The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-11-19

immigrants from the old State often wan
dered TO Ohio when / was a boy, believ-
ing in perpetual motions and that snow
that fell In April made EYE water
that was a specific. / saw in the poor
prisoners many things that reminded
me OF "our folks" in the old times. Those
North Carolina boys were lank, yellow.
weather-beaten, rough haired. with bony
limbs. and wore ragged jackets. They
had plenty OF teeth and eyes. and many
Of them would be called lays" and
"greenhorns," but they were terrible SOL
diers. and had the hardihood OF wild
animals. tireless on the march as wolves.
and glad 10 get an ear Of corn for a
ration, while a hunk OF a shoat was a
luxury and a chew OF tobacco dissipa-
ton. Whiskey was a dream OF the i'm
possible. One tall fellow, with rubber
blanket, said. with a slow. sly smile, he
got Il at Manassas" which was the
name the Confeds. had for Bull Run.
but he meant the second Manassas. where
some OF Pope's trains were captured:
and he hoped 10 GOd-amity." he said.
this thing could be fixed UP some way"
He meant the war. The poor fellow
would not have cared much how II was
fixed. | asked him what part OF his
State he was from. and was startled
when he named the county I'm which my
father was born. He told me his name.
but I forgot that. He is voting the
straight ticket somewhere. l am sure.
and think l could give the name OF
the ticket. but I am not talking politics.
The loss Of the Union forces was above
thirteen thousand and this was sus-
tanned in apparently small spaces. and
IN a short time. 1t would not take long
TO slaughter one hundred thousand men
as that massacre was conducted. When
l think OF II I wonder at AppomattoX.
The Confederate army was drawn out
the day after the battle on the then
sunny hills. The keen fash Of their
arms was seen, and their bands play
ing Dixie plainly heard. The prospect
that the country would ever again be
one, seemed very dark and remote. If
our wonderful armies could be so help
lessly slaughtered. what was the use?
And the world grew all dark and weary
at the thought, that the glory OF the
starry flag was departing, and that the
Union that had been like the sun I'm
heaven was passing away In dshonor
During my wandering after I had
lost the colonel I'm caring for the horse,
I thought I would move eastward 10
see whether Franklin was making prog
ress l reached a wooded hill, prospect
ing into a bend OF the river-and as II
seemed an excellent point OF observa-
ton, drew my spyglass and was survey
ing the hills opposite. when from one OF
them came a long thin streak Of smoke
with a red light I'm It,, and n cannon ball
a black speck Ike a hornet leaped out
OF II too high. but a good liner. hummed
over ny head and managed 10 strike y
dozen trees making a dreadful clatter-
before its energy was gone. / suppose
some vigilant Confed. saw with his glass
another fellow with a glass. and thought
observations should not be encouraged
i'm that quarter. / was n shade glad TO
think one shot had been wasted on me.
but did not wait for another. / had
not been doing anything very wicked.
and did not want to be knocked about
by cannon ball any how.
The slaughter was over, the army
decimated and respondent the soldiers
feeling deeply. more acutely than words
can tell. that they were dying I'm vain
hurried away to Washington. and
In the freight car In which | rode TO the
Potomac there was a pile OF boxes cor
tanning dead officers. heaped half way
10 the roof. and several OF them were
Of those | had supped with in the woods
the night before the battle. / could al
most hear them sing then and can now.
! FASTENED 10 see Salmon =. Chase
and asked him whether he knew what had
happened at Fredericksburg. and told
him I was just from the army He
knew there had been a severe check"
and that our troops were on the south
side of the Rappahannock. l told him
there was really no battle. Our men
had been shot down. that was all. the
town was a trap, and I said "The
thing 20 pray for is that our army I'm
the hopeless muddle that it Is shall get
safely back to the north side" us II
so bad as that?" said Chase. agony in
his face and voice. and he added I'm a
moment. "Will you see the PRESIDENT"
l said, mo, you tell him"
MURAT HALSTEAD.