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

! lop-eared Dutch" This latter remark excited
| the ire of n German artillerynan on our side OF
the bayou. who exclaimed How you like
that Dutch battery, heh? How you like for
him to open on you again ?"
This query was answered by the Southerner
saying. Damn you aud your Dutch battery"
In reply to a statement from one of our party
that the North must succeed that we had the
numbers aud would Overpower them, he said,
sarcastically:
1T would seem that yon had men to spare,
from the number of yonr dead lying yonder
where yon rushed them on to our works"
He also remarked that none OF the Yankees
in his hearing would ever enter Vicksburg
except as prisoners. This was perhaps, under
the circumstances pardonahlc piece OF ex-
ultant exaggeration, but which as TO myself
and no doubt many others there present, did
not prove true for within less than seven
months from the time these words were spok en
Vicksburg had fallen, and the Yankee soldiers
trod her streets
AS CoSoUERoRs AND NOT AS PRISONERS.
The truce continued for perhaps three hours
The soldiers OH both sides retired to their re-
spective lines; white-wingcd peace, which bad
lowered over the late fields of carnage, disap-
peared; the talking ceased tie pickets on
either side fired Mt their opponents whenever a
foeman was seen, and grim visaged war again
resumed his sway. Shortly after shutdown our
regiment was moved about three fourths of n
mile to the left in tho edge of the timber. in
front of and about half mile distant from
what appeared to be the best fortified part of
the rebel line. Here we slept quietly, and
while we sumbered the old year OF 1862 de-
parted silently and vanished into the oblivion
Of the past, and his successor, the New Year Of
1863, made his grand entire upon the stage of
time.
The next day was New Years, and perhaps
rf Ioc IF
and happier occasions, hostilties we're practi-
caly suspended, there bong but two cannon
shots fired at us during the entire day, and
these elected reply from our lines. After
dark in the evening signs OF revelry were APP
parent in the large fort on the top Of the hill in
our front, lights flashed and shimmered amid
the shadows of the night and the sound of
merriment was at times family audible. Be-
tween and o'clock brass band in the rebel
fort rendered several pieces Of music in a
creditable manner. They played Dixie"
The Bonnie Blue Flag" and other airs then
patriotic and popular with the people of the
South. and closed the program with what was
no doubt considered by them and was after
ward realized by us as very appropriate, name
", Get Out Of the Wilderness" The music
was fine and highly appreciated by US, but we
made no noisy demon STATIONS nor called for an
encore call Of that kind might have brought
forth an answer, noisy If not musical, from the
deep mouthed dogs OF war which lined the
rebel ramparts aud peered out through their
embrasures.
At the close of the music Southern bugler
sounded the retreat, aud we quietly and
silently retired to our beds of leaves beneath
the trees, and in short time under the
starlight and in the shade of the forest the
army lay quietly sleeping" This sleep was of
short duration, for about IL o'clock the men
were awakened with as little noise as possible.
and with orders delivered in whispers they
were directed to roll blankets, and with KNAPP
their places in the line where the guns were
stacked. Here again whispered orders were
given to take arms aud by company march to
tine rear We accordingly right-faced and
filing right by companies turned our backs to
our late musical entertainers aud their hosts of
friends and
PLUNGED INTO THE DEPTHS OF THE WOODS,
which by reason of think underbrush, interlac-
ing vines, and old fallen trees was almost inn
passable. After marching perhaps a half mile
we came to a road recently cut through the
timber. Here the regiment was headed to the
left and marching in this new cut road for
perhaps quarter of mile, we crossed the
bay on Oh bridge built by our army since its
of this territory, and came out of [
the woods not far from the Young homestead
passed by us On the preceding Sunday. When
called up, aud when marching through the
thick underbrusb, no one seemed to know
what was intended. A night attack upon the
enemys works was the general impression;
but when we crossed the bridge and on the