The National tribune., 1891-04-30
Read Better than Pension " on page s.
BETWEEN THE LINES.
Terrible Experience OF New York COmrade De-
fore Richmond.

] iefflble Experience OF n new l0Tk AOhlfane DE"
fore Richmond.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Albert T..
! / - is at this time lls9l) an employee in the
4 Government Printing Office in Washington. /
! have known him for years His reputation for
/ peracty is tho very best, and he Is known
! among his friends as first-rate fellow. He is
stout and hearty, and If it were not that his
modesty might be shocked by so open COM
/ pliment, / should say lac is still handsome, not
| wthstanding the fact that he went through
some tough service in defense Of his country
during the late civil war; aud this brings me
10 the point nj which ! wish 10 arrive namely
brief but thrilling episode in Mr. l. S mill
tary life.
He enlisted from his home in Jefferson
County, n. Y, in the 10th n Y. III. A., which
served infantry, by the way, instead Of as
artillery. The regiment went TO the front. aud
at last after having done service in the Valley
Of Virginia and elsewhere, found itself i'm the
Fall OF l-64 in the vicinity of the rebel Capital
where it took up position in the Union lines
within hearing Of the ears running on the rail
road between Richmond and Petersburg
Our army lOnged 10 lay hands on that rail-
| road, but between il and the right wing Of our
army lof which the 10Th n. Y. ii. A. was a
part was the left wing Of the Confederate
army.
The Union line was intrenched here during
the following Winter after the arrival Of the
| 10th. The outer defense was composed of
! earthwOrks, and an abatis composed Of trees
| felled side by side, the branches projecting to-
ward the enemy. The opposing force was also
! disposed in fortified camp
From each line was thrown ont a Gordon Of
videis on foot. On the Union side they were
! placed some 50 or 20 yards in advance Of the
/ abatis.
la front Of the 10th these sentries Of the OPP
posing forces were separated only by narrow
rayiue; aud as 10 had been found after the war
\ had proceeded for some time that il was mere
4 butchery for the sentnes to fire upon one
another when the two armies faced each other
aud were awaiting, Micawber like, for some
1 thing 10 turn up yidet, on reaching his post
was comparatively safe, unless something did
! turn M.
But here is Just where the rub came with my
! friend J. These videts were relieved, like all
other guards in the army at that time. every
/ two hours, and 10 came the turn Of COmrade
I J. 20 shoulder his musket one evening after
( nighttall, about a month before the final dis
astcr TO our iellow-citizens of the South, aud 20
I out on the brow OF the Tayine
Something had been expected that whole
/ day. There had been an unusual stir in the
/ camp. Officers rode back and forth with great
! frequency; Aids came and went from the Gen
erals quarters in quick succession, and A stir
/ altogether beyond the ordinary told the quick
\ wittcd soldiers that an attack was expected.
"CUmrade l., said the Sergeant Of the Guard,
/ as lie WAS about leaving our friend on his post
on the yidet line, " If you see the enemy APP
preaching or il he opens Gre, fire your piece
and retire 70 the abatis."
''Al right" replied Camrade I.
The Sergeant disappeared in the gloom, aud
the comrade paced his beat. All was quiet for
perhaps an hour. Then there came a few stray
shots then more of 30 the right and 10 the left;
but still our friend fingered because he saw
nothing. But soon the shots increased in mum
bcr aud Comrade ]. realized that the JOhnnies
were about 10 make an attack.
Ii was dead Of night. lie started 10 retreat.
u was too late. Before he had proceeded 20
yards, in the twinkling Of an eye his own line
/ opened fire with small-arms aud cannon. So
did the enemy What was the cOmrade to doY
Shot and she'll Of every size aud character were
screaming about his ears from both directions.
There WAS bnt one thing for him 10 do. lie
threw himself upon the ground aud Rugged
/ mother earth with all his might. Now and
again would come the elongated cannon pro-
jectle, making that zum-zum sound peculiar
10 Itself a. il is rotated in the air; then would
come the steady rush OF the round shot as IL
jumped through space, while the rle-bals rep
. resented the hum Of thousand bees with
full head 0i steam on. DO you know how
wicked a ri1c-bal sounds as il flies BY you in
close proximity and thirstiue for your ifo's
bloody Here was our comrade out in the dark
night, all alone, and a thousand deaths filling
the air with their hdeous sounds.
Near 40 hand were his own people. lie
could soc the red fash 81 their guns as they
hurled their deadly missiles toward him; in
the other direction. aud farther away, the en-
emy's guns doomed on the night air. vomiting
fire and death. The lone soldier, rs he lay on
the ground, heard the balls screaming back and
/ forth. Sometimes they would siZ through the
/ short struggling g.l-s aud bury themselves in
the sand, and again strike neiphb0Ting stump
with dull thud. IL was a pardcmon!um and
the soldier made mp his mind then aud there
that hc would neyDr get out OF IL alive. He
committed his soul 20 the keeping Of his IICay-
emily Father; he thought If home aud the loved
ones lie bad left there, aud said last farewell
mentally, 10 his best girl, aud yet lie lived on
fr0ul moment TO moment. The firing c0utin-
ued undated, for how long be did not know.
Every moment was an hour 10 him in that
fearful strait. Often he wondered why IL was
that be was not already dead.
Thiul. Of il. lie was all alone in the dead Of
night, his existence forgotten by his own COM
radcs and the air full Of Understanding mis-
siics. il is hard 10 die under any CiTcum-
stances, even In the pleasant home aud sur
rounded by loving friends; hat 10 be abandoned
out in tho dark, pitiirss night without hope
and without friend waiting for the fatal
moment to come, is beyond the power Of words
70 adequately portray. IL Is enough 10 turn
the hair white on The spot.
Bat al things must have an end, and 20 last
the firing ceased as abruptly as il had com
menced. ia an instant the comTade realized
4 the situation, sprang 70 his feet, ran behind
the ahatis and was saved.
"That you, Comradc !. ?" the Sergeant sang
out as the comrade came into the intrcuch-
mcnt.
Yes sir" was the response.
"Whcre have you been ?"
"Outsdc tho abatis hugging the earth. How
4 long was the firing kept upI"
Half au hour" replied the Sergeant
"Half an hour" said COmrade J. in astonish.
mcnt. why. thought it was four hours nc
! least. Who's rot l0oEiug-glass; / want o sec
the color Of my hair!"
Ills hair retained its wonted color, and the
/ boys congratulated him on his happy escape
/ II. 5. l..
| BEAD Better than Pension on page 5.
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