The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1885-06-18
4 Coed wAs stsry.

Chubb won't git no vacation"
4 Coed Was Stsry.
Last February. while in Virginia. ! me-
With . gentleman who vas Ia the ARTILLERY
ssrvics during almost the whole Of III.
var. beng at Arst in 6sld service and thsr
shut mp in mortar batteries Il different
places When Petersburg WAS invested
he, sergeant. and his brother. lieutsn-
ant, we're in mortar battery situated neal
old Blauford cemetery. his brother being
in charge. The principal duty was Il
6rs at the federal batteries and draw their
Are. When the .isderals made demon
stration they had bomb.proofs to run into
Of course; but one can't stay In bomb
proof and fire battery At the same time
% might be supposed, they became more
familiar with pyrotechnic displays thar
they cared for. There was ono Union bat
terry 10 particular that always gave them
trouble whenever they fred Ut it. 1t was
known as the railroad iron" battery and
Was very heavily armed. Moreover, the
gunners therein thad the exact range Of
the Blanford battery, which was twice too
large, and it rarely required more than
ten minutes 10 run the conisderatss into
their bomb-proof. II was in the BIan-
ford battery that one Of the most curious
and at the time mysterious events Of the
war occurred.
zone night" said Sergeant Eggleston,
"ws we're working there in the battery
firing away 10 different directions, but
taking care TO keep our hands of the rail-
road iron battery, and watching the shells
Is they few around, occasionly jumping
into the bomb proof when one would light
10 out place. when t~o hne looking men.
whom We all took for general oficers sud
denly walked into the works. We could
not tell their exact rank. because they
wore white wsistcosts aud costs, they
looked as though they we're rank officers.
They walked up to George, addressed him
ss lieutenant, as though they knew him,
and said they had come out to SEQ some
mortar firing, aud hoped that he would
accommodate them II il was not inconven.
lent. George replied that he would be hap.
py to show them anything In that line,
aad turning 70 me, said:
Touch up the railroad battery, Joe."
Well. / wished that those chaps had
stayed in their tents; but l thought that it
wouldn't be very long before they would
be glad to get into the bombprooi, aud
that the rest Of us could get in also. SO
/ commenced TO touch up the railroad iron
place. In less than three minutes ws Lad
walked up the hornets' nest, and they were
raining shell into Us at fearful rate.
These fellows over there seemed TO know
tLi.. the occasion vas ~ unusual one. and
~ we're determined to give us al that
). .ui.. ssL Tor. The shells were drop
cd in . tho battery u.'' lone, !.
urstiog " around Us. and roln. O..s
10 foot b.. 's; but there stood those !.
lscsrs and L'sorss leaning up agair,s . /
lecs Of timber ad talking as cooIIy as i,
10y we're leaning on . fence thousand
lies away from p iece Of artillery. A
,elI came along and Gu that piece OF tim
II 10 two. and scattered 'plinters all over
's place; bat all that they did wss to lean
yainst fresh place and 20 on talking. /
on't bslisvs that either one Of the three
rem winked. came TO ths conclusion
'at they liked that thing tetter than Ibid,
ID I told one of the the gunners 10 shift
: gan aroand AaA piay on something
~. and pretty soon I shifted another,
4 the FIRE grsdullS died down. know
st George voald stand there snd be shot
till tie crack Of deom before lie would
gssst anything shout bomb. proofs. and
> other chaps didn't want 10 say any ,
ins unisas BE- did. They. talked on for
q OF Afteen minatss after the lire died
'vn. and then said that they would like
60 on 70 the skirmish line and zee whst =
y going on there, il he would SHOW /
EN- the way. He told them TO 60 out Of /
. battery on certain eide and follow
. path; they could not miss the. skir- :
ish Iins. They left after expressing ,
anks for our kind ness, but they did rot
: what their names we're. and George 1
= too polite 10 ask them. h
Nov the funny part Of II comes ia.
y nsst day George tried 70 find ont who
y vsp. but mono Of our officers bad !
% ont thsss. 1hs fact i. don't b.. d
~ that any Of sus oficsss had any whits .
'thes to vsar. and II George had only i,
ought moment be might have known j
4 noos Of them would bs roaming q
,usd - Eisbt 10 zee mortar firing. they ,
aid stay IN camp aud get enough Of s
Y. But be conld not find out vbo il
~ men we're. though every effort vas Il
'ds, - the thing began TO get mystsr-
w.
About tvo years ego. or longer. George =
) 90 - Ohio rivsr ssSamboat talking 70
nsn IN . saloon. shsn gentleman came d
ssd aid; ~