The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-12-08


.stJoI, front-dress on the colors." Two
hrlgades 60 In on our left but the fury
oe tholr reccpton proves that they nave
no. reached the coveted flank. we see
the men crossing back for cover OF the
hills I'm front. Then thril OF eApect,
ancy. Then the command ioI"aru,
Down the dec1ivity we plunge and up the
| other side we dash, entering an open
space OF two hundred and hfty yarus III
width. which alone divides us from the
foe. They are esconced In the edge OF
thicket opposite. AS we reach the top Vi
the hill | see our line bellying IN ana
out, with curves like the fringe OF an
advancing sea. but guided by common
impulse
Just at the summit we come upon and
rush through a Federal battery Of four
brass pieces which the gunners have
abandoned. An inspired idiot goes cnars-
Ing up and down the line on piebald
steed shrieking that Virginia expects
every man to do his duty; you can end
the war IN an hour etc; and as the
fellow dashes about and into the line. Ma
hone shrieks out, Pull the - fool off his
horse get him out OF the way" Into the
field we penetrate; the shot from the
enemy's guns in their centre enflade
and pass TO the rear Of our formation;
this proves we have struck their exposed
IldIh. ~ = neal ptiItl NlpOpo HhA iilE hp
still further to our right. They will gain
the rear. Still on we 60 Then the
hedge IN front lights up with dull blaze;
/ see men fall here and there, and gaps
in the living hedge before me. The line
is now plunging pell-meli toward the fire:
il is still disciplined. but mob for all
that. Our own men now bring their pieces
10 bear. and the reloading breaks them
into groups-but still advancing. \ Fed
on n left and
three hundred yards away. Just then /
hear 4 voice cry, Look OUT | turn 10
the cry and see shell burst high in
air over my left shoulder We are still
at half-speed. and my right leg Is in air;
then comes a shock which numbs every
feeling, the left limb flies from under
me- my head strikes the hard ground
and / think that is the wounded part
! try 10 rise, but totter back with a shat
tered knee. The battle is over for me:
but. as / am raised by an ambulance ser
geaHt, a hurrah rings from the front, and
I see the brigade pass into the wood. The
position is won though stiii In the dense
underground over yOnder deadly strug-
gle IS maintained. the echoes Of which
are painfully audible 10 one who knows
that his friends are the targets Of the
missiles that fiji the air. CrOuched behind
a small hillock we wait lul in the storm
before attempting to 90 10 the rear, and
are soon joined by others Of the command
who have received wounds. They tell of
fearful havoc in our ranks in the few mo-
meuts Of fighting at close quarters. I'D
jItant,' SayG one, "all the field officers
are down, and the men are bushwhack-
ing on their own account" Sure enough
i'm a few moments a stretcher passes on
which lies the brigade commander. Ma
hone; a musket bail has struck him be
low the belt and the exquisite pain is
drawing from him shrll calculations
which sound suspciously Ike "Oh.
Lordy," Shortly afterward Colonel Wes-
iger, Of my regiment. is borne out. des-
peratey shot and his bearers bring news
Of the death Of aior May. The position
was gained, bus after a costly price had
been paid.
When my tir.a came to be taken from
the field. the mode of conveyance was
upon the back Of Private Maclin Of COM
pany y, and We made slow progress I'm
IGEed, as every wounded man $. by the
shock and loss Of blood, / thought we
Should never get beyond the range f the
Federal guns. / saw, too mnnoticed in
our excited advance, hundreds Of corpSes
dottirg the hillside i'm an directions; ami
the ground passed over in retacing our
steps seemed to be miles in extent, where
as my impression had been that We had
advanced altos ther but a few hundred
yards before meeting the enemy. But
finally through the assistance Of 81 COu-
rier, who was blind in the left eye. while
his horse had lost the right, I reached
the hospital. The next morning the frag-
ments of the brigade We're collected under
Licutcnant-Colplel Ninetree The senior
officer present, and / saw them no more
for many months.
Every tragedy contains the clements Of
comedy. and | have reserved for sepa-
rate paragraph two incidents Of q humor-
Gus nature which seem worthy Of rec
ord
While we were moving through the
woods. before eUCountCTIng any infantry
fire, one of the guides, instead Of keeping
q straight line Of direction to the front
seemed bent upon conforming to my move
mcnts, which were governed by the nature
of the ground. Licutcnant-C Colonel Field.
ing l.. Taylor Of our regiment a man Of
pious habit and conservative i'm daily life
was, as viii be remembered by those who
served under him, a sweaFer worthy Of
Flanders when once in the smoke of com
bat, and at last he broke out. "D-n the
adjutant sir; and d-n you, too; it's none
OF your business where he goes; why the
HI don't you follow your nose?' The
poor fellow, DeNlttIeu Dtl'Ic ny the
signs and sights of his first battle. was
worse confoundtI by this sulphurous blast
from his usually placid and agreeable
officer. and shortly afterwards he took
advantage Of a confusion worse than his
and took a straight line for the rear fol-
lowing his nose 50 successfully in the new
direction that he never returned to the
regiment during the war, nor have !
ever seen him since.
The other episode occurred In the glade
so thlckly streWn with dead and wounded
Zouaves one Of these. an frishman.
had been struck by a solid shot, which
removed the entire surface OF his seat Of
honor. ana he was lying face downward.
beside himself with pain ard torment.
\ Louisiana battery dashed up to take po-
s,tfon: one OF the sergeapts was Alilesian,
and the wounded soldier called TO MIN
"For the love Of God, a drink of wather.
His countryman took In the whole situa-
tion with rapid intuition. "FPiN." said
he. pat, an I'll DO no such thing. II
Won had stayed at home. like "A Gintle-
man. an attlnded TO your own business,
Won would have had plenty of wather to
drink. and-a place to sit down on, be.
sides" 1t is pleasant to be able 20 adj
that. having discharged his wit, the ar
tillervman did dsmount and give his can
teen to the wounded sodi-r.
At the close of Hon w +, Cameron's
address Governor O'FerrallIwas called on.
He paid q high compliment 10 the speaker
Of the evening. and excused himself from
an extended speech.
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