Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1892-07-28

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/ for thought in a moment it will be
over with me. 1t came into my head
that a last glimpse Of earth was the
proper thing to take, to have something
/ TO dwell on through eternity The view
/ from the spot | was on was extremely
/ limited: the bluff on our right shut of
the horizon in that direction, and the
trees across the view that way, and
about all there was to be seen was a
blue piece of sky fringed with green
\ leaves, which | thought a most decided
" unsatisfactory last glimpse OF earth.
and was just saying 10 myself, Con
| found il all. why couldn't fellow be
| shot somewhere where he could see
something" when [ discovered that it
| looked overhead as though it was going
% rain, and pretty quick toe, and i'm
mediately after it begun 10 not only
rain, out along with it came the
sharpest hail | ever experienced. IL
came with squal of wind that made
every pellet sting as if shot out OF a
| gun. My horse promptly ducked bis
| head down between his two front legs,
and turned his tail TO the storm. which
came from the direction that we wanted
to 90. and there We sat in front OF bat
terry Of rebel artillery, within 100 yards
of them, letting the rain run down the
back Of our necks and soaking US
through and through, expecting every
moment to be blown into eternity.
What situation for gre Gerry clerk.
Maybe didn't wish | was back behind
the counter AGAIN. But | wasn't killed
after all, because the rain seemed to
interfere with the artillery practice.
and when we left minute or so later /
turned my head to nod good-by TO the
Johnnies and discovered they were all
cuddled together under the gun, trying
to escape the hail.
/ wonder if any of the old boys of the
list Mich Cav II member il? Did i'll
look to YOU as | have described it ?
Speak up. BOYS; let us hear from you.
| was with you only a year. yet | under
stoo dtbe regime Mt had records of l6l
different fights up that time, and your
important fights did not occur until
afterwards. Let US hear from YOU,
boys, for there is nothing in your
record to be ashamed Of
The next dat after the Rapanhannock
Station affair our regiment remained in
camp among the timber in the rear of
and close up to the infantry. There
seemed to be nothing for US to do, and
some time during the forenoon | pro-
posed to comrade Joe Brownel that we
saddle up and ride to the front. and see
for ourselves what the situation was.
He was willing, and on preteuse of
watering our horses we slipped off on
French leave, and rode up the river
through wagon train camps, battery
camps, infantry and cavalry camps |
until we came out of the hills and tim
Der onto a large cleared tract in bend /
Of the river, when it swung around to
the right Ii seemed to be a couple of I
miles wide by perhaps three long The
land lay in ridges at right angles with |
the river. The ridges were not high |
nor sharp, but by lying down between
them man would be out of sight from
the opposite side OF the river. Further
to the north, where we were told the
rebs had some batteries, we SAW that
the holows were pretty well occupied
with the bodies of infantry lying in
ranks, in brigades, under command of
their Brigadiers. There were spaces
between the brigades. which left a road
for us to ride through from ridge TO
ridge. No one offered to stop Us, 50 we
kept right on towards the front. We
could see long lines Of gray across the
river in columns of four moving TO he
north, aud we could see batteries TAX
ing position; and, in fact. could see
considerable activity among the rebs on
a. a
a large masses of infantry on our own
side
We were quietly sitting on our horses
on the highest ridge 10 be found, taking
a good view of the surrounds when we
observed couple of pulls OF white
smoke half or three quarteas of a mile
10 our front across the river, and direct
IL afterwards a couple of explosions a
hundred ards or so in front Of us, and
the pieces of two shells which went
sailing past us, showed US that we were
targets for artillery practice. Joe re-
marked that they would have to shoot
closer than that if they wanted to do
any mischief. and | had just agreed
with him that we could stand a good
deal Of that sort of shooting, when we
z utNailt dNNAt that Il lil1N iNthtAAE BAiE-
adler was yelling at us from behind the
ridge, Get away from there, YOU dod-
I blasted IDIOTS; you're drawing the
enemy fire on us =" and we discovered
/ that the pieces ot shells that flew So
harmlessly past Us had made lively
scrimmage on the ground behind Us.
and. To accommodate the General. we
retired to another ridge some distance
to the rear; but the guuners followed
us and sent the shells after us, none Of
which came within SO feet of rs, but
the Colonels and Brgadiers made such
a fuss that We could not stop anyw here
without their threatening to shoot at
us themselves, SO we had TO ride of the
field and 90 back to camp, laughing at
the fun we had with the infantry. Do
you remember it. Joe -Ep. NJ WAT
soN, Co, b. lSt Mich Cav. Marquette,
Mich.
LIGHT FROM BUGS.
The Swapping bugs of Cuba fnr-
nsh he cheapest light. These insect,