The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1895-07-18

| u hlia all this was going on Gilbert
| Peck stopped at home and wondered
| if he were ever intended for a soldier
He doubted If he were, but he could
| have no doubt about his duty to his
! country, and so, IN the end, he joined
| Eds company in time to be made sec
ond lieutenant. Before their first bat
tie Lieut.. Bissel had been transferred
into the artillery, and Lieut.. Peck was
promoted next IN rank to the captain.
So the regiment came up to Cedar
Mountain along the dusty roads and
| across the blackberries, under the hot
sun. All day it lay in reserve, and the
men listened to the grind, grind,
| grind Of the musketry at the foot OF
the mountain. When night came
| they heard the first shells howl over
their heads and saw the burning fuses
like shooting stars, blazing across the
sky, and the guns Of the infantry
sparkling like iTefies in the fields.
Then when the regiment was order
to charge, Lieut. Peck knew for the
| first time that he lacked the nerve to
! carry him up the hill into the smoke
cf the battery which thundered and
| blaZed and lighted the Corn5taiks with
every discharge. At thought OF his
duty, and the disgrace OF stopping be
hind seemed more dreadful than
| death il the c0rnfeld. and all the
time be knew his cowardly legs would
refuse TO DO their work. He knew
that they were getting ready to serve
INN q scurvy trick in the midst OF the
| charge. He felt cold chilis in his
hair and a cold sweat on his body, but
be was determined to DO his duty. In
| his misery, he called the captain and
| begged him to detail two sergeants to
carry him in if necessary, and the ser
| gpants rushed him along 50 fast IN the
| glare and roar and excitement, that
he was the first officer at the battery.
blinded and unconscious from the loss
| Of blood. and actually received the
confederate captains sword III his
uerveIes5 hand. It was believed by
nll but three men in the regiment that
Lieut.. Peck had been wounded at the
| start, and he left for home the next
day in blaze Of glory, hero and q
major by hcevet
After the departure Of the major,
! Capt Rose resigned his commission
il the infantry to join the cavalry.
The dash and excitement Of the
mounted service was more in his way
He had no taste for plodding along on
foot and going into battle behind a
| line Of muskets. He rose rapidly in
rank. In less than a year ne was
Lieutenant colonel, and at the battle
| OF Charlottesville, he was In com
mand Of his regiment, which moved
| out in columns Of f0urs on the plank
| road until it was ordered to halt. The
| thick woods closed in on the right and
| left. and the smoke Of the skirmishers
| drfted ont OF the thicket and lay like
a thin blue fog across the open fields
| in front The bnllets from the enemy
| beyond missed overhead, and now and
! then brought down man or horse.
! The lieutenant colonel. in cOmDland
was eager and impatient, but be sat
| still in the hot sun, waiting orders.
! Shaggler3 and wounded men came
| drifting back in tWOs and threes on
the road. The bullets came thicker
and hotter through the leaves Of the
trees. Then the infantry came IN
crowds falling back into the thicGet.
He could hear the yell Of the army IN
front. lie could stand the STRAIN no
longer. He turned SHARPLY il his
saddle and ordered the bugles to Blow
forward
Down the road went the regiment at
trOt, the canteans and carrIne5 rat
thing and iingliEg above the c!atter OF
the horses hOofs on the pIanks, and
the .lieutonant colonel rode at the
Vead OF the column. Nobody heard
the Kissing bullets When they We're
in the open past the thanking woods
TIE regiment deployed into line at the
command of the bugies, gallOping tC
right and left. 4 moment they halted
to dress on the center. There were
flashes OF fire through the smoke, just
as if the smoke had been darkness
aal where it driited aside gray figures
oi men could be seen. Then at the
blast Jf the buglc5 the regiment swept
down the field at Il charge, the sabers
! cleaning IN the sunlight above the
dark line Of horses into the smoke
| riding down all opposition IN the sui
p&urous fog. The advance cf the
enemy was checked. Valuable time
was gained, but the lieutenant colone
was severely wounded. He kept hi;
horse and his presence Of mind, anC
brought his regiment, what remained
OF i, back through the woods Ht
was mentioned in general orders al
: Ereyet Colonel Rose, but 1t was thl
coloneIs last battle.
On the day when the general ordel
reached Lieut.. Bissell be wax battery
, Officer He read the order to his mel
at evening parade, and they gave
three ringing cheers for the colonel
In June he heard that the colonel wa,
back at Round Hill with the major
In July he was at Gettysburg himself
and IN the absence OF his captain ht
was in command OF the battery. After
, he had once fought his way through
the fields. past the Old brick seminary
: building. in full view Of the roofs o
, the village. down among the orchards
, Is was hard luck to be driven barl
from hill to hill over the lost ground
He was angry when he fell back to hi
. last position on the crest Of the ridg,
in the standing wheat, lie ordered
UP fresh limbeIs from the caissOn
With full chests, and sent the empt,
ones 10 the rear.
Down in the field in l~ont Q grea
farm barn was, burning under billow
OF blak smoke, and on the hill beyonl
: the opposing battery wGs shootin.
red flares through white clouds, ant
after every puff he heard the howlinl
I shell over head. He walked impati
emily back and forth in the tangle,
? wheat and watched the work of hi
own guns, always listening to SCI
! which ear the coming shell sounde,
. loudest in. and walking a little tn