The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-05-28

no moro than got tho words out of his
mouth when the battery opened on us,
and nobody saw Woodside start on his er-
rand, for we had plenty TO attract our at
tention In front. OF course we did our
best to reply to the oivilities OF our visit
ors, fr, though 500 yards was good long
range for tho muskets Of those days, We
yet hated to be idle. But IL was unequal
work, and we felt the need of guns badly.
Why, even q single section would have
been Rodsend to us then.
II can't go much into the details Of the
next hour or half hour How long IL was,
In fact, shall never know, fo- in fight
Of that sort one has no eye for anything
except what Immediately concerns him.
But remember, as II IL had happened but
yesterday, how turned when q shell burst
just over US, and saw Whiting. my cap
tain, throw up his hands, staRger and
pitch forward upon his face. was at his
side In an instant, but there was nothing
that I could do to help him, for even be-
fore / got TO him he was covered with
blood from wound that seemed to have
crushed In the whole top Of his skull.
Poor old Whitingl turned him gently
over upon his back, gave just one look at
him and then went back to my company,
for / was tho only officer left, our second
lieutenant being then In hospital Mean
while there had como short pause in the
firing, and we felt that the next few min
utes would bring the rebs down upon US
In a charge. IL was just at this moment
that We heard the notes of a band playing
I'm our rear, and presently the breeze
brought them TO us more clearly, and we
recognized the tune that they were play
Ing. 1t was our own band. and tho colo
mel had ordered 10 TO march from tho rear
up TO our line playing for all 1t was worth
In the hope that the Confederates might
be led into the belief that we were being
ro enforced. cannot toll you, boys, the
effect Of that music upon our wornout
limo. We were all New Englanders-all
Massachusetts, men-and although somo
of us were a goddess aud careless lot, yet
most Of us, think, had boon brought up
In tho good old way and knew, IL only by
ear, the old psalm tunes of our boyhood
So perhaps you may imagine what we
felt when the band came toward us play
Ing the Portuguese hymn-that grand old
hymn beginning:
"How firm foundation, We saints OF the Lord.
Is laid for your faith on his excellent word.
"Boys, I never heard march that
sounded more like veritable pean Of
victory than that glorious hymn, and In
the midst OF the smoke and dust and blood
Of the fight IL brought us both hope and
courage and gave US the feeling that no
odds could be strong enough TO crush US.
Colonel Burloigh afterwnrd told us that
ho had intended 10 give tho word TO the
regiment TO set up cheer Xhen the band
got we'll up TO the line. He never got
chance, though, for that order-for as the
notes Of tho band came swelling on the
wind the regiment rose as one man and
shouted and yelled and yelled again un-
I'll the woods echoed with the cheering.
And then an inspiration came to our color
sergeant, n giant of fellow, with q voice
like trumpet and springing upon the
breastworks holding high the faded and
tatterod colors, he broke into the second
verso of the hymn:
"Fear not; am with thee: oh, DO not dismay
edi
l. am thy God and will still give thee aid
III strengthen thee, help thee and cause thee
TO stand,
Upheld by my righteous onnipotent hand.
"It was magnificent A hundred strong
voices Joined in with Wis, and up and
down the line went the electric thrill that |
comes TO men but few times In lifetime. |
"I'veput long preface before the story
started 20 tell, but the story itself will |
take but few words. had joined in the |
hymn with the others and was singing |
away with the best Of them when heard |
nt my side a weak voice trying to follow |
tho air. and looking down / was con- |
founded at seeing poor Whiting, whom i |
had thought instantly killed, leaning on |
bis elbow and struggling along on the |
chorus. He was ghastly sight, for his |
face was SO covered with blood that his
were almost unrocognizable, and |
his hair was matted with blood and dirt
around the gaping wound In his head. AsI
knelt beside him no sank back with q
yroan, but he kept muttering 60 himself,
md now and again / caught word or
that showed him TO be wander.
ng in his mind, It's such-such faii
night, little girl / heard him murmur:
Church was over early tonight, Mary.
Veil go tho long way round home. Your
mother never will mind
Poor old Whitingl I knew how hard
3 had boen for him to leave the sweet
leart on whom his thoughts were run
ling thon, and 1 romomber wondering
'aguoly If ii would be my duty TO break
o her the news OF that days work Ah
'oys, war is cruel, and yet this case was
ut one among many, many thousand.
But, after all, this case did not turn out
o badly, for when tho 'old regiment
vent through Washington in the grand
eview Whiting rode with US, and on his
traps the silver bars had given place TO
he gold leaves OF major. And, by tho
7ay, l was best man at his wedding soon
fter we were mustered out. You SEQ, the
ying splinter Of the shell that bowled
i'm over had torn frightful cash In his
cnlp. but the skull was not fractured,
nd so after week OF two In hospital he
anne back to us as we'll and strong and
early as handsome as ever. And that,
harley, turning 20 the adiutant, lis the
aso I'm which l know n band to call to
10 a dead man"
"But tho fight, colonol-how did the
ght como outS' asked the major.
"Oh, l forgot about that, said the colo.
oil, pausing 20 relight his cigar. Well
suppose the band is entitled TO the credit
stopping the fight, too, for tho Confed
'ates really were fooled by the music
nd the yelling, and while they were stop |