New-York tribune., 1886-03-21


was n cyclone of lead. had hoped that after the
first voiley was fired from the wall there would be
a moments interval when we might return the nre
or 90 IN with the bayOnet. But there was no N0iey
aftsr the first : il was one unendlng rattle of
musketry and a torrent OF DalIs. NOT WoIu ol
Command couId he heard if il was given, so those
Nrbo were still alive obeyed the original order to
advance silently and not stop ,...; -
| land Tie emotions of n common lifetime were
crovded INTO that brief space. IL seemed as lhough
bours were consumed in slowly creeping mp 10 that
fiery wall OF death, but all the Whlie we were Ius-
ing on at our highest rate OF speed never Cheerlhs
! never firing n gun and inside of three minutes we
were over the wall. aud the trlng was ended IN
stautly the road abandoned by All VINO coulu
escane TO the works above. \ narrow pathway.
only wide enough to admit two men abreast, Ied TO
the top. Into this rushed our own nag cIosel Iol
/ lowed by Frank and Tom. l could not see >am
! and supposed he had been Killed Dut Wheh
/ reached the top saw Confederate artllleryman
standing beside loaded he.d-plece tnal WI o@raL @
! ing down on the narrow pathway crowded WIN
our men The soldier held IN his hand lanyardt
the end Of which was attached to the pIlnlng OF
the loaded gun, ready TO hrc. Our tall colohtl
stood beside the aruleryman with his sword geaih-
ing over his head. Near by was Confederate
ientenant of artillery Before him stood sam
with his bavonet pre- ented to the officers breast
and with flashing eyes and angry voice Commlho-
ing him to surrender. Frank was bareheadeq, a
bullet having carried 9d ms rrSaR GaR 'M had BEEN o
Vu' V'rsr srormed INTO an athlete, and
with with the bounds Of a. panther .Il&d
r.@ra rnsbInr 70 the rear. Tom and Others We're
milling down the rebel flag ] could see all this at
| q glance and my heart stood still as saw that
%earIy one hundred of our men crowded INTO that
narrow pathway before that loaded gun ana luai
art1lleryman holding al their lives III ms naudS:
But neither the COlOnclS sword nor sam Oayohei
could save them now, II Heeihol' Ne E co,oHut m
ordered the arteryman TO drop the ilne OF he
would cut hun down. The man Gi1nced con con
temptuOusly at the qulVerlnG sword ABOVE MIN,
and turning 10 the young oinceI ne sald ondIl
fahY For answer the officer threw MS SWORD on
'iT Ien the artillervman dropped the line, and walk
| inc away few PAGES. sat down on the bank Fam
picked up the sword, handed II to ms coiohe anu
/ spranC away after the retIeatlng enemy .,
In less than ten minutes one OF the most gaIianJ
| deeds of American history had been accomplished.
MsryeS Heights were ours. bu' oui u'j E"ttJ
/ over them only few hours. Lee haVihJ d1iedIe4
/ Hooker at Chanccliorsvllle, sUGdcHIE tlIhJlu
against l. and drove us across me hapP'hhiii"'h'
There were but three of US 10 cross on the PoAlCom
bridge that awful night. When we began 10 IAN
[ back that afternoon sam was stubborn ana
reckless and IN spite OF ta al %[ogE cE;nIon ",
emv At last he and number OF others VINO were III
the rear guard, were suddenly cut OF 10y lanh!ng
| Marty A volley brought them nearly all 10 tAe
! ground bail had broken sans leg brlo" .Ho i
/ knee lie fell at the edge of Il wood where Ihe
dead and wounded OF b!tA SIDES ay tnlch4 '.o".u I
Faint from pain and thirst he lay listening 10 me
/ decreasing roar of battle, and he knew tnat MS
/ friends were beng driven further away, ana thri,
/ he said ne began 10 be hOmeslcI As the h@hI
! came on a new danger approached. The WOODS Aad
/ caught fire. and the binding smoke ana lraphg
flames came swiftly through he pine forests
]
cartridge boxes were constantly eNP"uih., ol,CLh l,h
fearing the bodies to pieces and II seemed as though
the dead soldiers we're continuing llle Pan'c vi & ~,
/ day. Unable TO walk, but determined nor 10 uIc
/ IN fhIs horrible manner sam slowly CrawIcl away
/ from the approaching flames. ne came To- r"au
/ running through the pine woods aH0' uldSE"H
himself across IL, be found small triangular piece
OF ground. surrounded by three roads IN tAlS smAl
/ Mace law a Confederate soldier, badly wounded.
/ These two enemies, who had lately been trying 10
destroy each other. were now rccOucllcd BY their
/ common danger and became friends AZ once.
While creeping away from the IRE sam liad i2HhH
4 cauteeu full Of water lying beside 9e3H SnfT, f
/ This be brought with him ana DIVIDED WIN th1
/ rebel. From that time they were last friends anI
| lay side by side, covered Win one DidhN'" al
/ through that long night
With the morning came S'raEgNnC Ic'c.s VINO
wer. gathering booty from their dead and wOIndcd
/ enemies They commanded Sam to give up MS
money The plucky boy refused TO be robbed ana
. thcy were proceeding 10 toIclDle measures WGeh
7 the wounded Confederate covered them with MS
r1He and ordered them 10 let the lttle lank alone
/ He divided bis Canteen with me, AMI We mu>n Z
/ tech him. So the two friends lay there undl>-
tuTbed until later II the day when ne rebels came
around TO take care OF their wounded. 49,
sam, friend and guardian insisted that the llttc
/ Yank should he taken along. TOO. lhl, was done,
| and they were both pvt INTO an old barn. where
/ Sam passed night of agony. The next day the
. rebel surgeons examined his wound and t0IG Nun
this the boy Stoutly objected, telling thcn 'di ue
I wanted that leg 10 march INTO Rirlmohd WIN.
TEcy took much interest IN me fearless
Young fellow who endured hls pain 50
J biavey and spoke 10 them 50 AchdEiiN;
/ and later IN ;he day they held couuc'I over NM
/ and then a kind-LeaTtHd OH Confederate surgeon
! assured HIM there was no other Chance OF saving
hi, life. so with many protests his leg was dmpu-
/ tated and be was kindly cared for. We had given
him uD as dead. when two weeks atterWdrd b. was
sent into our lines in an ambulance, pale ahd dell
cate As a school girl, bur still defiant a ever ana
/ ready TO whip The whole Coniederacy on one leg.
/ He earnestly begged to De assigned 10 'oNlt u6'S
/ where he could be with the boys 10 the army. But
/ tins was Impracticable and be wa, sent home, and
Lincoln made hIm postmaster Of his native village.
There were three of Us now, and we seemed
/ little more closely united, for We always missed
the bright. saucy boy wuO came 50 near losing ms
/ life for the Union; and We often wondered who
would be the next to go. But year more OF battle
/ found rs still together and then began that
! dark Journey through the Wilderness In the first
/ four days of battle our regiment was almost an
nihilated. In one position alone, that OF sergeant
major. SIX OF our most efficient young men had
/ been killed. II was one Of the most important ana
| dangerous positions IN the ranks. Early on tue
morning Of May -, 1861, Tom was assigned to
/ that office. and Immediately sent away
/ with orders on special duty " Nhcn
/ he returned il was considered impossible for HIM
/ to rejo,n the regiment aud he was detained with
Before daylight our brigade had advanced and
| hastily thrown mp earthwOrks tew hcheS h,SAs
/ behiud which the men were partially protected II
/ living down. The rebels soon began throwing up
! parallel lines within a few yards OF ours, bOth
sides firing heavily al that G'ose rang; WIN "5In
bayouet and lin plates the earth was hastily Iug
| and thrown up forming slight protection. Inns
/ was increased during the day by both SIDES ana
the lines were gradually pushed toward ea'u ot.er,
until IN some places nothing but a wall OF dlrt
/ Law between the hostile ranks and the
| rebels could almost touch Us with the muzzleS
! OF their guns That was the longest day Of my
! life. How the time passed we hardly knew. The
! bot sun climbed above US and snonc IN our faces
/ from the west. and still the battle went on. he
/ killed and wounded lay IN the trench where they
/ fell beside US. Some Cf the wounded men dug holes
into which they crawled to escape the merclees
stream of lead which swept over them. saw one
poor fellow who had thus partially sheltered HIM
self in a trench. but later I'D the day he wa dead
/ Whether he died from his first wound, or had been
/ killed by another ball, could not tell; but he
had literally dug his own grave and buried HIM
self In It, There was no escaping from
| that dreadful wall, for either side. Retreat was
/ impossible Our only safety from utter deStruc-
/ non lay IN keeping the enemy down by close ana
deadly fire OF mus6etry. This was understood by
both sides SO the firing never ceased Tor minute.
j Or n. aM Inv t.r nl-r