Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1889-01-18
SUMMARY JUSTICE.
A LEAF FROM A WAR DIARY.


There was a vast deal of swearing and
growing that morning ia the rif1 pits,
Tor the soldier, like the sailor, will spit
forth his grievances ia season and out
OF season. The night before, Grant's
army in his bloody flAaking duel with
Lee, had reached spottsylvania to find
the same serri.d walls of Confederate
bnyonet' blocking hi, way. Rttions
were scat. the commi5sary wagons.
miles IL tho roar, woro stuck fast as
bricks in mortar, rain had poured all
night, and the picket detail went out
sourly to the game of dodging lead
without a cup of coffee. Gray skies,
steaming earth, wet uniforms; an OK.
posed line, wh3re every man burrow,l
arTttioo hoe, or Or threw IN hean Of
earth, or grovelled behind a tree stump;
vigilant enemy not two hundred yards
away, across wi 10 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 blasphemy would have
taxed even the disciplined genius of a
teamster. By-and-by ths sun clam berod
out of the fog banks, and shone with a
sickfy lustre as the air lightcned, bus
withSan Intensity Of heat that sucked
the brain dry. Crampad limbs-for 3
one could venture to make much stir
and the torture of thirst made everv
man ache with tho curses that Pros TO
laid on Caliban. We could sec tho
CLINT of tho water ia tho rua, beyond
which deadly tubes lay levelled, as it
swept on in glancing ripples or broke
n baby cataracts, and the musical
inkle of it travished us with delight
that swiftly swung back into sharper
pain. But if the mon in gray ware for
us the fierco guardians of that fountain
of reireshment, we were the like to
them. So we painted and longed and
vented our spleen or any futter of uni
form that made rock or orstumpo or mound
animate.
Idont remember on which side il
began. A white rag was tossed upon
the point of bayonet. In the twink
ling of an eye hundred of these iocund
signals waved oa both sides. Chanti-
cleer crowcd merriIy from scores of
throats, and lusty responses from the
other side made tho air alive with the
notes of rustic matin chorus. Ole
touch of nature had renewed our kin
ship, and di3ciplino melted like the
frost on a window pane. "Come and
have drilk"-.hlt genial challenge
which punctuates so much OF the bu,i-
ness of peace was banded between the
friendly enemies, Lut this time it was
for the quafii g of a vintage moro spark
ling and delicious than any cham
pagae that ever beaded in crystal.
What were general orders,
the starch of military rule,
the remonstrances of authority, before
this great gu'h of kindness and sympa-
thyG The officers tried to keep the
men In their lines, but the impulse hal
got such head that it beat down opposi-
tion, which was the moro feebli as
the sword secretly thrilled with ths
same sentiment that stirred tho bayonet.
A thousand mon along half-mile front
sprang out of ambush and stretched
their legs. Rifles were stacked, and
with unslung canteens the whilom foes,
who had been hot for each Others
blood, hastened to meet on the banks
OF the run and grip honest brown paws.
GLOW dye, Yank2" 'How dye,
Johnnyf went the scattered fusillade
Of greeting, and all gave tongu, to
hubbub of chatter and laughter like
that OF pack of schoolboys just broke
loose from the threat of birch. What
draught of paradise that water was as
we drank till every man was fit to
burst his skinl How beautiful the shin
ing of it as it danced over the shadows
or lay in the still pools CHASING mossy
pebbles in the clear cool depths. How
every heart glowel with good will that
smoothed the ''wrinkled front of war;
into smiles, aad made the vision of
rCeking shambles and savage on nslaught,
from which we had emerged aud into
which we must soon again pass, like
distempered DREAM How the blre and
gray chaffed in simp.e, homely fashion,
or interchanged sheepish condolences
about the girls they had left behind
theml
The scenes of this idyl set in the
midst Of great tragedy were so full Of
rude pathos that, though now nearly
a quarter of century gone. they are as
fresh as thing of yesterday. l can
still pass from group to group and hear