The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-04-20

some halfdozeu heavy guns, there came a cessa-
tion.
During all the morning hours there were
movements of our troops looking forward to a
charge upon the works of the enemy. On the
left of our line, and in front of the partially
cleared ground of which have spoken, some
three or four regiments belonging to Gen.
Frank p. Blair's Division were placed in posi-
ton preparatory to making an assault on that
part of the line. and away to our Z ene right,
and not far from Ficksburg itself, the division
Of Gen. Steele was forming for
THE HEAVY WORK ASSIGNED IT.
Meanwhile Co. b Of our regiment was de-
tached and ordered to bridge the bayou in our
front at the foot of the hills with pOntooGs
which were brought up for this purpose. This
proved dangerous task, and after losing two
killed and two mortally wounded the attempt
was abandoned ..f.r.
At about 10 o'clock a general advance was
made, and the whole army moved forward to
the attack on the rebel stronghold. The ll4th
Ohio moved forward in line of battle. section
of artillery at cur left advancing with u.s. firing
as they advanced. and the gums being pushed
forward Ivy the artlIerymen. After ad vancing
some 800 yards we came to the bayou at the
foot OF the hills, and by this bayou our further
advance was etfectuaily checked. AT the place
where we reached it the bayou was about 70
feet wide, and OF uncertain depth. We did
nDb tIy 10 Ndub u, HOT Van we any lDCIIUa-
tious in that direction. On the opposite side
from US the ground rose rather abruptly to the
hight of perhaps 100 feet, and the whole face
OF The hill was covered with growth of cane
and underbTusb which pretty cfIectually hid
the rife pits and earthworks which were here
and there visible in the breaks among the
cane.
Not an enemy was to be seen, but the puffs
OF while smoke bich rose up in the bushes,
fha smash al he halle In the in nf
US. aud the spiteful hiss of those which were
high enough 10 reach us, told very plainly that
even If there were no bayou to cross the ascent
of the hill before US would doubtless be holly
contested by our hidden foemen.
On reaching the edge of the bayou we were
halted. the line slightly dressed and the com-
mands Read -Aim-Firc" were given. 4 line
of fire flashed from the muzzles Of our Austrian
rifles and shower of bullets swept into the
cane on the hillside The command to load
and fire at will was then given, and for per-
haps 10 minutes we made it t0leTably lively
for our Southern brethren in their leaiy
cOverts. They were not passive recipients Of
our leaden favors, but returned our compli-
meBts in kind and with some effect WOunding
two men OF 90. X. one mortaily, with mimic
ball. and the other severely with fragment of
shell.
MEANWHILE BLATRs MEN ON OUR LEFT
had charged, sweeping over the open ground up
to and inside OF the enemy's works where
many of them were taken prisoners The
others repulsed, retreated TO our lines in the
edge OF the timber, leaving the field and many
dead and wounded in possession of the enemy.
Our whole line then withdrew to the points
from which we advanced in the morning, ard
the remainder of the day was comparatively
quiet
In the evening it commenced raining, and
with scarcely an intermission the dripping,
drilling shower continued through the night.
My recollection of this nights unpleasantness
is still unimpaired. Seated my knapsack
behind a large gum tree the bank of pond,
with a comrade Oh each Side.0f me, we sought
such protection from the d0wnpOur as piece
Of oilclOth, fortunately possessed by me at that
time, and spread over our shoulders, afforded.
About every half-bour during the night the
rebels fred ga FOUNDER, and the booming
noise of the discharge of the gun and the al
most Simultaneous rush and roar of its iron
missile through the air above u, sometimes
by the explosion Of the shell in
uidair, would startle from the dozc into
which we would drop III the interval between
the discharges. Many were the anathemas
that night breatbcd by the tired and sleepy
soldiers against the man who fred this sleep
destroying piece of ordnance. No doubt his
object was To worry and distress his Yankee
foemen, and well did he succeed in his en-
deavors.
Morning came at last, the rain ceased fall
ing, the troublesome artillcrist in charge of the
"a -pounder ceased his periodical firing, aud in
cur immediate vicinity the day passed rather