The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1889-04-06
SUMMARY JUSTICE,
A LEAF FROM A WAR DIARY.

There was vast deal of swearing and
growing that morning in the riff, pits,
for the soldier, like the sailor, will spit
forth his grievances ia season aud out
of season. The night before, Grants
army, in his bloody flaoking duel with
Lee, had reached Spottsylvauia to find
the same serried walls of Coafedcrat
bayonets blocking hi, way. Rations
were scaat. the commissary wagons,
miles IL tho roar, were stuck fast as
bricks in mortar, rain had poured all
night, and the picket detail went out
sour!y to the game of lodging lead
without cup o. coffee. Gray skies,
steaming earth, wet uniforms; an ex-
posed line, wh2rc every man burrowcd
a little hoe, or threw UP heap of
earth, or grovcllel behind a tree stump;
vigilant enemy not two hundred yards
away, across wide gully, scratching
gravel in similar fashion, and prompt
with bullet at sight of blue cloth-it
was too dismal for any language but
the staccato. The rich and varied
quality of the blasphcmy would have
taxed even the disciplined genius of
teamster. By-and-by the sun clam bered
cut of the fog banks, and shone with a
sickly lustrc as tn, air liyhtened, but
with an intensity Of heat that sucked
the brain dry. Cramped imbs-for o
one could venture to make much stir
and the torture of thirst made every
man ache with tho curses that Prospero
laid on Caliban. We could see tho
CLINT of the water in the run, beyond
which deadly tubes lay levellod, as 1t
swept on in glancing ripples or broke
in baby cataracts, and tho musical
inklc of it ravished US with delight
that swiftly swung back into sharper
pain. But if the men in gray were for
US the fierce guardians of that fountain
of refreshment, we were the like to
them. So we painted and longed and
vented our spleen on any Gutter OF uni
,orm that made rock or stump or mound
animate.
Idon't remember Or which side i,
began. A white rag was tossed upon
the point of bayonet. In the twink
ling of an eye hundred of these jocund
signals waved on both sides. Chanti-
cleer crowed merr;ly from scores Of
throats, aad lusty responses from the
other side made the air alive with the
notes Of arustic m attn chorus. One
touch of nature ha1 renewed our kim
ship, AMI discipline melted like the
frost on a window pane. "Come and
have drink"-that genial challenge
which punctuates so much of tho bust
ness of peace was banded between the
friendly enemies, but this time it was
for the quaffi1g OF a vintage moro spark
ling and delicious than any cham
payne that ever beaded in crystal.
What w.re general orders,
tho starch of military rule,
the remorstrances of authority, before
this great gush Of kindness and sympa-
thyi Tho officers tried to keep the
men in their lines, but the impulse hal
got such head that it beat down opposi-
ton, which was the moro feebl, as
the sword secretly thrilled with the
same sentiment that stirred the bayo
A thousand men along half-mile front
sprang out of ambush and stretched
their legs. Rifles were stacked, and
with unslung canteens tho whilom foes,
who had been hot for each others
blood, fastened to meet on the banks
of the run and grip honest brown paws.
GLOW dye, Yank!" "How dye,
Johnnya" went the scattered fusillade
of greeting, and all gave tongue to q
hubbub of chatter and laughter like
that of pack of schoolboys just broke
loose from the threat q birch. What q
draught Of paradise that water was as
We drank till every man was 6t to