The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-01-28
VANOUISHINGVICKSBURG
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NAN0UlSHlNGElCKSBURG
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and the vigorous tide Of battle surging still
in their breasts. Oh, it was sad and sicken-
ing! Near me was a man of so, a Union
soldier, shot in the knee by a minie-ball. 1t
seemed torture to him, and he had been hit
early in the first charge. A few feet away
was lad in blue about my own age, and for
this reason attracted my attention especially.
A grape-shOt had crushed his ankle. He lay
farther along, where he had followed the
enemy, and we understood was struck in the
last onset But he did not groan. His teeth
seemed set, his two white lips were COM
pressed, but the muscles twitched about his
mouth, and the quick futtering of the fore
head veins showed him fully alive to his sGf-
fering. There were others upon whom our
eyes rested, in gray as we'll as blue uni
form; in fact, the number seemed to be
somewhat evenly divided. We had time to
give drink of water cut of our canteens to
few, and then we got the word Forward,
dOuble-quick-March!"
From early afternoon till night we pur-
sued the foe sometimes close upon him,
sometimes losing sight Of him altogether.
If you would picture the chase, think of
regiments rushing forward through rs thick
woods and underbrush rs you ever saw !;
through ponds of water and across deep gull
liesi over railroad emblnkments, over cuts
from 10 TO % feet deep; climbing great rail
fences at the top of these cuts, over as rough a
country as you can well discover. Think Of
these regiments forming at the word in line
OF battle on level ground and broken ground,
in cornfelds, in oatfelds, on hillsides, amid
dense underbrush, in hollows cut up by
water-courses; think Of them rushing for
ward in line Of battle, or charging, on the
run, in column Of division OF company, and
of keeping this up on the jump for the good
part of au afternoon and late into the even
ing.
THIS WAS OUR BUSINESS.
Verify, PembcrtOn didn't have much time
to deliberate on choice of roads. If he
had, his one road would have been gone.
Occasionally we could get in shot, and re-
ceive volley, bat such opportunities didn't
last long.
As we pushed forward from that bloody
center we halted moment by another capt
ured battery, placed where the road had been
cut deep, SO that the grim muzzles could
just point over the level side. They looked
over wheatfeld with its green rich and
beautiful. Across this field had charged our
boys in blue, aud yonder we could see some
who never lived TO see the triumph Dead
were they amid the green, the westering
sunlight blending with the blue and green
till a golden haze rested over each body. It
was halo of glory over the SLANT The
horses Of this battery, with one exception,
had been killed, and lay as they had fallen,
still attached to the piece as if 10 take it
away. But the survivor, yet in his harness,
stood silently above his dead brotherhood.
There was something almost human in his
eyes as he looked atus, and then at the ami
mails lying about him.
Here stretched at full length in the road
lay an artillery Sergeant. Not unnaturally
he attracted my attention. His hat had
been placed over his face, but was lifted
moment, only to reveal the fact that can
non-ball had blown of the top OF his head
At one time we dashed into a lawn and
formed our line ef battle Just before the
mansion. In the porch sat lady dressed
in black. / thought she was unmoved, that
a scornful smile played over her features !;
but some of my company said there were
tears falling down her cheeks. They must
have seen her after my hasty glance 1t was
certainly her ex perience to listen to the crash
ing roar of our battery not 10 feet before her,
and she did not finch.
Tall and straight grew poplar tree, one
OF two, in fact, at the entrance to the lawn.
Our cannOneers did not seem as particular
about their aim as they might have been,
for il tumbIed at the discharge Of one of the
guns TO the earth, cut in twain about IL feet
from the ground. Even there it struck the
batterymen as funny, and they shouted their
compliments to the man who
TOOK AIM AT THE ENEMY.
II hds GIOWlnB Ldlc ny tulS time, ana the
veins of fire leaping up from the muzzes of
their discharged pieces were sight weird
and peculiar.
We did not tarry here The swift forward
charge soon took US away to other expert
ences.
Ny lofty place as an officer served me in
good stead at one position. As Sergeant
did not have to be part Of the compact line.
and as this was ordered forward a pond of
unknown depth lay right across our path.
Over a narrow part of it a tree formed some
thing Of bridge. The line of battle evil
IDENTIFY wished to cross on that tree, follow
ing the Colonel but he, without regard to
his example and filled with the fury of bat
/ tie, aud knowing there was no time TO fool
about il, ordered the line straight through
the pond, and through it it had to 90. Hap
| PLY il was not more than knee-dcep. But
saw no necessity of my wading Wasn't
that tree there for the benefit Of the ofIi-
GERS? deliberately it was in the
presence Of the enemy, who thought il a
good time to send few shots back-I say
i deliberately did the same brave act as the
Colonel, and walked across on the log.
Not few Of the boys ran the little twigs