The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1893-02-24
LEFT TO A VOTE or THE PRIvATEs.
Why the Confederates Did Not Storm
the Union Works at Petersburg.

the 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 an incident of the siege of
Petersburg, says writer in the Atlanta
| Ga.) Constitution. 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 a vote Of the privates.
| | forget dates, it has been so long,
| but it was just short while before the
confederates left their trenches and
started on the nine days retreat which
ended at Appomattox.
1t had been we'll known for some
time chat Lee could not hold out
against Grant much longer unless, by
taxing some desperate chance, aCvant-
age might be gained to the confeder-
ates. A council Of officers was held,
and. while G. course | 10 not know
what happened in that meeting, | do
know that it became understood
among the priyates Of the army that
there had been disagreement among
the officers, and. failing to- agree, they
compromised by leaving the question
of storming the Yankee works a. night
to the decision OF the priVatcs-a thing
| so unusual that it cast q shadow over
their hopes.
GA the day before the vote was to be
| taken at night the bushes, rubbish and
brush were ordered cleared or leveled
in the ravine between the two armies.
It was perilous undertaking, but the
| confederates gathered their axes and,
without finching, marched to theil.
work. Strange to say, the Yankees
quietly watched this proceeding with
out firing a gun, it being work they
wished performed, or else they an
ticipated that the confederates were
fixing to storm their works--a thing
they much desired. Anyhow, the
confederates got through with their
work and went back to their camps
without any trouble, but fully confident
that 1t was preparation to charge, all
Ignorant OF what turn matters were to
take.
When night approached and tho
officers quietly bid the men to fall in,
YOU may wonder at the surprise of
all priyates when they were told that
all commissioned officers would retire
from their presence and that the
privates should decide by bailotamonw
themselves as to whether the Yankee
works should be attempted by storm
upon that very night.
A llttlc Incident happened Just as
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 d-letters from
home to the brave sol0ier boys, an un-
expected thing just at 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 sergeants anXiously 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 We're MANY
kneeling men round the fires through
the camps, and as now and then one
would reach up and punch up the
chunks you could sea the tears uiisten-
ing in his eyes.
But vote must be taken, ballot
of mo" if the fight was not to be made.
or ballot of yes" if it was. Each
soldier knew that time was precious,
and it was picture to watch the
soldiers fold their letters and place
them deep down in the inside pocket of
their gray jackets, and the ones who
had received none sadly waiting as
they thought of their own dear ones
far away at home.
1t was under just such circumstances
that balloting began, and as they were
gathered aA in a hat the time had
come for the counting. Then came
short moments Of expectancy. The
first ballot was:
yes"
And the blood thrilled through everv
soldier heart. The counting went on,
and
Yes"
Yes"
yes"
For three times the fatal "yes'
came, with not single no" But a
"no" came at last, and then long
column of noes" with only here and
there yes" was the result. The
fight was Off The Yankee 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 at Appomattox.
Applying an Axiom.
yT>l J. Il 80 IL