The National tribune., 1888-06-21

federates.
Right here I will remark that I've wit
messed innumeTable hag-of-truce exchanges,
but do not recall a single instance In which
D bottle was not passed around as prelIm-
inary to the business in hand. l presume the
custom originated from the
INDIANS SMOKING THE PIPE OF PEACE.
One sfunny remark on an occasion of this
sort remains in my memory. An enlisted
man near me. seeing a rebel taking long
null at the flask of Union c0mmissary which
our officer presented with superclllous
bow, said: Well, I'm - if this Is not
getting 10 be too much Of civil war." lie
probably felt disgusted because he did not
have an opportunity at the flask.
At the very same crossing witnessed one
Of the most terrible sights Of the whole
war. and have been through all Of 1t.
One day / was startled by the sounds OF
Rrtillery, and an accompaniment which TO
me resembled more than anything can
COMPARE ID with, whole lot of carpenters
tearing down a frame house. One would
have thought there was q man with hatchet
pounding sharply on every board, as If they
were having a contest among themselves TO
see who could hit fastest.
/ rode hurriedIy down to the river below
town TO see what it was all about. In those
days I never stopped to ask anybody's ad-
vice OF consent but followed my own I'M
pulses and incliDations. passed some Cen
eraI officers and staff on a hillside near the
batteries that were firing, who had their
glasses pointed in the direction Of the ham
mering.
When I cot to the river as close as my
horse could 90 without jumping down the
steep bank, I saw TO my surprise that from
al along the rife-pits that lined the top OF
the bank on the rebel side was a line Of
white sm0ke-indeed, the smoke almost con-
ceaIed the rife-pits.
1t was from behind this bank of foggy
smoke That all the hammering noises came.
Tt was caused by the sounds Of hundreds
and hundreds Of Tihe-shots at viii" but
in such rapid succession that it resembled,
as have said, innumerable hammers on
frame-hOuse.
My horse could not get me close enough
to see doWn to the edge Of the water On our
side. and I was about to dismount and get
closer, when I saw coming up the steep road
that had been cut in the bank, q procession
THAT TOOK. THE BLOOD OUT OF NY HEART.
There were two men dragging (not carTying)
q dead soldier. while closer glance showed
all along the side Of that steep bank dozens
Of Others, either dead or dying.
Tt was the Engineer Corps of the Army Of
Potomac that were down there behind that
bank trying to lay pontOOn bridge over
the RaPpahannock.
The artillery support" on the hill behind
had no more effect In guieting that incessant
hammeTing than If their shots had been
fred inJ0 the air.
I stood here for a while, absolutely par
Rlyzed- al a distance not much greater than
the width Of a street watching those rebels
bob up all along that rife-pit, puff out the
white smoke, and their heads 20 down behind
the long line Of yellow clay out of sight all
along the line.
I have often since wondered that one OF
those fellows did not pick me eff my horse
Rs sat there such an absurdly conspicuous
mark
If they had not been 80 busy watching
those who were trying to lay that pontoon
they would undoubtedly have dropped me.
Ny position on the horse would naturally
be taken for that Of an officer. / assert here
that
MORE DESPERATE OF MORE HEROIC sERv-
ICE
has never been performed than by those OF
our Engineer Corps in their laying Of pom
toOns in the face Of the enemy's fire from
rile-piis
It seemed 10 me on a closer inspection Of the
work that day, that they carried out a dead
man f0T every plank they laid on the pOntOOus.
When i Is remembered that these men neces-
sariiy work en- IRasse, and that almost every shot
from al enemy must hit something it viii be
seen h0a much exposed TO deadly Ere the quiet
Engineer Corps become. In the charges on
rihe-pits OF forts or on an enemy's line, there
is always something Of the excitement of q
rush Or hlrrah that iEnpels men forward with
loaded paas and pointed bayouets in their
hands; bot in laying PQnto0ns over a river in
the face Of the enemy, courage and nerve are
required tl4t, 70 NY notion, Is far beyond the
ordinary.
] often wonder that some Of the accomplished
Engineer officers DO not give this matter their
attention ia tic histories OF the war that every
other branch Of the service is saoweriHg upon
the land.
These men, supported by the artillery and q
few infantry. succeeded at last IN getting 50
many boats iauched that the rebels concluded
It was tiase 10 quit bOtEering them any longer,
when ali at once every rebel popped from be.
hind has rite pits, took to his heels and ran for
Gear life across the plain toward the hills O
course our artillery opened upon them al Z
lively rats ia spite Of the fact that the dead
wounded were thick around me- yelled with
as much fun and delight as ] have since a.
S09g-s1att s5-AA4h1 - b1e a AAk4 LAEG a nome
run.
NOT A SINGLE JOHNNY DROPPED,
though they brew their guns away TO lighter
them in tie race for the h0Ene-run.
This occurred some distance below Fred
ericks5urz- aud as there did not seem TO me L
be any intended movement 0f troops over tn
p0EtO0us blch had been laid AZ such q terri
bic sacrifice Of life, ] rode OF 70 the uppe
iords ne5r tie Lacey House. expecting 10 20
over there. ! was told on reaching he4dQuar
teB tbai tAis was simply q diversion" 70 de
tain OF ascertain If the enemy were still ia ou
front
Great Scott what disappointment TO ms
What terrible thing is war, tAat viii parmi
ss simple diversion the numbering ia col
blood 81 lEareds of men without intending I
profit by alir work at all
The services Of a single reliable spy or scou
WOulc have accomplished more than all OF Obi
diversion That evening the staff moved us
and ] Wr.t along. did nor know then Rler
we were gong / supposed, as did cyeryoa
else, THAI r. was 70 b. another battle soneayhcl
near Fredericksburg. Eli never occurred u n
mind theI that ia riding away FROM the Lace
House thai june evening j should never Il
ID again.
do 10. suppose q dozen persons outside
Gen Ices staff imagined we were going 10 rid
home 10 Pennsylvania Gettysburg That
where we WeHt. Aud before leaving FIRE,
ericksbure ! want 10 say j few words Of far
well 70 GCno.