomb proofs to
run into. Of course; bat one can't stay
in bomb proof and Gre mortar at-ihe
same time, and, as might be supposed,
they became more familiar with pyro-
iechnic displays than they cared for -
There was one Union battery 10 partic.
ular that alwa,s gave them trouble
whenever they fred at il. 1t was known
as the "railroad iron" battery, ard was
verv heavily armed Moreover, the gun.
ners therein had the exact range OF the
Bandford battery, which was twice too
large. and it rarely required more than
ten minutes to run the Confederates into
their bomb proof. 1t VAS in this Bland
ford battery that one OF the most curious
and at the time mysterious. events Of the
war occurred.
Zone night" says Sergeant Eygles,on,
tive we're working there in the battery
firing away in different directions. but
taking care to keep our hands of The
railroad iron battery, and watching the
shells as they few around, occasionally
Jumping into the bomb proof when one
would light in our place, when two fine
looking men whom we all took for gen.
eral officers, suddenly walked into the
works. We could not tell their exact
rank, because they wore white wais,coats
and coats, but they looked as though
they were rank officers They walked up
to George. addressed him as lieutenant
as though they knew him. and said tha,
they had come out to see some mortar
firing, and hoped that he would accom-
modate them il it was not inconvenient
George replied that he would be happy
to show them anything in that line, and
turning to me. said, Touch up the rail.
road-iron battery, Joe.' Well l wished
that those two chaps had stayed in their
tents; but thought that it would not be
very long before they would be glad to
get into the 0ombproof, and that the res,
Of US could 60 in them also. So com.
menced to touch up that railroad.iron
place. In less than three minutes We
had walked up the hornets nest, and they
we're raining shells into US at terrific
rate.
"Those fellows over there seemed to
know that the occasion was an unusua
one, and they were determined to give
as all that we could ask for The shellt
were dropped into our battery like hail
stones, bursting all around US, and roll
ing around like footballs; but there
stood those two officers and George
leaning up against a piece of timber and
talking as coolly as il they we're leaning
on fence thousand miles away from
q piece OF artillery. A shell came along
and cut that piece OF timber in two, and
scattered splinters all over the place; bu'
su that they did was 20 lean against q
fresh place and 60 on talking. I don''
believe that either one Of the three even
winked. ! came to the conclusion tina,
they liked that thing better than ! did
and told one of the gunners to shift
his gun around and play on something
else, and pretty soon l shifted another
and the fire gradually died down ]
knew that George would stand there and
be shot at till the crack oidoom before be
would suggest anything about bomb.
proofs, ana the other chaps didn't want
to say anything unless he did. Well,
they talked on for ten or fifteen minutes
after the fire died down, and then said
that they would like TO 60 on to the skir.
mish line and see what was going on
there, II he would show them the way
He told them to 60 out of tue battery
on certain side and follow the path
they could not miss the skirmish line -
They lett after expressing their thanks
for our kindness, but they did not say
what their names were, and George was
too polite to ask them.
"Now the funny part of it comes in
The next day George tried to find oui
who they we're, but none of our officers
had been out there. The fact Is, dom,
believe that any OF our officers had anv
white clothes to wear, and II George had
only thought a minute he might have
known that none of them would be
roaming around at night to see mortar
firing; they could stay in camp and get
enough of that. But he could not find
ont who those men we're, though every
effort was made, as the thing began to
get mysterious.
"About two years ago, or longer,
George was on an Ohio river steamboat
talking to man in the saloon, when q
gentleman came up and said: Are you
not the lieutenant who was in command
of mortar battery near B andford Gem
etery ct Perersburgr Yes he ans
wered. And don't you remember two
officers coming to your battery one night
and saying that they had come out to
see some mortar firingr Yes; and l
have been looking for them ever since.'
"Well, ] am one OF them; l am Gen
=, OF the Union armv at that time, and
nv companion was Gen =, also of the
Union armv.' i am very glad TO meet
vOu,' said Lieutenant Eggleston, but II
| had known who you we're at that time,
you would not be talking to me now
so knew, them was the reply. we
did start out to see mortar firing, just as
l told you; and we also intended to go
on to the skirmish line. But we got into
the wrong battery. You remember that
our skirmish line ran up to what was a
marsh when we first got to Petersburg,
and that 1t really pointed behind your
line Well, we got TO the end Of our
line at the marsh, but it had dried up,
and after We had wandered around there
for a while. confused by the shells flying
in different directions, we suddenly found
ourselves right at your battery. We sat
there in The ditch for almost two hours.