Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-04-26

and tumbled to the bottom Of the hill. l
reached the bottom all too soon, for there
was the ascent every step of which | took
led me toward those horrible shells.
could hardly climb the hill at all. l know
rested dozen times. | finally managed
to get up and dropped down into the ditch
outside Of the redoubt Well, had to
catch nv breath There were three or
four of the other boys there. know it
would not do to stay there, so wormed
nv way along the ditch to the entrance,
and watching my chance, l darted out
of the ditch into the redouot took bee
line for the gun and dropped down under
the protection of those blessed walls.
l had hardly dropped down under
cover when Duty Smith came and ordered
me to take bucket and 90 back the way |
had come and bring some water. The gun
had become so hot by rapid firing that they
needed water in swabbing out to cool it. /
know If had had sixteen buckets, and could
have carried water night and day for a
year could not have brought spoonful.
A iugi | would have broken a caSt-iron
lug in less than a hundred yards So /
fatty told Duty would do no such thing.
did not intend to disobey orders, but the
condition of my nsrves were such that |
might as well have tried 10 carry water in
a seive. "You won't carry water, won't
youl" said Duty. l don't know what he
would have done to ME, but just then John
L. Morrison came with bucl;etful. "All
right" said Duty, there comes Johnny
Morrison with q bucket: you need not 60"
Our Sergeant, Scott Riley, and started
TO carry ammunition from the caisson. |
thought Scott would kill himself laughing
at me- threw myself down at every shell
that passed over my head, fit was hun
dred feet in the air down | would come. l
would run with all my might, falling down
every few steps, to the caissOn, grab
couple of shells and the cartridges and back
again, making the same evolutions. On
reaching the breastN orks | would hug
them, and watch Scott cut the fuse aud fix
the shell, and on signal from him would
run the gauntlet after another load.
Once shell passed over my head as | was
crossing where our Captains tent had
stood He had gotten himself a lot of
planks for a floor. They were laid down
loose, and the tent, when it was struck,
Just left the floor, rolling up the tent and
taking il away. | had lust reached these
boards, going for shells, when | heard the
noise overhead, threw myself down on
those planks with such force as TO make
everything rattle This made Scott laugh
so that | was afraid he would go into con-
WILSON'S In cutting his fuse his eyes
would roll round till he could see me,
when he would laugh again with the tears
streaming down his face. could not see
anything TO laugh at. 1t was serious bust
ness About all | could do was TO hug that
wall a abject terror expecting every mo-
menL to hear. Come on, let us get more
shells.n While Scott was cutting away
at piece of fuse his back bowed up and
every second looking around at me TO grin,
shell struck just outside near US. 1t ex-
ploded and piece about the size Of a half
brick sailed over the wall, and, as SCOTS
back was a little higher than the wall,
whack, the piece took him on tGe back He
sank down with little moan. Our lieu
tenant ran to him and asked him if he was
much hurt Not much" said Scott, 81
feel little SICK | was sorry he was
hurt 1t, also, knocked the laugh out of
him. ! was glad Of that.
l noticed the poor horses. 1t is a shame
to take them into battle. The poor brutes
stood trembling in their harness. When
one would be hit his mate would look
around at him in wild eyed wonder, and
would hardly move out of his tracks TO
allow his stricken companion to fall.
1t was now about dark. Our outer works
had been taken, the regular" battery los
ing all their guns. The Star fort TO the
right of the main fort and beyond the
| Pughtown road had been stormed By the
Louisiana Tigers under command of
Gen. Hays and had been taken at the point
of the bayonet. Thus we lost half our ar
! tillery before the close Of the second day.
The town was practically in the hands Of
the enemy, and only Fort Forage Sack
and the main fort remained TO us As it
grew dark the sight was glorious. Count
less shells flew in every direction, with
long fiery tails like comets. Some burst
ing high In the air, others close TO the
ground, scattering their fire in every di-
rection as they burst. Added 10 this we
saw sheets of flame bursting at intervals
near the main fort, heard the yells
of both parties and knew that the
fort was being charged. The assault was
a failure, and, in the midst OF the assault
we were ordered TO the main fort. tell
you we jerked our guns and carriages out
Of that little old reduabt in hurry. Our
support the Twelfth West Virginia,
moved down TO the front where we had
bsen. Just as we reached the Northeast
corner Of the main fort | heard yelling in
tue direction we had come. Turning 10
look ! saw two sheets of fame about %
yards apart Our support was getting
what was intended for US. ] watched the
charge for moment. suppose finding
the battery was not there they did not
make determined effort, but soon fell
| back. We soon entered the main fort and
placed our guns in position on the walls.
| Gradually the firing on both sides ceased.
Pickets were thrown out and soon the tired
soldier had fallen into dreamless slumber
on his arms, to renew the frey in the morn
| ing.
My next article will be on the scenes Of
the third days battle.