St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-04-23

wounded men going to the rear, also
good many who were not wounded,
going in the same direction. Gen.
Howe placed one or two regiments
across the road to stop these stragglers
and the rest of the division formed line
on the left of the road. Just at dark
my company (C) and Co. X went out
as skirmishers, but were not engaged !;
we remained on the skirmish line all
night. At daylight we were relieved,
and came in, found the regiment just
getting coffee /; we were just getting
our coffee on the fire, when we were in
terrupted by the fire of rebel battery,
just beyond some woods in our front,
which began firing at the smoke of our
fires. This firing was so accurate that
the shells soon began to knock the
that place without the coffee. Com
panies G. and X at once went on the
skirmish line and came out of the
woods in front of this battery, and lying
down within 1000 yards of them, had Il
good chance to watch their practice.
Soon after we moved farther to the left
and a line was formed, so that our di-
vision was facing directly toward
Fredericksburgh or nearly south. The
LIST division was facing west and the
Sd division nearly 2 miles in our rear
facing north, so that the corps occupied
three sides of square, with the rebels
on all sides but one, that one towards
the river at Banks ford. The 3D. VT.
was soon sent to support the lst Mary
land battery, which was stationed on
slight rise of ground, with open
ground in front but thick woods to
battery and so remained till nearly D
o'clock. During the afternoon while
lying behind this battery, everything
was very quiet with the exception of
an occasional shot from the skirmish
ers, all was still.
But we all knew that the storm was
coming, and we all felt that the old 9th
corps was in a very tight place. There
have been good many accounts i'll
the National Tribune lately of men
who had premonitions of death before
battle. But here is one of contrary
nature. While we were lying behind
this battery, Corporal John CrOsen of
my company, in talking of the proba-
bilities of death, said that he had
firm belief that the lead was not yet
dug to make the bullet to kill him.
One hour after CrOsen lay dead with
bullet through the head. The LIST Ma
ryland battery, behind which we were
lying, consisted of six lO-pOund ritied
guns as the battery was on the top
of the ridge, and we were lying down
just below them, we had no chance to
see what was taking place in front, but
could judge what was going on by the
noise and by the orders given in the
battery The Goth N. j., nine-mOnths
regiment attached to our brigade, was
on the skirmish line in front.
Between and o'clock the sharp
popping on the skirmish line and the
stir in the battery told us that the fight
was beginning. The battery loaded
with shell, and we heard the order,
1.-Two second fuse !" Now when guns
are loaded with shell, the fuse is cut
by the man who passes it out of the
timber chest, so that the shell will eX-
plode in a certain length OF time after
it leaves the gun. So by the orders of
the captain as to time of fuse, we could
Judge how close the rebels were get
ting. The firing in front was heavy
and the skirmishers were coming in,
but they were green men, and they
came in directly in front of our guns.
The captain rushed out in front and
swung his saber and shouted to them
to turn out to the right, or left, so as
to give him a chance to fire, without
firing through them, but they paid no
and gave the order to fire. L have no
doubt that many of the Jersey men
were killed here by our own fire. We
now heard the rebel yell, and the lead
was whistling through and over the
battery at a great rate, the guns were
being fired as rapidly as possible, 81
shots minute to each gun. The order
for fuse had been changed from sec
onds to IL seconds, second, and then
canister, and in a minute more, double
canist' +, and then came the order to
us, "AttentiOn, left face, forward,
double quick !" and away we went,
perhaps three times the length of the
regiment, halted, and came to the
front. As we went from behind the
batteries | could see them limbering
up and going back on the gallop. AS
we went by the flank, on the double |
quick, saw a man in the company |
ahead throw up his hands and fall
headlong, but there was no stopping to
see who it was or how badly hurt.
When we came to the front we march
ed up the little rise of ground, till we
could just see over it; we were then
just in front of the woods which l said |
was on the left of the battery. The |
I'd Vt. regiment was on our left /; |
where they came from l don't know,
but recOllect seeing them, and think
they opened fire when we did. The
rebel line of battle was just coming !
out of the woods as we got there, and |