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

of the disturbance. 1t came again and
again, dropping lower with each return,
until the tinge of superstition that in
tests human minds pictured fiend of
darkness gloating over its prey with
feline cruelty while STOPPING for the fatal
spring. Meanwhile our own Second
Battery had galloped away into the
cleaning, and while the men were hard
ening their nerves for more deadly
return, a series of muff1ed booms came
"Whitworth," a new engine of war just
arrived from British friends, was
knocked outn in its first effort.
With quiet restored the detail for picket
moved silently forward into the darkness
and the weary remainder camped down
as best it could on the burrows of rheu-
| matism and malaria, to hear the voices
of the night Up in the woods the sound
| of slashing axes and strengthening forth
enthusiastically too strong-was in
cessant Around the plain firefashes
sprang out and vanished followed by
single reports that added to the mystery
of the lonely picket's beat. From the
slope where the blue charged up, voices
of anguish came down, pleading for sue
cor that friends could not.and foes would
not afford Until hardened by expert
ence no man can sleep within sound OF
the agonized calls of wounded men out
side the lines. Slowly the voices weak
ened and their individuality lessened,
but long after words were indistinct men
Law and followed the tones, hearing still
| the piteous refrain" God, let me die!n
The Quartermaster remembered his
hungry family, and made persistent
efforts for permission to supply it on the
field, but withot success. AS a last resort
he filled his spare canteens. and when
darkness hid the performance, slung
them over mules back and led him
over the pontoons The provost guard
barred further progress, but permitted
him to move aside and send word that he
had two carteens full for each company
that would send an officer for them. A
night attack was imminent, and the field
officers obdurate Earnest pleading in
behalf Of the hungry men shivering on
the wet ground was of no effect in pro-
curing absence from the line Two
officers counted up the risks of getting
their quota. One of them recalled how
on a time when the regiment was on
short rations, in a land flowing with
meat, poultry and honey, and he enforc-
ing the rigid orders against foraging,
one of these martinets sent his orderly
bearing his compliments and side OF
mutton--after dark. The consp1raGors
extracted a hint from this precedent and
decided to take French leave Tor thirty
minutes unless the trip could be made IN
less time The inspiriting welcome OF
the genial mule leader III uno ul3iheA
night, on the banks of the Rappahan..
mock still fingers, a pleasant memory Oh
the campaign of Fredericksburg:
The interview was brief, It's incidents
immaterial to the story. With the part
ing shake the host hung an extra canteen-
over each mans shoulder as suitable
souvenir of the visit. Stepping out on
the homestretch they encountered squads
of ieering 1mps, who magnified the sin
and sp11rred them into pace not proyld-
ed nv regulations, to meet the conse-
ouences of the escapade. Safe In place
without attracting attention, two COM
panies came round by twos and threes
for a ration that was as Thankfully re-
cived as if it had been pork or hard
bread. The enemy kindly remained quiet
until the stirrup cup was empty, and
then made a sharp attack on the picket
line. The regiment was lm M
in position to receive him II the plckeGSS
were driven in, but they ga!lantly heia
their ground and the fusilade slowly
died out ~,
AT midnight the pickets had tired Oh
shooting at shadows, q feecy veil OF mist
and smoke was spread over the worn
out sleepers, and the upturned tires scat
tered over the field that would never st
again face to the front ana save me
heartbreaking signals from tne hllis1oe,
that chilled as might the waning Oh loSo