The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-09-11
SEPTEMBER H. $780,
We reloaded as quickly as possible and sent
1rnuninr shot. rtcr than,


Cease firing" commanded the Colonel.
Stiffness followed broken only by the shriolE
OF The wounded on tue opposite bank.
Our musicians carrying stretchers, came uT
aud carried back five or six of our own meu
who had fallen under tho rebel fire.
Battalion right dress! 'FRONT.' Right face
Forward, file left!-March !" commanded
the Colonel. He led us on to the road, across
the bridge, and after the retreatng robels
as undemoustrativey rs il tho recent event
had been mere dril exercise. He did not
even seem TO look at the irazslod brush, which
had been the lair of the rebels, but moved
steadily onward in pursuit
We saw no moro of the enemy, but later in
the day passed through the beautiful little city
OF Frederick, the loyal inhabitants of which
were IN a ferment Of enthusiasm over our ap-
pearance, and welcomed us with waving ban
ners decorated houses, and glad cheers Only
when flag was shaken out of a window or
he passed under ono stretched acrNss the street,
did the Colonel seem to notice those demon
| STATIONS. Then he would gravely salute the
banner rs he rode steadily onward
We halted "a few miles uside of Frederick,
and went into camp in velvety meadow, un-
der tho long shadows cast by the sun sinking
behind Catoctiu Mountain.
find IL necessary TO make some change in
| my opinion of Col. Satterloe." said job filling
his pipe, as we sat around tho fire after supper
for a few minutes chat. Hes a good deal
moro OF a man than I've given him credit for.
] amt in love with his ways as n general thing,
but must admit that he put that volley into
them rebels accordin' to Gunter"
| Mother nv Heaven, wasn't il foine!" ejacu-
lated Quin. Did ye iver say anything so
charming? Wan, two, thrce-wh.o-o and tho
! ribbcs wuz knocked seventane ways for Sunday.
! Ivory gun wint oil at the same wink av your
oi, Saints preserve u.s. but it samed to me that
that brush cnrcd up aud died whin that breath
! nv hell struck it,"
at certainly was very effective" said Lam
But II would have been very much better if
! II had been n minute or two sooner. ] wish
! the Colonel hadn't been quite so deliberate
! think we lost at least one man that wouldn't
! have been lost if the Colonel hadn't waited to
dress the line"
i don't agree with you, Ian" said Job
| That my idea of the real way TO fight. Got
! right up to your man, see where he is and
then give it 60 him for all you're worth right
! where he lives. 1t was ever so much better
/ than our way down in North Carolina, where
we hcgnn poppn' away as soons we caught
| sight of tho rebols and then stood of at long
range for hours and fred away. where not one
shot in n hundred hit anything. Come up close
! buckle right in aud bust or be busted in short
meter, Is iny style, and in this the Colonel suits
me bciter'n any mau wo've ever been with.
/ only hope he'll keep up the gait clear through
| the next battle"
| Wasn't he grant," put in Herman. "as he
! stogt oud dere aii by himself, unt ortercd us
! M TO him, instead OF coming pack to us2 Ho
| bald no more addontion to dc rcppol pulcts
! dan IL dcy hct been vios. ! forgifs him, dgn
/ FOR making me garry dat rail down 10y Lewins-
| file"
That was because you had beon payin' too
much attention 10 rebel pullets, Herman" said
Job; you had been foraRin' on rebel hem
rocst"
We all laughed at Jobs pun. which had to
he laborou~iy explained 10 Herman.
il was clear that Colonel Satteree had risen
greatly ia general estimation since morning.
The fatigue aud excitement OF the day had
lDado us too weary 81 discuss oven the atsful
probabilities of the morrow nj any length, and
wC wcro soon rolled in our blankets and fast
asleep.
The next morning we we're wakened again
long before day break. aud repeated our drpary
performance Of standing IA line ia readiness
lot Il SURPRISE which the rebels did not at
tempt. The dark slopes Of the Catoctin, which
walled ia the western horizon aud L0wcrod to
the clouds. proved 10 loo as free of the enemy
as the hcias and slopes we had watched through
the grayiag dawn OF the previous morning
But canBous doomed iaT oil 10 the right aud
left, growing more frequent as the bright sun
Iosa upon "a cloIdless sky, aud from the FAR
southwest came continuous thunder
That's 81 Harper.s Ferry" Ezra Grimgicd
explained. "1hc rebels have surrounded the
place aud are trying TO force IL - surrender.
bat the garrison VIII hold out until we can
defeat the rebels in our front, when We will 20
tu us relief
g Great Jchc5ephati" exclaimed Job, "lct's
get at these w4ciPs iu front az once and finish
them mp. aud - to tho help of the Harpcr's
Ferry folks. Don't let's lose any time david
iin' around here"
s. Tie rebels have fallen back from tho Catoc-
tin" Ezra continued, "aud have taken up a
stronger position where the National road
crosses South Mountain, six miles from here.
There's where we'll strike them, and thoy'll
make Il usiy for Us
They tried 10 DO that in North Carolina"
job persisted "aud thoy had stronger positions
than they cau Gnd here, but Sc got away with
thesD lu short order, agd yg can DO Il again II
we 20 al 1t with q whereas. lacTe scoms to bo
plenty Of IHen here for any sort of a Job the
Johnnie. may BET up"
This seemed true, for tho whole country
! near was blGc with soldiers. Every road was
| flied with marching columns aud they were
swinging over the open fields in great waves.
/ Around us were the whole of two cOrps-the
/ First aud the kinth-nnder the cointnand of
our beloved old leader Of North Carolina
/ Bufusdc-and with him 20 lead We felt that
! nothing WAS impossible. Besides, Gen. McClol-
| Ian reported to be hear aud that we were
| TO 20 INTO battle under his immediate eyo
hG soon took our place in the line oi march
aud became part Of tho great river Of armed
! men which rolled up the slopes of the CatOrtin
I and down into the beautiful valley in the CEN
/ ter Of which the pretty little village of
! Mlddleto"n. Beyond the rugged cfeats of
South Mountain reached up 20 the very sky
aud irowned down upon "a. Hugo bowidors
/ stood out ike medieval castles, aud bectIing
/ uEacaiaiio ellis jutied directly ia our faces
| The CLINT Of tho bright aun Thousands Of
/ mu.ket. barrels moving across the occasional
! open spaces, with tho pulls of smoke aud echo
| ing boDnGs from the cfeat-, showed US where tue
/ rebels were igassinR to receive us
| There's our work cut out for u.s." said Job
! indicating the mountain-sidc with "A wave OF
/ his left hand. " II the rebels ever mean 10
! fght-and they most always do. blast EN-
/ They've struck the strongest place ia this
/ whole neck o. woods. 1herell DO Il he-old
scGilie before We got % the top o that mount
! ain, but we're goiu' there as sure as tho SUMS
! goin' down behind H."
With GOd'f help sc shall" said Ian. "This
/ il Sunday-God's own day-the best Of all days
| to do his appointed work. / believe He is
smiling just as firmly rs / believe that
! lis bright sun Is shining down on us out Of a
! cloudless sky"
Col katteroc rode slowly down tho limo.
scrutiniznR one by one every man in it. His
eye ieii upon Job and Quiu, and his stern set
| face grew wuthfuL
What are you two men doing here2" he
asked. Who released you from confinement,
| and returned you to dutyY"
Nobody did," job answered boldly. "We
| escaped from the guard, and made our way TO
/ 70. .v,s. l.