Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-11-20

4 OF PoDdtroGs wheels and clouds OF dust
| vas greatly surprised. becs0se years
ago had for2otten the Simplest oom
n anes used IN the lixtt artillery drill
As Law awake thinking of the dream,
Of the scores OF dead mems fssts, of tue
| Old war days, vsen life was bari IN the
! Gid Harbvr trenches. and on dusty
roads and bfIsk and bloody bst'le fields.
| the knoxleds- o. tie drill and the reepi
lection Il the dead mems faces faded
10 sly from. NV mind la spite of ms
most Intense II IT coaid not retain
| ~ rescQRired knowledge. A. write
| an reD-9b,r bat one or two of the
q mmands u.ed In the driI. Tbs ex-
lerieuc- Was startling IL It possible
that kuosl-dge ogee acquired Is neve'
'o>t tn brain onse chang d IS charged
| forever!
NV brother, B8ysrd. at the age of 10
"a. is command Of Battery G. FJurii
| United ). ates Artillery. He Sss s'rafk
| from his horse by solid shot shOrll,
liter tie battle of G ttysb1r1 op=ned,
! and kill-d. IL Is seldom thai the rel4
lives of tLose Ii led 10 battle know who
killed them. Oar family know who
killed nv brother. Ny father once
talked alb ut the var With bar 70 1p
/ gUIur sue, u VI II
-ral, nov living. The talk drifted, as
all talks do, TO incidents of bloody co
tests. The Confederate General told
bin of picking Unien artillery officer
off of his horse at Gettysburg. Vividly
he described the swinging into battery
of the Uaion artillery. Ficturesquely
be told of young officer directing the
ire OF his guns, and of the havoc il pro
duced IN the Confederate ranks. Then,
with blazing eyes, be told how be dis
mounted and rushed into battery of
English rified guns that was in action
IN front of him, and said, as
he pointed with outstretched arm to
my brother: Kill that artillery officer
for me-that one on the black horse
Get him out of the way. He is smash
lng our infantry. Kill him!" A few
shots were fired at him and missed.
Then" the Confederate General said,
II spranR 70 gun" He illustrated his
movements by springing into the center
| of the room and crouchinR over myth
icsi twelve FOUNDER. He sighted the
gun with keen eyes. srefully, lightly
ne tapped the trail with his hand. nov
on one side, now on the other. Slowly
he twisted the handles of the elevatinR
screw, now no, nov down. Then with
a bound he spranR clear of the mythical
wheels and shouted, FIRE.. Intently
he watched the fight Of a supp1sitl-
tious English cannon bolt, indicating
its flight the while BY pointing his
finger. He clapped his hands lightly,
and said with glee, ut is good shot
it has killed the Union officer" and he
smiled brightly on my fathers infor-
mant. Yes, it was good shot, but ii
cost my father his eldest son and the
joy of living, and cost me a beloved
brother.
| l was feur years younger than my
brother, but the affection between Us
WAS exceedingly close. From. my tod
ding childhood until he entered the
army / was almost constantly with him.
was Is years old when heard that be
had bsen killed, and was almost beside
myself with silent, fearless grief, which
speedily gave way to an intense desire
for revenge. promptly ran away from
home and enlisted in a battery of artil-
lery. When p or food, hard work and
exposure weakened me, during Grants
Virginia campaign, | became fever
stricken. Nv sleep was uneasy and
dreamful. Then my dead brother Was
always with me o. nights. He would
ride into the battery when We were
engaged in dream sction-blo DDS
and fierce always-and his hand
come face would bl4zs with bsttle-lieht
Or We would be ia the woods together
noatiBg grouse or the hickory trees on
the old homestead farm would he brow
II leaf and heavy with nuts, which ut
gathered. As grew weaker aud weaker
md more and more feverish. he was
With me if closed nv eyes for An N
St-nl's sleep. Ii Was hs who. after the
horrible bu cherry at Cold Harbor, and
IN frost of Petsrshurg. insisted that
shsnld 90 IN Adiutant Gsnersl s I'll
Will ans Iii and get the order fol-
nv discharge. that | knes had been
living there for a month. Az the recol
IectiOns of the var faded frsm the
minds of men. NV brother visited IN
i-ss and less, and fin llv O. tsad to ap.
pear in nv dreams For years / had
us, seen him.
Nov for tue DEAN. It was early % IRA
inr, just before suaris-. | heard ,ots
and saddles" briskly blown on bnyle
It broaeht me to nv fest. Iop.ned mS
bedroom window and at p bed out upon
he roof OF bav widow, and sat ON
the rail that su-mounts il. Vas in nv
night shirt. Drwn the street. 60 the
vest, he ,rd the rumbls of artillery "a
the ponderous wheels revolved heavily
over the bard road. hen came toe
sharp command, Head of column, 70
the right" and Battery G.. Fourth
United States Artillery. With my brother
at its head, marched up thu road.
Was surprised to see the battery, and
amazed to sac my brother. He VAS still
10. His clothes were tattered and worn,
his saber was rusty. his saddle shah
by, and his shoes in holes. When the
battery was opposite my house IL halted
! be men stood by the guns looking at me
as sat- in night dress on the bay WIN.
dow rail. / had served in batteries A
Z, F. G aud ii Of the Fourth United
States Artillery. and il was with a shud
der that | realized that the stslwsrt
Young Irishmeu, who stood by the guns
we're all men whom | knew to be dead
Many had seen torn to bits by sh,t or
shell others. to my certain knowledge,
had been shot dead With rifls balls. 1t
looked as though the dad of the reQi-
ter battery. The only man saw whom
I did not know to be dead, vas tn,
eualer Of Battery A. a variike Jew
named Ssmnels. He rode by the
side Of my brother. In his hand be
carried the crimson. gold -lsstered gui
don Of that battery. And the bat
tery Ii vas of eight guns. Bot
such guns! Cannon With great
pieces knocked out Of their muxzles
chunks smashed out of their necks, anc
other chunks torn ont of their ereeches
Cannon vith trunnions of, and vitn.
out elevatine screws. Cannsu vithou,
supporting checks. that were tied With
ropes 10 axle bodies Threshold guns
Napoleons, hovitzcss aud Parrots, all
damaged. none fit for service. Gals
soma with but the remnants Of ammu
milton chests on their side rails. Linn
oers that consisted of wheels and poles
only. A battery wagon With its aide
torn out, and q foriorn looking forge,
vere 10 the rear Of the column. IL vas
ss though the artillery driftAge. cast 90
BY the ebo and how Of battle tide, had
been seized by desperate soldiers and
extemporized into q battery. and hur-
RED 10 the battle here to aid In repelliup
fierce charge.
After had inspected this grim look
inc battery, my brother rode iuto nv
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