Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-08-11

\ Vtilnr Qualities wOul1 nave stoou VI ''i
| hour OF need. and 80 when Coohsi ru,
,on a,ve mo the choice I instinctively said
"Eovette Bush" Proceeding through tue
nickel lines--vho had been previously III
| s,ruc,ed-wc went down into the NaieF'
| and as we started UP the ascent W
stretched ourselves full length upon ,ne
ground and dragged ourselves UP the hlli
! Tor an hour-slow work, but we had 10
| keen our eyes open-and II ~ not "a pieas
ant feeling TO be without gun, anu
! knoviny that II the enemy's picAe's
| caught sight OF us acting In such ru
| picious manner ii would be iate".h'
I vain world" But at last we reached tue
! summit and ascertained what was neces
sarv without being discovered. and packed
! down in the same manner. returned 70 the
| command, and gave the required informa-
! ton. ,,.
| curr>d which had a bearing on the oruedi
| through which l passed. and which TO TINS
good day 1 think was the trying occa-
! sion of my life. The picket lines were
| but a short distance apart. range OF
hills for each and a gully between. There
! was a mutual forbearsnce on the part or
| each until a sense OF security prevailed
that became criminal one or our picketS
| becoming careless, had seated himself al
| the foot OF a tree, his gun between his
| knees, and no doubt was In doze. one
OF the Federal pickets, violating this con-
| f.dence. succeeded in crawling WITHIN
| few yards OF his unsuspecting victim,
| shot him through the body. No one or
| our brigade. and th.re are quite a num-
/ Der in this county, will ever forget the
! agonizing cry of that poor fellow that
/ night Immediately we were called 10
attention, expecting an attack, but our
| picket line remaining firm, IL was soon
| ascertained what occaeiOned the shot, ana
We turned into our blankets
Two days after this message cana 10
me TO report to Colonel Fuiton's head
! quarters. on arriving at MS tent ne
! said:
General Lee expects an attack TO-
| night He looks for IT to occur between
| 2 and 4 O'Clock in the morning. lie mas
determined that, in addition to the PICKET
| line, yidettes shall be put out lvo yaFds
| In advance and So 10 100 yards apart.
I have selected you as one. and ordered
that you be placed on vldette from TO
4 O'clock with the instruction that IL
your gun is fired il will be a signal to the
entir. line of battle ;hat the enemy IL
advancing; make your way back as best
! you can TO the picket line. and fall back
/ with them on the main line
These instructions. | suppose. were
given by other commands 10 their men
who were t. 90 on at the same hour.
Now, reader. II you viii stop and re-
| feet a moment, you can readily see the
impression made Ipon your humble SER
want. Two nights before a Federal SOL
| der had slipped up on one OF our pickets
and shot him through the body; the gene
raj commanding said that he expected an
attack between and o'clock in the
morning, and / was TO be placed on that
! watch-not on .he picket-line, where
could have the reassurlng presence OF a
| comrade not more than five yards from
! me- but on the yiiette line, with no
| thing but the hOoting owl 20 bear me
company; but. TO cap the climax, II my
gun was fired the entire line OF battle
was to take II as a signal that the enc
my was advancing. What II j should
make a mistake and fire at an imaginary
foe. would / ever hear the last OF It?
Would not the mutterlng discomfort OF
the awakened soldier pursue me with his
wrath. or would he howl 1t from one end
! OF the camp 10 the other. who killed
Cock Robin" AS Samuel Nesbit said. 1t
would be id unpleasant"
THE HOUR CAME.
However. the hour came. / was con-
| Quoted TO the picket-line and instructed
as 20 the direction 10 be taken 10 find
the vidette and relieve him. Proceeding
with the utmost care and noiselessly,
found him. In exchanging positions, he
said 10 me IN a whisper: BE watch
| full: l think ] heard some one down In
the bottom moving as II he were trying
TO take advantage Of any carelessness on
our part Remember what was done the
other night" With this admonition. ne
| left me alone.
Never before did I know the full mean
/ f,,.r Of hot al darkness
was almost impenetrable. The tall forest
| trees INSTRUCTED what little light of the
| struggling stars that could be seen be-
tween tho spreading branches Toward
the enemy n wall Of blackness-no SOUND
to break the monotOny Of loneliness. In
the rear the silence was as OF the grave.
The night air was chilly; the stiffness Of
death surrounded me. and the parting adj
monition OF my cOmrade fell with double
force upon me. Even ths faint and liquid
note Of the nightingale would have been
"A relief. or even the neighing OF horse
would have broken the solitude. But no.
the earth was without form and void"
Standing In one position fully ten minutes
without moving. the eye tried to recon-
noitre the surroundings. forest fire had
occurred in the past, and in its march
had left black-ned limbs. At my right a
tres had been Frustrated and lay In the
direction Of the enemy quartering TO the
right on tho instant l determined 10
make fankers out of the deadened limbs,
placing them trLangIlariy. 50 that | could
command any part of the woods. and then
seated myself, with my gun cooked. TO
await developments. There was no danger
OF doing. | was very much wide awake.
Slumber could not como 10 the senses.
for an army-f.ee's army-depended upon
the vigilance OF the few who had been
selected to stand the silent watch 10 give
the alarm Of an approaching enemy; II
would not come because tho vidette WIS
the only security, for his own personal
safety; IL would not come because the re-
sponsibility rested heavily on the mind,
and he could see his fellow-comrades,
with their guns stacked before them.
sleeping quietly. confidently relying that
those at the outpost would give them a
living chance to defend Themselves Stun.
Der TO the vidette was impossible,
Hush, a twig breaks in the valley!
The acute ear catches the sound OF an
other! The admonition OF the relief
quickens the eye and the ear. The heart
thumps against its prison-walls 20 au-
dbly that we wonder II II cannot be
heard beyond tho narrow confines OF
ones self We endeavor 10 pierce the
darkness. but no light reflects back the
object that has set our nerves so rigid
and strengthened the will Again the
cracking twigs are heard. and imagina-
ton pictures bent form gun-trailed.
the craft and the step OF an Indian. and
the purpose of an assassin. We reverse
our position. Stretched at full length
upon tn. ground. we thrust our gun
81. II. III. 4tsa -.