St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-04-09
The Last Night of Fredericks-
burg.

After day of what was called rest
from the stress of battle, but really of
confusion and sOlicitude, a broken
bivOuac on the pavement in the town,
amidst the enemy's shells crashing
through the roofs and walls, by turns
dreaming or wakefully expecting that
Lee would take advantage of our stu
alton to strike our right flank and
drive us into the river, we had man
aged at dark to sink into a dismal sort
of sleep.
But suddenly we were summoned
three regiments-tO move forth to
some unknown service. Picking our
way amidst the terrible relics of the
battle up to that fatal front again, we
found here, mingled with the thick
strewn dead, and scarcely to be dis
tinguished from them, thin line of
our troops, lying flat on their faces
and fairly shivering with apprehen-
sion. And with reason. For it was
not sOldierly qualities alone that were
tested by that experience. So far out
beyond support, with only the CHASTITY
lines of the dead behind, and the half
disembOdied horrors around, scarcely
more than a hundred yards from the
enemy's Qualifications, the rltte-plts of
their picket line close in front, strange,
stealthy movements heard at intervals,
then lost in dismal gusts of wind, and
the muTky darkness wrapping all as
with a shrOud, a sense of strange de-
fenselessness might naturally seize the
mind, a feeling of lurking evil against
which all mortal weapons are vain. TO
he creeping about amidst these en-
blems of the satanic power to hurt,
sure only that every living human be-
ing before you and perhaps around
YOU is an enemy whose one object is to
compass your destruction-this is sit
uatiOn and Il business wherein the
man of stOutest physical courage and
the soldier of highest discipline may
find that he has something of himself
yet to learn.
We knew now that our business was
to picket the front above the town. OF
the rest we knew nothing. The troops
whom we relieved informed us with
the extreme of frankness that just after
dark a whole brigade of ours had been
Crushed Off from that spot, and the
enemy had planted II battery so rs to
enfilade the position and sweep away
the whole line at the first dawn /; and
also had been pushing up their picket
line and rifle-pits all the night close
upon our own. Our friends babe us a
significant gOOd-bye-a curious min
Cling of emotion, half glad for them
selves, half sad for us-and filed away
silently down the slope.
''HOld this ground at all hazards,
and to the very last" This was the
only order or instruction we received.
1t was long stretch for us, and the
men had to be stationed by the rule of
few and far between. Cropping eau
tiously about, we got hold of some
picks and spades that were scattered
around, and each man went to work
with "a will to settle himself into the
ground that seemed about the surest
way to F'hold it." Each few or each
alone threw up little earthwOrk COW
ering their front and right, as a man
would protect his head from blow by
raising his right elbow. 1t was the
right especially that must be made
strong; to guard against the expected
Smelling from that quarter, so that a
shot striking in the line would not be
likely to kill more than the men in any
one pit.
We worked in silence, speaking only
in whisper, and with the least possible
movement that might expose the per-
son in relief against the sky, for dark
as it was such a disclosure was sure to
bring a shot. Often we were inter
rupted by vague alarms; the men
would drop their spades and seize their
muskets and sink on their knees, ready
for the cOniectured blow.
We were anxious that the men
L IL.
to throw the earth on the angle need
ing protection. My over-anXiety for
this brought some sharp and uneX-
pected warnings. Feeling along what
believed to he my line, | came upon
IL man settling himselfintO his pit with
what seemed to me more diligence
than Judgment. "ThrOw to the other
side. my man that's where the trouble
is" my undertone braced with the con
fidence of superior wisdom. "DOn't
We s'pOse ] know where them Ganks
lie 2 They're right on to us nOww
was the imperturbable answer of the
man, who, | was thankful to find, was
thinking more of his own business
than of mine. dig away then, and
keep a sharp lookout for 'em !" was the
somewhat rapidly enunciated reply,
which advice | proceeded to put into
prompt execution myself, after tigur-
ative Interpretation.
The men had now got themselves
pretty well secured, when a sudden
chatter came up from the left, and n
voice called out, "Where is the officer
commanding this line 7" He was ex-
cited and evidently not enjoying his
mission. "The whole army is across
river. Get ont of this as quick as God
will let You - was his highly condensed
message. "WhO are you, sir 7" | ask
ed with severity not wholly feigned. |
He gave his name and rank on the
staff. REPORT yourself to your gen
eral in arrest :" was my return to him
for this intelligence. you're crazy"
he rejoins you've got all you can do |
not to be gobbled up as it is ~ The !
men who heard this were scrambling
out of their pits. STEADY as you are, |
my men, this is a stampeding coward" |
Some of the officers came running up. |
ARREST this man for a spy, and hold |
fast your lines" was my word to them. |
Order being restored in the line, took |
the staff officer aside for mutual ex-
PLANTATION. He was wrought up to a |
high pitch 10y the strain of the long |
effort To find us, along that dark and !
perilous front. Repeating that our
army was already across the river, and |
that he had been sent to direct us to |
the remaining pontoOn bridge, he
apolOgized for his rashness in deliver
ing his message, on the plea that he
did not know the enemy's pickets were
so near; and in turn ! explained the
necessity of my rough treatment of
him, to seem to contradict and coun-
him, that the men on both
sides, who must have distinctly heard
him, might be kept in their places