The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-11-06
The E. H. Stewart Furniture Co.
LEFT TO A VOTE OF THE PR,vAres
Why the Confedcratcs Did Not Storm
tho Union Works ut Petersburg.


tho Union Works at Petersburg.
The private soldiers had so few privileges
during the war that it does me good To
mention for the first time in print I'm Incl
dent of the siege of Petersburg There are
plenty yet living of the old soldiers who
can tell you that the question of storm
Ing" or mot storming' the Yankee works
at Petersburg by night was left to :: vote
of the privates.
forget dates. it has been so long, hut it
was just n short while before the Con
federates left their trcflches and started
on the nine days retreat which ended ut
AppomattoX.
1t had been we'll known for some time
that Lee could not hold out against Grant
much longer unless, by taking some tles-
perate chance, advantage might be gained
to the Confederates. a council of officers
was held, and while of course | do not
know what happened in that meeting |
do know that it became understood among
the prirates of the army that there had
been Il disagreement among the officers,
and failing to agree they compromised by
leaving the question of storming the
Yankee works ut night 10 the decision OF
the privates-a thing so unusual that it
cast Il shadow over their hopes
On the day before the vote was to he
taken mt night the bushes rubbish and
brush were ordered cleared or leveled i'm
the ravnc between the two armies 1t was
perilous undertaking, but the Confcd-
crates gathered their axes and without
flinching marched to their work Strange
to say, the Yankees quietly watched this
proceeding without firing gun, it being n
work they wished performed or else they
anticipated that the Confederates were fix
ing To storm their works-a thing they
IL =.
got through with their work and went
back to their camps without any trouble,
but fully confident that it was n prepara-
ton to charge, all ignorant of what turn
matters were to take.
When night approached and the officers
quietly bid the men to fall in YOU may
wonder ut the surprise of all privates when
they were told that all commissioned off
GERS would retire from their presence and
that privatcs should decide by ballot
among themselves as to whether the Yam
kee works should be attempted by storm
upon that very night.
~ little incident happened just rs the
commissioned officers retired, and none of
us can say to what extent it bore upon the
action of the privates. The mail had
arrived-letters from home to the brave
soldier boys, an unexpected thing Just ut
that time, for it was so early to get the
mails then. The arrival of these letters
from home stopped all other thought. and
the men gathered in groups around their
orderly sergeantsanXiously listening to The
names upon the envelopes to be called out
AS each man received his letter he FASTENED
from the group to some little fire light
and down upon his knees he broke the seal
and read the contents. Soon there were
many kneeling men rountahe fires through
the camps, and as now and then one would
reach out and punch up the chunks You
could see the tears glistening in his eyes.
But Il vote must be taken, n ballot Of
no" if the fight was not to be made, or n
ballot of yes" if it was.
1t was under just such circumstances
that balloting began, and us they were
gathered all in hat the time had come
for the counting. Then came short mo-
ments of expectancy. The first ballot was:
"Yesn'
And the blood thrilled through every
soldier heart. The counting went on.
Eyes"
eyes"
'Yes"
For three times the fatal Eyes" came,
with not single mo" But "no" came
at last, and then long column of noes"
with only here and there n yes" was the
result The fight was off. The breast
works would not be stormed that night.
and they never were, but many of these same
brave hearts ceased to beat before the end
mt AppomattoX.-Atlan Constitution.