The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1886-06-18
SPONGE-STAFF IN HAND.
EXPERIENCE OF A YOUNG ARTiL.
LERYMAN AT COLD HARBOR.

Beginning the Eighth a Great Bunble-
bees Nest-A Cannon Turns summer
set in the Air-Death and Destruction
Dealt Out on Every Side.
We arrived there Gold Harbor) in the
night, and at once went into position Wrap
ping blanket around me lay down under
my gun and went to sleep. Before daybrea;
on June ), 1864, the infantry massed around
us was aroused; officers fastened to and fro:
staff officers rode rapidly through the dark
ness, up and down the lines, giving final
orders We artillerymen We're reused up
Eating our scanty breakfast, we took our re-
spectiye positions at the Napoleon guns. l
was No. on the No. gun Of the right Sec
tion of the battery. stood leaning against
the cool brass piece with my sponge-staff in
hand. gazed intently to where supposed
the rebel earthworks were, and wondered if
my luck would take me through this fight un-
hurt, as it had through past battles. I noticed
that my water bucket for the sponge was
empty. Leaning my staff against the gun,
unlocked it, and, explaining the need to the
gunner, walked off to a swamp and filed the
bucket. Returning to my piece placed the
bucket on the ground under the muzzle of
the gun, and then resting against the cannon
| resumed the business of waiting. The
heavy columns of infantry began to move by
Men recognizing the battery spoke to us as
they marched past in the dim gray light of
breaking dawn was asked the questions:
"What's ahead of usz" "Are the works
strongl" "Is Longstreets corps in front of
us?" And I boy of II years old, answered
as the whim took me-
T,,cf hafora c,,r,.;e, H.. %,,,,,o ,,,,.
tion and our captain gave the command,
Commence firing" / dampen my sponge.
ram the first cartridge home and step back
A loud report, cloud of smoke and the bat
tie of Cold Harbor has began. I rapidly
sponge out, turn of the wrist whizzing of
the sponge staff in the air, No. puts the
cartridge the gun, rum it HUME and sp1 ing
back clear of the wheel. | give hurried
glance toward the rebel line, and catch sight
of the smoke of cannon, and realize that their
guns have just been manned fairly Jump
to and from my gun. The smoke grows
thicker I am at last thoroughly warmed up
to the battle
IN A GREAT BUMBLEBEE's NEST.
A whistling of bullets among us sounding
as though we were in a great bumblebee's
nest, the shrek of solid shot and shell as they
oSe1i CAAS OaooSA odC ouA Unuo "a
bullets instantly followed by exclamations of
pain, the falling of artillerymen-all pass un-
cared for. l simply sponge and ram and
look ahead No. 9, just opposite me, standing
with a cartridge in his hand, suddenly
pitches forward dead. As jerk the sponge
out of the gun lean over toward him and
pick up the cartridge and place it in the gun.
As step back I see the man who is to take
DC r,Iaao iarly no
by the legs to get it out of the way Stepping
back, l look over to No. 2 gun, and involun-
tarily smile to see the great piece rapidly
turn summerset in the air Bits of wood
and iron fly off to the rear, and the gun comes
stop smiling as l see the poor men in scarlet
trimmed jackets, my comrades, lying dead
around the wrecked cannon
Up through the smoke comes a bare-headed
officer on horseback. Telling our officers to
stop firing, he disappears as rapidly as he
came. The battery is silent; the smoke clears
off, and 1 see that the sun is not yet up, and
that two long lines of men in blue are lying
on the earth in front of u.s. Suddenly the
foremost line springs up. The charging cheer
is heard, and they go at the rebel works on a
rum A swift, brave charge, and in front of
us Red division, second corps successful We
hear the charging cheer way off to the right.
to the left, and I know that general charge
all along the line is being made Seated
astride my gun, watched our Red division
carry the first line and start for the second
But also saw that Bar]ow's second lind, his
did not move forward So sat and
sorrowfully saw the first line get whipped.
had not long to wait The rebels had met
the swift, brave charge with their usual cour-
age, and the assault was repulsed. In twenty
minutes from the time that the men cheered
and charged they were back where they had
started from; but some 10000 dead and
wounded lay between the lines of battle, and
they were all in blue.-Cincinnati CONNER
cial Gazette.