The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-06-30

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| .o/F y TfESST army had all crossed
| Y<Ll~X 'Hyy7F VA over. Then rode
S52 ( EsfLT IN N back to the station and
| &A IyMk IfM found that it was en-
| q FG - EesbE1N3M~ trely deserted. Where
! Ar SAigl ES>A we had seen thousands
| Sehg ~ " II. Of men, horses wagons,
| SE[1 U.gft1nn. ~ ambulances, artillery,
| 81 As g and everything that
| n @-SaSax1L@,- goes to make up large
~ & NNl1i[lSe. army only few hours
4 ,-.,1,clRSSS ago now not vestige
remained except an
| immense milo of shelcd corn in sacks at the
| railroad station which had been set OH lire,
| and was now fiercey burning. There were
parts of the pile which had not yet ignitcd,
| aud as soon ms Col. Broadhead took in the stu
alton no set squad OF men at work pulling
| out the sacks not yet reached by the hre.
| There was about three bushels IN each sack,
and every tenth man took sack on his saddle
bow in front of him. which was to be divided
when we reached camp for the night which
was supposed would be only mile or two
ahead.
Our road led up along the river bottom. On
our right rose bluff not so very high, but Too
steep for horses to climb. There WAS also q
fence ON that side. We were some little time
getting our cargo aboard, aud fast as one
company was loaded they would lrove up the
road and wait for the next TO load and close
IN and then move on a little and wait for the
next, and so on. At last we were all fitted out
and in motion. The road wound along the
river bank which made wide curve just at
this point. My company OBJ was tie third from
the front, and by turning III my saddle could
sec the other nine companies winding along
the curve behind ms and across tho bow. How
odd they all looked with huge sack of corn at
regular intervals clear along tho whole line
and how contcnted and com Portable we all felt;
for our haversacks had been well filled that
morning with grub for ourselves, and our
horses would he provided with abundant grain
for their suppers. The afternoon was neither
too hot nor too cool the sky overhead was
blue not a cloud in sight; the trees over
across the river made nice shade for us. as
the sun WAS low. The uniforms of the boys
looked clean and bright, and rs there was
about thousand OF MS. we felt strong in our
own might aud was feeling very coinplaccnt
thinking that although war service was some
times un pleasant just now it was more like Il
picnic aud bore rather an agreeable character
than otherwise.
OF such was the tenor OF my thoughts, when
they were suddenly dispelied by seeing the
leading company break into the utmost con-
fusion. part Of the men aud horses going down in
the road, and u huge gap appearing, which
looked rs il half the company had been wiped
out ut one slap. AT the instant n huge
puff Of white smoke was blown nearly across
side, that had been quietly waiting in ambush
for us to come along. and had got the drop on
us without our dreaming Of their presence.
Good gracious What scrape we in,
thinks J. That's right, boys, push ahead. was
the common, l made. rs l saw the leading
company canter along the road. Ha! ha look
at the boys with the sacks Nearly every one
on. with his knife, cut the ends, for if he can't
carry feed for his nine comrades, he can save
feed for his own horse; hu. it is terribly awk-
ward hanging on TO it while the balance runs
out In q moment the road yellow with
loose corn. / presume it was pretty well mac
adamizcd with it BY thc,time tho rear got by.
Ia the meantime we were rushing along
anxious to get past the battery before they
could load up and bang away at us again.
took in the distance with my eye, and was just
congratnlaiing myself on the fact that it was
altogether probable that company would
get by before the next dscfaTRc-bGt God help
the poor fellows behind. The attack had oc-
Cured so suddenly, and there WAS so much to
occupy my attention, that | hadn't time to get
Hurried, and would have gone through the
scrape comparatively unrnttied II just ut that
moment hadn't seen tie head of the column
stop and turn their horses across the road, COM
pletely blocking il MP and bringing everything
behind them to standstill. Cool dod, thinks
J. what do those fellows mean by blocking up
tho road ahead there; for by the time we jam
up against them will DC right in front of
those cannon
Sure enough, when my horse fetched mp
against the one before him, and / could go no
further, l looked across tho narrow river right
into the muzzc Of a big black cannon set in
the low bushes aud the way the canuoreer; were
jumping about made them look more like
monkeys than men. They were activity itself,
but though they were doing their duty to the
utmost extent of their ability, could not ad
IL, H.
will be nj! with me. 1t camo into my
head that last glimpse of earth was the proper
thing to take, to have something to dwell on
through eternity. The view from the spot
was extremely limited; the bluff on our
right shut of the horizon in that direction,
and the trees across the creek closed the view
that way, and about all there was to be seen
was blue piece of sky iringed with green
leaves which | thought most decidedly un-
satisfactory last glimpse OF earth, and was just
saying to myself "Confonnd it all, why
couldn't fellow be shot somewhere where he
could see something" when discovered that
it looked overhead rs though it was going to
rain, and pretty quick too and Immediately
alter it began to not only rain, but along with
1t came the sharrcst hail ever experienced.
1t came with squall of wind that made every
pellet stIn. as if shot out OF a gun. My horse
promptly ducked his head down between his
two front legs, aud turned his tail to the storm,
which came from the direction that We
wanted TO 20, and there we sat right in front
OF battery 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 he blown into eter-
nifty.
What a situation for grocery clerk May
be didn't wish l was back behind the counter
again. But | wasn't killed. after all, bccause |
the rain seemed to interfere with the artillery |
practice. and when we left u minute or SO later |
] turned my head to nod good by to the john
MES and discovered they were all cuddled to.
gether under the gun. trying to escape the
hail.
| wonder if any Of the old boys of the LIST
Mich. Cav. remember it,? Did it look to you
as have described it? Speak up, boys; let us
hear from you. l was with you only year,
yet / understood the regiment had records
of 161 different fights up to that time. aud
your most 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 day after the Rappahannock Station
affair our regiment remained in camp among |
the timber in the rear Of and close up to the |
There seemed to be nothing for us
to do, and some time during the forenoon l
proposed to Comrade J0a Brownell that we sad
die up and take ride towards the 'front.' and
see for ourselves what the situation was he
was willing and on prstenSo OF watering our
horses we slipped off Oh French leave and rode /