The National tribune., 1892-10-27

---HEN the Army Of the Potomac
NM settled down to the siege of Peters.
wv burg the old Second Corps-that
CORR which had stood ut Gettys
burr like wall of fire against the assaults
OF Pickett Pciiigrew and Lougstrcet-was as
signed the duty of acting as the reserve; and at
that word the old veterans who once wore the
trefoil on their caps-t!ie little red, white or
blue badge so like clover leaf--wli cali 10
mind the quick alarms, the midnight marches
the extra fatigue duties and the desperate bat-
Ties which became their portion while the rest
of the army Law iatreuched before the enemy
The Second Corps had well nigh exhaused Its
strength in the opening charges of the hrst as
sault at Petersburg, on the 10th, Ia IA and 18TH
of June 1854 wlrie. led BY the heroic HAN
cock. il had already fought its way from the
Wilderness TO Cold Harior, where
Death aud danger iiaEered then
Round the lntih Il those brave men;
Gloomy hill aud lowry glen held a rebel Zoe
But now that fighting seemed over for the
time beinv and the lines of tire union army
circled partly around Petersburg for an All
Simmer siege-and Winter too. as it proved
il found no place among its fellows at the 'front.'
but inst ad. the curious prospect oil laying Oh
and in the rear MAJ kcd oil tor It,
/ wei remember the sense OF relief we feit
as our column af the First Division Barlow s.
FLED out of the woods where our position had
been. aud took the high aud oren road that ied
to the Jerusalem Plank read. We felt Ike vet
Grams whose wars were over an heHeei"rth
we would rest from iloedshed. for season, At
least, far from the din of musketry and the
unceasing pop. pop, pop OF The packets, mat
through The liveiong Gay and night keps up d
Fourth-of-July racket in dead earnest
Aud SO we congratulated ourselves on the
good time that awaited US. pro ably on the
Black water new and pleasant district toward
which we were marching; but we stopped to
camp and actually laid out company streets
and lay down to sleep and pleasant dreams
Now it was that Serg't Cash, or Abe, as !
called my terminate, rcveied IN sieep. lie could
afford to take one good sleep Gow; for weren't
we relieved2" Aud so it was that, instead OF
getting his breakfast at the time TIE rest did,
he didn't get any at all for just as had eaten
miae and given him some water, an exceed
ingly mean-looking ofIcer, mounted Ala,
brought orders 10 laove at once, rs they usually
did when we were comfortably fixed. And SO
vanished that camp, and before Abe coGld say
grace he saw the last of breakfast and was on
the march again.
Yetw were going to the Black water, so they
said and the beaning sun of June shone on
column of armed men with tranquil faces and
Oh a dusty road winding through green neids
and pine forest; far away 20 tue rear
But presently it seemed 10 wiad 20 the right
and then we seemed 10 smell nice we
were going to another attack-aud We on the
reserve!
II was the struggle for the Weldon Railroad
Oh The 2Ist and pa of June. which Grant ulii-
maiely won. and thus closed one line OF COM
muDication 10 the enemy.
The column had marched rapidly for several
hours and reached point where the road weut
through pine tiicket. when Il moved very
SLOWLY. We bad some cavalry la advance aud
pretty soon their carbiRes began 10 rattle
that exciting irregular firing which always
preceded hattie. the combat OF tie skiriD ish
ers. We kept ad yanciHg. however, Two steEs
aud halt stand awhile, sit down. then get
up aud go on Wounded men now appeared,
coming from the froat-somc borne Oh stretch
ers to the rear. where the Surgeons were in
readiness to bind mp their wounds or TO aGpu-
tate lin bs that were shsttered.
While we were looking at them an order
came TO detail men 10 90 cut as haukers. and j.
with others from Ely company, was detailed
for that duty. The enemy had brought a
battery into action aud the shells began 10
whiz over our heads As my name was called
I sicpied forward 10 the middle of the road,
where the detail was falling in. aud was Look
ing around for the rest of them when shell
came like a flash of lightning and burst whore
bad heen sitting. killing four men outright
and wounding three others, with some OF
whom had been talking. Then another shell
came aud burst over us in the road, so that we
which euyelop-d us, but, strange to say, none
were injured 10y il. We had learned TO care
little for artillery fire or shells at long range,
but this. i'm a SIX ;rinish. was fearful. No battle
ensned that day; we were simply feeling the
enemy"
We fankers went through the woods TO the
left looking for the enemy with one eye and
for water with the other, but were Withdrawn
before we found either.
in some districts in Virginia we could obtain
water by digging just below the soil about
foot. On the Peninsula, especially by Tho
Pamunkey River. the clayey substratum held
water, and on this occasion. with gun on one
shoulder. carried spade (which someone else
had thrown away on the other, IN hopes oil
getting u drink, for we were suffering from
thirst.
Oar division slowly returned the way j!
came Some thirsty men were crowding around
well, while officers yainly shouted fox them
10 leave before the enemy came but still they
fingered near The enchanting place till an off
Ger on horseback drove among them and at tho
point of his revolver persuaded them TO obey
orders. We did not go far our way back
Tor in a short limo halted and, forming
line. built breastworks aud were joined by the
rest OF the corps. The next day we had :
battle with the usual foe OF the Second Corps
the rebels under the skillfui Gen. A. p Hill
and were put TO a great disadvantage and lost
over 1000 prisGners-l.7 ZOO. according to Hum.
phrey's /" Virginia Campaign-aBd four guns
Gen. Hancock was away at the time on &C.
count OF his wound troubling him, aud we
were taken cut TO the thick woods near where
we had been the day before, where we could
hardly see the end Of Il company, and
monkeycd around" the boys used TO say
1ill we lost our bearings and were then attacked
by the enemy In three columns.
Wen we think of the many struggles gu
men had with unseen foes in the woods
and the disasters which often followed. ii i
easy TO aecvGat for Tie dis;rGst we felt as ~,
entered such places and a certain "a back ward
ness 10 20 forward" and so il resulted her,
that when the enemy 1snked us on the left
panic ran along the line from left 10 right like
the "snaking Of row Of bricks, and tn,
whole Line broke aud "skedaddled to til,
rear.
We had taken position at last in the woods
connecting with the Jeff OF the Irish brigade
and keeping close TO the ground. Now
whether we had a line of skirmishers in on
front or not, is an item j never could find out
but the battle commenced, and bullets cam
chipping through the woods-inyisible shaft
of death lIom unseen hands 4 friend (Gilber
Eyans) had tent orary command Of the mex
company, and during lull came and told u
that one Of his men had Just been killed
That made matters serious; the first man sille
throws a gloom over the regiment. and make
men realize how slim the chances are for a
Of living.
The bullets now came faster. and our me