The Washington critic., 1885-12-02
wArCH1NG A ClYNoN-BdLL.
Not ut ill Pleasant Whom II is Making
Directly for You.

Not ut A1I Pleasant Whom it Is Making
Directly for You.
Speaking about sharpshooters' said
the mounted orderly, II was once
target for rebel battery, aud the man
who sighted the piece came very near
getting me. II was on the Boydton
plank road, March 81, 1865 Our lines
ran across the road The infantry had
thrown up little work for their own
protection, and were hugging the
ground pretty closely. A New Hamp-
shire battery was stationed near the
road, and exchanged shots occasionally
with two. gun battery in au embrasure
on an elevated part of the road near
where the White Oak road meets the
Boydton plank. My orders were to go
down the line and tell the rcgimcntal
commanders where to get their ammu-
milton, as the skirmish that was going
on might break out into battle at any
moment.
81 noticed that the rebel gunner was
a pretty good shot, and was finding the
New Hampshire men too often for
their comfort. Being mounted, the lit
tie breastwork neither protected nor
concealed me. Delivering my message
to the colonel, the left of whose regi-
ment extended to the plank road, |
prepared TO make run for it and take
my chances of getting across safe. My
horse seemed to sense the situation
and went off as if he meant to win.
The distance was not over 200 yards,
o,,l Nxrn a., ~, Of I,a,
puff, booml and down came the shot
Old Charley knew what 1t meant as
well as / did, and he was running for
his life, for only speed could now save
him and his rider. Fast as we were
going it seemed to me as il we actually
stood still. While canonball may not be
seen going across your vision, coming
straight for you it isquite plain. Icould
see that ball swooping down upon me
as plainly as If 1t were baseball, and |
behind the catcher. The really small
fraction of a second that was occupied
in my passage of the road seemed like
several minutes. | was sure it would
strike me or the horse, and | wondered
which it would be. In case ii missed
me, calculated how far the horse
would throw me when he went down.
Something wished to have told my
brother, who wasin my regiment, came
up in my mind. The smoke from the
cannon formed background for the
ball, which stood out in painful relief
against the sulphurous cloud. At first
| was confident the ball would 90
through me, but then | noticed it was
curving down, and made sure would
only lose a leg. This would be my
right leg, and, as had already been
wounded in the left leg and recovered,
| reckoned should get out Of it if the
boys took me back TO our own brigade
surgeon in any kind of season. Down,
down sunk the ball and up and up rose
my spirits Finally-for it seemed as
if the crisis would never be reached
| the ball struck the ground not 10 PAGES
away ,richocheted and went just over my
head with scream of rage and dsap-
pointment that was almost human. The
boys along the line, who, it seems, had
been watching me, set up hearty
cheer, as the cannon ball and the
mounted orderly failed to connect. 1t
was an excellent line shot, and that ar
tillerist was no mean marksman. One
more grain of powder in his cartridge,
and he would have had me sure. When
the ball went clear of me, it seemed as
if | was tall as stecple. Whoever
served those guns knew his business
well, for not long after he sent shell
into house farther down the road,
and killed the adiutant-gcneral of the
Second corps. During the day Grant
and his staff rode across the same
place, and the rebel canoneer tried to
get him, but somehow nobody could
ever get Grants range, and the shots
were harmless, = John L. Parker in
thc State