Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1893-03-23

!
Indicate what was coming
From daylight to nine o'clock there
was a sputter of musketry along the
front as the sharDshooters and Skin
mishers fired at long range. From nine
to ten the cavalry on the wings had the
fight all to themselves From ten to
eleven a gun here and there shelled
the confederate slsirmishers ont OF the
bitches in which they were hidin :, bnt
where. From eleven TO twelve Lee
was massing one hundred and twenty
field pieces in front Of Longstreet and
Hill TO open on Hancock Meade posted
one hundred guns to reply, but the or
ders were to fire slowly.
At noon few couriers we're riding
furiously in different directions, but
not gun was being. fired The men
in line ate from their haversacks and
the artillery horses nibbled al the
grass as they were unchecked by their
drivers. Scores of men had pocket
telescopes. These were passed from
hand to hand and every gun on the CON
federate side was located
They are going to batter us with
shot and she'll and then charge Lie
close to the ground The shot will fail
short or go over us.
so came the word along the line. 1t
was wise precaution. But for the
caution no one could tell what wonld
have happened From half-past twelve
to one o'clock seemed an ag At one
o'clock sharp the boom of IA single gun
echoed over the battlefield. and shell
came screaming over our heads and ex-
ploded two hundred feet in the rear.
'rhis was the signal. Before one could
nave counted twenty there was roar
which can be compared to nothing one
has ever heard. In two inmates the
earth was trembling. The stones in
the wall in front of us gritted together
Mud had been used as plaster, and
PIECES OF it fell ont with chinking
C.se would have said that nothing
could add ~ that awful roa-, but the
federal guns opened in reply. and then
men lying down gasped as they
breathed and clutched sod or stone as
II rerched on some dizzy height and
AFRAID OF falnng
For the first five minutes the roar
shut out all sounds-swallowed them
up rs great ocean would another I'll
of water. Thousands of men closed
their eyes and clinched their teeth
Officers who had been standing up dis
appeared to hing the earth. Now the
roar is split and slashed and penetrated
by the missiles from the confederate
guns. They are throwing round shot,
steel bolts. fuse shell. percussion
eve~y form of missile which portable
guns can take in ami belch out again.
They shrek and scream and whir.
They come from in front and from the
right and left. Some fall short and.
exploding in the dry soil. throw clond
Of dust heaven ward to sift down on our
backs. Others sail high above rs and
carry death into the ranks of the re
serve. while now and then one burst
Just right 10 wound or kill in our own
ranks
No living man viii ever hearlSen to d
more terrific cannonade. No battle
icli or the future will hold men sor
two long hours andcr such cross
ire. The smoke rose up ami hpug
I lead cloud in the air until one
tipnght that night was coming down
firs serpenis dartea in every direc
+: on. Exploding shells created >tiddvn
treat flames. as IL kegs Of powder has
o,rn tossed mp 10 destroy the heavens
here was NJ luii-no interval Oalt |
hnSe who became nnnerved sat mp Il
ioolx roaad them Here AMI there one |
rose Up and ran AWAY. lie was not
cswarl-he was simply nnnervea |
the situation. : isartlm-s he cam
-reefin lack. whit. fa-e,l AMI weep /
.ng. and sometimes he WIS sirayA
down a. he ersnsd boat in the S.ni
darkness to iinl shelter from the rais
ii death
Two hours they afterward sni We
Yang there. male no npte - tne pa +
sage of time. il was q nightmare. and /
ret we did not sleep Deata rsde all !,
along our front-he leap 4 aver as-ne |
Faced his spseter steej a.0a- ths fenses