The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-09-30

I hope they will not give us orders TO halt be.
fore we get IN sight Of the foe How slow this
pace. i don't hear the bullets whistle; but that
may be because Of the awful noise. Will we
never get there2 1t is only few yards ahead
j know from the sound Of the musketry and
cheers. Why don't they
ORDER Us TO DoUBLE-oUTcK2
see on the left a small brcastwork, low
cheap affair and the head of the column is
filing TO the left along this earthworl. We are
going 20 form a line of battle here and wait for
the enemy TO attack Us, and maybe they wont
attack as az all. ] feel thrill of happiness
which ] cannot express in words, nor can
harmonic IL with the anxiety foF the fight
felt few moments before The little earth.
work is scarcely two feet high, and we are pack
cd ia behind il pretty thick. The order comes
down the ranks:
Don't fire until ordered; there are Union
troops in front o. you. Ii any private attempts
90 leave has post without permission, any nom
commissioned officer is ordered 10 shoot him.
IL any non-c0mmssoned officer attempts "a
leave his post, any commissioned officer il
ordered 10 shoot him."
Suppose a commissioned officer attempts to
leave hls post OF duty" inquiries some private,
" then what2"
" The Colonel win look after him." suggests
some one.
TO do than anybody" replies the private.
Within and on each side Of the turnpike are
cannon, with brush in front 10 mask them. liz
is indeed wilderness. The trees are slashed
down in our trout for probably 20 yards; then
the woods hide the battle raging beyond. They
seem to he fighting in front aud at each side OF
us, for the line is bulged little forward at this
point. We know the men in front of War
ren's Corps Filth), while Hancock, the superb.
is on our left, and Sedgwick-poor Sedgwick,
80 soon 10 die-is ON our right.
The slightly wounded hurrying back give
tidings of the battle. There is a crash. buzz
zing about our ears and quantities Of dirt rain
down upon US. shell has struck among US
and burst. j try 10 find the place where il
struck lean over the breastwork to examine
the other side
Get down, you fool" some one yells.
turn 10 end the others all crouched down
behind the frail carthwork. / follow suit just
as another shell
COMES TEARING ALONG
and explodos behind US. A few yards TO the
left is CAion battery. which is fighting duel
with another battery on the Confederate side.
We watch the trees as they are cut of near the
top and fail TO the ground.
"A new way OF chopping cord-wood," some
one suggests.
There j. a lull Ia the battle. We take pick
siAih niahNti anu y - n v iAdA "A NttA vi
hours, strengthening tine iortifcation. Night
comes AT last, and / think the fighting will
cease, but | hear somebody shouting TO the
artilleTiss:
/" Solid shot for tonight"
Such a night! Morning brings the order
" Fall IN, and we march 10 the rear. The enc
my evidently see us 20, and make a charge at
this point. they reckon without their host. for
others have taken our place, the masked bat
terles get IN their work. and the Confederate
flag goes back again. But not all of the boys
in gray who have brayely followed il against
this strong Federal position. In the rear at a
comparatively safe distance, we get our break
fast of hardtack aud coffee. We are put TO
work fixing roads over which wagon trains are
moving. As the day poes 10y the SUI grows hot
beneath large tree in an open space are about
70 stragglers-" coffee coolers" We call them.
They have sneaked away from the battle and
are enjoying the shade. A huge shell strikes
ciose 60 them and eKplOdes. Such scattering
] laugh M their discontinue until-untii an
other strikes nearer me than them.
The day is ended, and we are in bivouac
Morning comes aud TIE battle of the Wilder
ness isstill ln progress though the chief fighting
is ended. We stli repair the roads for the
wagon trains, conscious that an important
change in the position Of the army is about to
take place. oar orders come at eyentide OF this
the sth Of May. The battle of the Wilderness
is now thing Of history, and we are on the
march for SpOttsylvania.