Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-08-08
OUT ON THE sklRMIsH LINE.
rhe Unrecorded Heroics Of the War
Blue and Gray ut . Rail Fence.

The UnrecOrded Heroics Of the War
Blue and Gray ut . Rail Fence.
The change of skirmish line, leading the
advance OF an army, to a mere picket or
outpost line was very simple and Of fire.
quent occurrence The writer remembers
many instances One Sunday in September,
le6' when Meade was maneuvering between
Culpepper Court House and Rapidan sta
ton, CAROLS brigade, OF the Second corps,
was thrown out in the direction of Raccoon
ford, on the Rapidan, but a strong Confei-
crate force on the north bank covered thu
ford and barred further progress that way.
The ground was low and fat, with stretches
OF wood and cleared field alternately. Car
rolls skirmishers, having taken position
on the outer edge of a grove Of oaks, kept
up for some hours of the forenoon an efrec-
tive fire with the Confederate skirmishars
similarly posted on the face of the opposite
grove The bullets few through the air,
now with a dull whirr, now with a cutting
"whiz," like the fit of a bee: now with a
mellow meow" like the tone of L cat Just
before it spits at its fellow feline, according
to the size and shape of the bullet and its
speed, and from time TO time one of these
would strike the trunk of an oak with
behind the tree look out to see what
Johnny" was getting his range
1t Was like many other uuimportant
skirmishes in which these men hai been en-
gaged-skirmishes not mentioned ia the
newspaper reports of the day ana not likely
10 be recorded by tho historian Vet it was
none the less exciting and dangerous But
even the heroics-the unrecorded heroics-
1f 10, 80 IL
still, small voice of the stomach begging for
a meal OF victuals, or for some sort OF an
apology, at least, for a meal 1t soon be-
come evident to these veteran soldiers,
Federals and Confederates alike, that neither
side would attempt any further advance at
this point, and that the business of these
contending skirmsh lines had therefore be-
come that merely of watching one another.
1t was clear day, but cool, and hot coffee
would be ,elished, but for this fires were
necessary, and the only available fuel was a
worm fence running through the open
ground between the two groves "Ho
Ianks" came a shout from the opposite
grove, whats the use OF shooting now"
Answer was sent back. "Ail right; We'll
stop if You do"
The light ceased on the instant at this
point, though the booming OF artillery down
the river told of an enga cement there.
There was rush of blue jackets and gray
backs to the fel0e, and it was curious to no.
tice that in tlS contention for the fence
rails, which was constantly cause of fsti-
cuffs among soldiers, there was less greed
against those of the opposite army than
against those Of their own. Rather there
was a contention of courtesy between the
two. Yank and Johnny heb helped one an
other to unlock the fence and detach the
rats, chatting meanwhile in friendly way
about various battles or campaigns in
which they had happened to be engaged
against one another. There was but one ex-
ception to the good will; that was when
Federal and Confederate, having each
graoued the same lot of rails, and neither
being good natured enough to give way, the
two let 90 of the rails and clinched one an
other in dead earnest. A group of men of
both uniforms separated the two, however,
and drove them back from the fence to their
own sides. There was quiet for the rest Of
that day, but at midnight, As the Federals
were endeavoring to withdraw from the po-
sition quietly, the movement was overheard
by the Others who came on at a run into the
wood, and the short peace ended in blaze
of musketry, amid which the Confsderates
were driven back until the Federals could
complete their withdrawal +. Galwey
in Chicago Herald