Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1893-09-07

lines are forming. WITHIN one mlNu
from the tine the nearest man comes
Thin range of the muskctry and grape
forty men will drop. During the rush
at least twenty more will go down, and
as the troops reach the works they will
meet with such o fire as will break up
all organization. One time in forty
the works will be carried. Thirty-nine
times out of forty the attacking troops
are driven back with a loss Of from 200
to 500 men.
Take that same breastwork, hayinga
head-log to fire under, and run an
abatis along it's front, and it is nothing
short of murder to send men against
it. Let the abatis be simply a wind.
row of small trees and brush, and nc
column can pass it without a halt.
Men must lay down their muskets and
drag at the obstruction and the broken
lines must be reformed, and that when
within thirty feet of the muske:s hav.
ing a dead rest. Make the abatis OF
sharpened stakes, with their butt ends
driven deep into the earth and the
center firmly fastened with a rail run.
ming parallel with the works, and SOC
men behind the works can hold them
against 5000. Let telegraph wires be
strung from tree to tree or post tc
post, as was sometimes done, and un.
less the attacking party bring axes
their dead will be PILED up three feet
deep all along the wire fences.
At Spottsylvania there vas a slash.
ing in front of that point on Lees lines
called the Horseshoe. The butts of the
fallen trees were towards the works
their s~harpened limbs towards Grant.
Confederates stationed in this Horse
shoe killed an average of ten Federals
each. An abatls rear Lost Mountain,
during Sherman's Georgia Campaign,
aided o force OF 600 Confederates to de.
feat q movement made by a force of
4,4OO men, At fredericksburg the
stone walls were an abatis and could
not be passed. At Gettysburg, Han.
cocks position was made %impregnable
by such walls. At second Bull Run
every position on either side covered
by walls or fences was held to The
last.
The Lost Bean Stew.
Every Yankee is supposed to be
fond OF baked beans. During oul
civil war, the New England regiment.
when in camp, Were loyal TO the
ancient custom which provided baked
beans for the Saturday night supper
and the Sunday morning breakfast.
On the March the boys had to he sat.
isfied with stewed beans, for the
bivouac did not admit of building an
oven or the digging Of a pit wherein to
bake them.
At the battle Of Fishers Hill an
amusing illustra ion Of q Yankees de.
votion to his beans occurred. The
color-sergeant OF the Fourteenth New
Hampshire was no.ed for his bravery
and his fondness for stewed beans
favored with vinegar. During the af-
ternoon, while preparations was going
on for advance which won the field, the
color-sergeant was stswing his beans.
He had just taken the kettle off the
fire, and. spoon in hand, was about
dining, when he heard the orders:
"Fall in! Fall in! Forward. march,"
He would not desert the flag, he
could not desert the savory meal. Ty.
ing the steaming, sootv pail to his
belt, no took his place in the center
of the line, bore aloft the colors and
advanced with his regiment to the
charge. He kept one eye on the
enemy and the other on the dangling
pail at his side. The battle was won
but the boys declared that the way i
the Fourteenth was literally strewp
with beans.
The value Of u Fence In Battle.
At the battle of ChIckamagna, the
Federal General, Wood, commanding
q division, was left for Q time, by some
bluDder, with only u brigade at hand.
He could see the Confederate battle
lines advancing to flank the Federal
army. Between him and them, cross
ing the center Of q valley. was a stone
and log fence. Wood suddenly real
lied that il he could secure and hold
the fence he could make his inferior
force . match for the enemy preparing
to move. The Confederate commander
saw the value Of the position at the
same moment. and it was . question oj
which side should get there first. On
the Federal side it rested with the
| One Hundred and Twenty-ifth Ohio,
| that regiment being nearest the fence.
When ordered forward the men gripped
their muskcts at . trail pulled down
their q p and lowered their heads,
and at the word they rushed rs il
! breasting q hail-ssorm. More than one
poor fellow went down under the rain