Daily Republican., 1886-04-28

A FAIR-FACED SOLDIER.
TCoNCLUDgD l

i
We had checked the exnltant foe
who had logged US SO many weary
miles, and our army was saved. l
tried to cheer with the rest, but my
voice would not come. The boy whom
l thought / had murdered at Gaines
Mill had miraculously escaped my bull
let, but this time l must have killed
him, and the thought was great
weight on my heart. He was lying
there out on the green grass, and his
death-glszed eyes staring up at the
stars. / could not cheer. 1 felt more
like weeping.
was sick in hospital when jack
son and Longstreet drove Pope over
the plains of Manassas back upon
Washington, but when Mcclellan
faced Lee at Antietam / was again in
the ranks. Hooker had been fighting
on the right for an hour when Our di-
visions moved In TO support his beaten
troops. The dead and wounded were
thickly stpewn over the ground that
morning. Jackson's left was covering
a ford, and his right spun out TO con-
meet with Lee, but we could not break
him. The Bunker church was just in
front of us, and about 10 o'clock we
got the order TO advance. We had to
clear standing fence, push across an
open field, and then meet another
fence which the Confederates were
using for cover. How the shells
dropped among usi How grape and
canister moved our ranksi How the
bullets few about our earsl l won
dered how we could be so steady un-
der that murderous fire. / wondered
II our advance was supported, and
how many of us would cross the field
and reach the last fence.
1t was a nightmare. There was nc
cessation of the terrible clash and din,
and the smoke was SO thick that we
ran into the fence before seeing it.
We dropped down and began firing,
hoping for the lines OF support to come
up, but through some blunder we were
left to fight it out alone. Fresh regi.
ments were brought up against us, and
our thin lines grew thinner and our
fire gradually slackened. Then there
suddenly occurred breathing spell.
AS if by mutual consent the firing
almost ceased, and as the smoke lifted
the Confederates made charge. Per.
haps we were ordered TO retreat. ]
heard no commands. 1t seemed GER
tain death to leave the cover of the
fence, slight as it was. l supposed
our policy would be to break the
barge by a rapid fire, and l was load
ing and firing as fast as possible when
their first line reached the fence. The
few of us ON line thirty feet long rose
up and fired in their faces, and then
used the bayonet to keep them off,
They gave back, but encouraged by
their officers they came again. Right
in front of me, bare-headed, with curls
of powder smoke floating through his
flaxen locks, with that same old fire oil
battle in his eyes, was the boy whom
l thought / had left dead at Malvern
Hill. There was a freshly healed scar
on his cheek. | noted it as we looked
into each others eyes across the fence,
our muskets unloaded, our bayonets
broken.
He knew me on the instant. 1t was
his turn now, but there was no thirst
for vengeance in his look. had
wounded him twice, but he bore me
no malice. There was firing on the
right and left, and my comrades were
using their dubbed muskets. The boy
called upon me to surrender, but the
spirit of a devil reminded me that
had a revolver in my belt. l reached
for it, aimed full at the boys hesd, and
as l fired he threw up his arms and
sank down, l tried TO cheer, but my
voice accused me of foul murder. Al
retreated back, a thousand missiles
of war rending the air and ploughing
the ground, l felt the touch of no
iron on my shoulder and fell among
the dead and wounded. 1t was nigh
when they carried me away to the fielC
hospital.
When the troops of Hooker de-
bauched into the Wilderness at Chan
cellorsville | was with them, sount
and well again. All day long Jack
son had been stealing along our flanl
to take the army in the rear, but VI
did not suspect it We had turne,
Lees position at fredericksburg, an,
he must come out and fight US on tn
Salem hills. Hooker could select hi
own battle ground, and victory mus
surely perch upon his banners. A
darkness fell and our camp fires blaze
in the Virginia thickets We were en-
thusiastic.
With no more warning than a tige
gives as he springs upon lis prey
jackson struck us. Hundreds of tn
panic-stricken men fled to the rear;
| few rallied behind the fallen trees il
hopes to check the rolling wave unit
reinforcements could be sent up. ]
was the effort of human hand to stoI
the fly wheel Of great engine. L
five minutes we were being troddel
into the earth. A sort of desperation
seemed to seize us. We would not re
treat and we would not surrender
Like one rising slowly from the groun
the boy of Gaines Min suddenly con
fronted me. We recognized eac
other at once. Thrice l had sough
for his death, and thrice had he re
| l. Y.ala. fnRad an