The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-10-20

across those cleared fields. Once on coming to
board fence, just over rise, jumped to go
over but my cup and haversack caught under
the top board the board swayed | heard
some passing shots rather near me- and let the
board swing me back TO the ground, and on 60
! ing down l saw fash from their guns, and
ere | had struck the ground | was covered with
dirt and gap was made through that fence
had just left, saving me the trouble of climbing
over. Thus the race went or, they banging
away Mt me, only stopping to load; and just in
| the nick of time ] would drop into some hollow
behind clump of fur trees, on a ledge, or some
other object, or rush through grove of trees
near farmhouse. On, en- | went flying, with
| the rebs within 20 rods me- till | came to q
white ledge within 10 rods of the HILL This
ledge was covered with small trees running
parallel Swith the hill. | was On the
north point of the ledge, which was
nothing but white stone running to a
cliff. just as / was on this cliff they raised
their guns, and leapsd for dear life, punging
into the darkness below, nearly exhausted,
bending forward to escape the bullets rs they
flew over my head, while | was nearly covered
with those sulphurous stones, but going down,
down, finally striking smooth, descending
ground, that gave me a good send of. with my
lungs much improved by the sulphurous odor.
l WAS just able to reach the woods in time 1
went into the bushes to my right, then quickly
had gone round the hill TO camp and to avoid
their shots, and laid low. Just then shower
of shot came in behind ne like q hail storm,
cutting the bushes near my feet. The rebs
were only few rods of. | had been fred at
some eight or 10 times together with the pick
els, with more than 5000 shots mostly directed
to cut me OF. Now il was my turn. | then
climbed that high hill with ali my might,
pulling myself up by bushes when too steep,
with nay load {some 80 pounds) more than half
4 mile to the top, thence to vast plain descend
ing south, getting over log fence, then into
broad, wood road, running By the side of the
woods, then into an old slash covered with
growth of underbrush that had sprung up
higher than my head. In few rods came to-
the boys in camp round their fires, before they
knew it, as the brush was thick and met no
guard, il being quite dark, with the fires SHIN
ing up, and the most of them taking comfort
able snooze. They, too were not expecting any
general attack. told them, " Refs are coming
up through the woods" aud fell badly ex-
hausted. / heard one say, / told you they
were not shooting hogs"
/ soon rallied with the rest, and in a few
minutes we had collected nearly 200 rickets.
The Captain, as they called him, took a gun
and said: Z" You all pick man, aud when |
fire you all fire." We formed a line along the
edge of the slash. pointing our guns over logs
and through brush into that road. Very soon
LIS TcDs CiUle over iiiab ieHCe All &c
bers, and advanced up near to the muzzles of
our guns, when we fired on them, sending up
luFld blaze all along our line. Tho rebs
scampered back into the woods leaving their
dead and wounded. The Captain came TO me
and gave me a high compliment for having
saved his pickets, and said / had better 20 to
camp, where | would be cared for, and directed
an elderly man TO accompany me.
We had gone but little ways when we heard
firing down in our camp, which soon increased
to a general uproar of small-arms, then the
looming of cannon. We hurried on in plain
view of the battle. l got some honey at a
picket post and ate it with bareback. The
battle ragged terrible on our right of the Sixth
Corps and in front of me, and soon came back
to where / was; when Gen. Wright gave the
command to all fall in the reserve, where
several hundred had collected before the Gen
eral came up. The Sixth Corps was obliged to
fall back to reform and 10 keep from being
fanlSed; as also other corps were mixed in
more or iess-the Ninteenth the most at that |
place, rs ] saw hundreds of them coming right
through and going for the rear, part without |
arms or even clothes, having been driven from
their beds.
On the whole it was the worst surprise That |
ever came under my knowledge. Why some |
of the 18th VT had not five minutes to dress |
and get ready in, when they met the rebs in |
force, and held them in check. Gen. Wright |
soon ordered us farther back, when some 5000 |
of our cavalry dashed in with their seven
shooters on our right and front, thus prevent |
ing a flank movement, and aiding US very |
much. / was told by rebel prisoners that day |
that Gen. Early was wondering how his lett |
wing got beat that morning. The next day |
several Johnnies were picked up by our men |
along the line of pickets, and in place Was |
told they found 90 unable to get away.
Oar loss in the 18th Vt. the reserve and /
others on picket, under my observation, was |
one man wounded in the head at the first at |
tack. and the two taken prisoners and released |
on Gen. Lees surrender. Thus / leave it for |
your consideration what might have been the |
result had they fallen our and |
Gen. Sheridan.-Dr. q. VI. AIMS /
WORTH, Montpelier, VT