The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-08-18

pounding of artillery across the river was
calling it over so the real work might
begin, but rations were overdue, and the
boys had no stomachs for business before
breakfast. Hours dragged on until OPP
tions were even whether it would be ra-
lions or another hole in the waist belt for
dinner, before the provision train came
in sight. A cheerful hustle stirred the
ranks at the welcome sight. Bills OF
fare luxurious in entrees, were mock
ingly called off. Tin cups and plates
iingied festive welcome to the Quarter
master, who, riding up IN advance, was
Tending the first volley of sportlve chaff,
when the command" Right face
Double quick march" fell like an explod-
ing she'll into the merry ranks. Line
officers hurried to their places and
sharply repeated the order. 1t might
have been a puff from the other shore
that filed the air with
Cracking Scraps of Birthstone.
as the men faced away from the big din
ner pail son wheels, not pistol shot away,
and moved rapidly to the river Break
ing the cadenced step while crossing the
river, the dou blequick was again taken,
and turning down the broad plain the
regiment passed directly under the fire
of a terrific duel between the batteries on
the opposite ridges. Shells and solid shot
from $50 pieces of artillery-as given by
the historians of the day were sweep
ing over the course asi the column moved
on The sullen roar OF heavy guns ana
sharp detonations of field batteries
Knocked and rent by bursting, screaming
shells, rolled,in deafening volulnesthrough
the valley, as if an unearthly whirlwliid
was strewing the wre ckage OF crashing
world. A eaqof smoke stretched IRON
ridge to ridge, lashed into surging bill
lows by the plunging bolts and shot
through and through by their fiery trails;
Falling fragments beat up the earth ana
the ranks. Unconsciously the men
quickened the pace, and with quick
ened pulses plunged into a zone where
rolling volleys and kissing bullets com
pleted the internal orchestra that sound
ed the march Orders now were wasted
breath. There was fascination IN the
terrors of the surroundings. The very
awfulness of the tempest bridled craven
Thought and held the column true
through it's appalling course. The
friends who cheered their departure from
home would have sobbed and shouted
with grief and pride to see these sons
OF Maine set their faces to the front and
move in doublequick time to their bap-
tism of fire."
At last the Marcia mile and a half
by the engineers map,a lifetime in ten
sion of neyre and brain-was near it's
end. Over the splintering, crashing
din come the piercing rebel yell. Shouts
of command and yells of defiance were
heard, and the regiment swung. into line
to face tempest of attack and it's crucial
test of discipline and manhood. Wltnont
| pause between the movement Oh ad-
vance and the motions OF the manual,
| it was engaged in one OF the bloodlest
| tragedies of the war.
The men who disapproved the waste
| of cartridges" at the forts when loading IN
| nine times and firing by file, by rank,
| and by company, now blessed the Regu-
| lationsn that compelled the training. 1t
enabled them to take up the real as de-
| liberately as they did the sham on the
old drill ground, and they found the old
| familiar movements wonderfully effica-
cious in cooling feverlsh nerves and regu-
| lating heart beats.
Rebel flesh could not stand before the
whitening fire of the, regiments that
| received the attack, and in fifteen min
utes-it might have been ten or twenty
as for any sense of time-all that was
| left of the charging column was scurry-
| ing up the hill to its lair in the woods,
| and the Seventeenth had sprinkled it's
| first blood for the flag on sacred soil" in
| a new Specification.
General Birney says in his report: The
enemy now appeared in full force upon