Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-04-24
metaphorical, but long-range and re.
peating rifles have gone far to make it


peating rifles have gone far to make it
literally true.
The enemy riddled every moving
thing in sight; horses tied to the
wheels of broken gun-carriage behind
US; pigs that incautiously came grunt-
ing across the road; even chickens were
brought down with an accuracy of aim
that told of fatally short range and
good practice.
The men who had left our ranks for
water, or for any cause, before wewere
pinned to earth, came back at great
peril. Indeed, I believe not one of
them reached the line unhurt.
After two or three hours of this ex-
perience we became somewhat accus-
toned to the situation, and learned
with considerable exactness the limit
inside which, from behind the wall, we
might move with safety, and the limit
also of endurable constraint.
1t was curious to see how strong the
tobacco hunger was with many of the
men. They would jump to their feet
and run the length of regiment to
borrow q "chew," though in so doing
they ran the gauntlet of hundred
shots. This was so rarely accomplished
in safety that the feat won applause
and hearty congratulation.
All this would have been ludicrous
but for the suffering inflicted upon SO
many. Men were mortally hit, and
there was no chance to bind up their
wounds; they.were almost as far be-
yond our help as if they had been
miles away. It was sad to hear the
cries subside into low means. and then
into silence, without chance to help.
A laugh over a successful chase for
tobacco would die away only to change
into murmur of indignation at the
next cruel slaughter.
A young officer, boyish and ruddy,
fresh from visit home, with bright
er sword and shoulder straps than
most of us, raised his head to look at
the enemy, and bullet at once pierced
his brain. Without word or groan.
his head sank again, his rosy cheeks
grew ivid, and his blood crimsoned his
folded hands. Next an arm OF leg
was shattered as it became exposed in
shifting from the wearisomeness of one
position.
Presently system of reporting the
casualties became established; the
names Of the injured were passed from
mouth to mouth: Captain Nj, 18th
-, just killed." Private -, Co. G,
11th-. knocked over" Those who
were fortunate enough to have paper
and pencil, and elbow-room enough to
get them out CT their pockets kept 9
list of the killed and wounded. The
occupation proved blessing, for the
hours were very long and weary.
Slowly the sun declined, and wher
at last the great disk stood, large and
red, upon the horizon, every face wal
turned toward it. We forgot con
straint, thirst, tobacco, and rebel fire
in our eagerness to see the end of
day that had combined the dangers o
battlefield and the discomforts of
winter bivouac with many new horror
of its own.
Finally the lingering sun went down
December twilights are short. TIL
Federal line sprang to it's feet with al
most shout Of relief. The rebel fir
grew brisker as they saw such swarr
of blue-coats rising from the ground
but it was too late to see the foresight
of the rifles, and shots unaimed wer
not so terrible as the hated ground
We contemptuously emptied our rifle
at them, and before the smoke rclle
away, the coming darkness had blotte
out the wall and the hostile line
Youths COmD12liO11