The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-09-17

Drainesvllle, thought, was terrible
battle, and was disappointed when l
learned from the southern papers that 1t
was tan unsuccessful reconnaissance, and
from the northern papers that 1t was "a
brilliant little affair"
Those people on tho other side shot vol
with their cannon. saw them ut Peters
burg at 1900 yards, just for practice, burst
five shells out OF seven inside barn be-
hind our works, and send tho other two
through II, bursting just beyond.
At the same place, Mt 1900 yards, saw
them hit with tho first shell the first
shoyelful Of fresh earth just picked in rum
ming second line Oh our side.
know one shell there to skin the para
pet and 90 between tho two logs which
formed the wall Of the only superstructuro
to our underground winter quarters and
burst on the breast OF u man standing
with his back against the far wall. l
knew one entllading round shot to bound
and hit trCo and fall back and break
both legs of u man on the safe side Of q
traverse built as n protection against en-.
Aladlng-the safest place he could have
found anywhere within range.
At Dam No. ut Yorktown saw man
sitting with his back to the parapet, with
Mississippi rihe leaning on his shoulder,
struck so hard by piece Of shell rebound.
Ing from tree that his rifle was bent and
his shoulder broken.
Again, at Petersburg 1saw man arise
from behind the work after q conlcal shell
had exploded in front and tho fragments
had gone Chorusing over, and the Jagged
butt OF the shell, evidently retarded by tho
explosion, came struggling along and took
piece out Of his arm.
But they didn't always shoot hard
enough with their cannon balls. For IN
stance there was Lieut. Brauder, of tho
Richmond battery, who was hit in tho
middle Of the back by twelve pound
solid shot ut fredericksburg on the 18th
Of December, and was SO little hurt that
no couldn't find excuse to stay at home till
Christmas. And Capt. 10 Deshna, now
living at Cynthiana, was hit in tho back OF
the head with the same sort Of missile at
Murfreesboro. never heard what be-
came Of the fragments Of that solid shot.
ADDITIONAL INCIDENTS,
Such incidents as these arc about all !
have ever personally known Of battle. l
have seen say az much rs a brigade emerge
from the woods on the other side, and we
have let into them with our shells until
shells came hying-I couldn't always tell
from wherc-around and about us, or I'm.
I'll that brigade got near our woods where
our men were, and have then seen that
brigade go back faster than they came.
Then have seen our men go across tho
same opening aud come back III the same
energetic style. But mover knew whole
battle till afterwards. Haven't the cXact
recollection OF incidents which appertalned
to certain friend Of mine, who could re.
fer 10 such details as u small pcrslmmon
tree standing about eleven feet to tho
northeast Of pond thirty-soven yards
west Of lane leading southwark from the
main cemetery road"
It was this sort Of exactnoss which
caused him TO DO selected by the caucus
az chairman Of tho committee Of Confed-
crate war lies But this position was cap.
tured from him not long ago by one Of
tho high state officers in Kentucky in this
wise; l had been telling OF seeing shell
20 through a screen OF fresh earth at tho
head Of now line Of breRstworks and
fall in the ditch unexploded, and how tho
men rushed for 1t without waiting to SEQ
II 1t was loaded. The general then said
he saw one strike outside and roll over
tho parapet into the shovel Of q man who
quietly heaved It pveTagain, GAnd In less
than ten minutes" no said, another shell
did exactly the same thing and the samo
man heaved that one over on tho outside
in the same quiet way, and"-but NJ this
point tho audience left 'he general to keep
him from literally wearing that man out
with ahoveling shells over the parapet.--
Theodore F. Italian In Cincinnati En-.
quirer