The National tribune., 1891-04-02

i
OF the giver which had such an exhilerating
effect The old grandfather sat near, some
/ what decrcpid; but with "A strange light Ia has
eyes and the tears trnkling down his wT.nkled
checks he shouted encouragement 70 the
soldiers as they marched past the place, regret
] ing that he was not young enough 10 90 with
them. liz was an inspiring scene, and have
often wondered just where it was. and who was
/ the pretty fascinating maiden. DO any Of tho
boys Of the Second Division, Fifth Corps, re-
member the circumstances?
Night had settled down with her sable mantle
DER all The country, and still the same tramp,
I tramp, tramp" No halt; no rest. Hour after
I hour we plodded on. There was no time 10
/ stop 20 build fires and get a sip Of hot coffee,
/ for our presence was needed. There was n cry
/ for help from our comrades already at the front,
/ for that day they had been forced 10 retire be-
! fore the overwhelming forces Of Gen Lee. So
/ on we marched. until about o'clock in the
morning Of the 2d, when we halted at a little
/ hamlet about ihrce miles 10 the eastward Of
/ Gettysburg.
Here we dropped down in our places for a
4 little sleep. The men were worn out with con-
tinua marching most Of the time for two
weeks
An amusing incident occurred when we
halted, which was AZ the same time quite eE-
gsperatiug Some OF Us had lain down in
meadow adjoining the T0ad. through which
flowed a little rivulct. Some Of tic boys who
like the owls, arc always wide awake sc night
had built dam across The little stream at the
edge OF the meadow at the road way for the
purpose Of having either bath or washtUb
on a large scale The ground being low in the
meadow adjoining the brook, and the current
rapid la its tlow, the dam soon caused M over
Eow in the low ground adjacent 10 the stream.
few of Us happened 10 be asleep Just there,
and our dreams OF home were suddenly cut
short by the awakening influence of She water.
which gradually found its way to the parts of
our body nearest the ground. DID ever any
oHe hear soldier nse lr0.aue language Well,
believe ] heard some that carly morning.
However, the iittIe res, obtained here was very
acceptable bUt Of short dnaiion. rs reyeille
was beat al 3.30 q. m, and at 4 o'clock we were
marching again, and wo were soon conscious
that we were
APPROACHING THE SCENE OF ACTION.
Occasional picket shots began 10 he heard over
the hills 10 the west and SOUTH About o'clock
we came up 10 portion Of the Twelfth Corps,
who had just arrived on the field We halted
here, which was not far from Wolfs Hin. and,
as we understood, nt the extreme right OF the
line aud somewhat refused. Our brigade
Second Brigade. Second Division, Fifth Corps
filed OF 10 the right and formed in line front
lug piece of woods with my own regiment
t2 II. :. Inf on the night. detail Of slsir-
mi-hcTs WAS Immediately made, and, just my
luck, happened 90 Toe one Of the detail. There
Were IL ol the 2d Inf in the squad.
We depluycd 10 the front aud advanced
through the woods without meeting anything
in the shape Of reb. We then lied on the
right and in two ranks filed OF FIRST 10 the
irOat, then to the left. This squad Of skiTmish-
crs was under the command OF Capt. Bush,
OF the 10th Il, s. Inf
After advancing about half a mile oyer
broken ground, We met ga Orderly, with orders
for Us TO ad vance HHd Join onto the right Of the
Twelfth Corps sAirmishcrs which were sup
posed 20 be TO the lolt and front Of as, over the
broken hills. So we deployed again and ad-
yaHced IN line over an abrupt hill, then up
another not quite 50 steep, upon which were
two Wheatheids, separated by a snake fence.
As We attained the summit Of the hill we dis
covered az the foot OF the incline al our front
an orchard, adjoining which was q red barn,
which WAS separated from the Whedfelds by
stone fence running parallel 10 our line
As yet We bad not met any opposing skir-
ulsh-line, but al this junciure there arose rs
b ont OF the ground a heavy line Of skir-
mlsaeis with buttemut hats, who opened on as
with shower ui lealeu pills. We sent back an
exchange as best We could
About the same time we discovered. 10 our
di-may, that the skirmishers Of the Twelfth
Corps bad fallen back 80 that our .iltlc squad
hAH Hllin4AtlhtliA ADVANCED IIDfn any NtuET
Union troops We thought secretion the better
part Of yalor aid drupped into the wheat With
ont special orders. exchanging shots with the
Johnuils as best we could.
THEY EyIDEsTLY SAW OUR PREDIcAMENT,
and were making ready TO cobhe rs all in."
Bat We DAD npi Soc 10 in that light so Wc gave
them our parting compliments out OF The muz-
2les o, our eprngdelds aud retired as quickly
thereafter as the existing circumstances would
allow. out Of that squad u IL we left seven 81
our comrades in the wheat. a u were wounded,
and think one OF two killed. We never saw
any OF them again, aud 80 concla3od they all
died Of their wounds IN some Southern prison
pcn, as they fell into the hands Q! the rebels
We fell back in good order but rather hastily,
the Cucmy's sGirmisLers only following up 10
the Top Of the hill. After falling back some
distance and verRing OF 10 the left we were re-
called, and soon Tcioincd our regiment which
with the rest Of the division had been ordered
in reserve Tor the time aud were Just turning
into broken field or pasture on Rock Eun IN
rear oi aud near Gen. Meadcs first hcadquaT-
ters.
We At once SIT 20 work making coffee.
bot our anticipated rcpast was cut short. /
remember ] had just got my coffee good and
hol br0lieG some bacon on a stick aud toasted
some bareback and bad seated myself in tie
shade OF some trees for good solid comfort
when We were ordered % " fall ia 4" aud lively
too. How could J waste that good coffee No. it
must not be; SO j. took the place Of water iH my
cautecn. IN d short time we were once more ia
iluc, with further orders 20 gee 10 our ammuni-
tion, arms, etc. Next came tie orders 10 load
and We began 10 think this meant business. and
We were soon marching Oh 10 the lelt Of the
lIue al q quick slrB.
We soon came b. an elevated plateau or pas
4 turc land which gradually asccBdcd 10 the
ifont o! as terminating ia a woody aud rocky
! rInlnpnce cOnica ln shape. with Etill another
/ larger nill beyond, which was thickIy wooded.
/ J he hrst nil we soon learned was called Little
Round Top. As we emerged from a sirip Of
woods through which the road ran, we were
ORDERED TO DgUELE-QUIcK.
aud continued that step Tor quite distance IN
! the direction Of Little Round Ton but we gyere
! soon ordered t0a quick step as il was feared By
oar commander thai the extra exert ION would
uEht as for good service when brought into
4 action.
About q o'clacl. wcarTivcd on the ridge which
I SLOPES Of 10 tho north from tie summit Of Lit
/ he Round Top. HCrg SIC formed iu line on the
brow Of this ridge, facing west. the Second Rr-
/ gadc IN front, with the First BT gade close up
1 as q second line aud tie Third Brigade as sup
4 ports n reserve The ground in our front de-
+ scondfd quite rapidly 10 a Tagiue, The loft Of
/ which was quite deep aud filed with au agglo-
. mrEat.On oi rocks called The DEVILS Den
Through this ravIne flowed Plum Run. on
either side 81 bis run, ln our immcl ate front.
4 the ground Was low ard somewhat marshv