The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-01-22


outposts, beyond which slept Confed-
crate army. Back Of him, in the valley
of the Chickamauga, were the Union
troops, the two armies making in all
100, 600 souls.
There came distant rumbling from
the south. 1t grew, faded, was lost and
reappeared, the unmistakable rattle OF
a train. 1t came OH slowly from dis
tanoe OF several miles, the rollingof the
trucks, the painting of the locomotive,
growing louder the while till IL reach
ed point directly east of where he was
sitting and q few miles south of Rim
gold. There it could not only be heard,
but seen by him. He watched il move
OH up the road, and at last il was lost in
Ringold. He listened to hear if it went
farther, but the sound did not recon-
mence.
Scarcely had the train stopped when
another was heard coming from the
same dipection. Ii, too, came on, was
lost for time in the tunnel, and pass
ing north stopped where the other had
stopped. Then came third and a fourth,
all moving In the same direction. In
less than an hour Maynard counted five
trains, all Of which stopped at Ringold.
He rose from his seat There, ;, he
exclaimed. pointing to Ringold, ''is a
point from which, if am not mistaken,
there will soon come an attack on our
lines. They are bringing troops in those
trains to mass them OH our left. whore
there is so little to oppose them. If the
trains were going south. il would argue
that the enemy were retreating Com
ing north means that they are going 10
take the offensive. It looks to me as If
this rapid moving Of men at this hour
meant daylight attack right here on
the left II so, there is no time TO lose.
must get back and give warning"
He walked rapidly in the direction of
Reod's bridge, and coming to the head
quarters Of the commanding officer of
the troops he sought found an aid who
was on duty all night, the general being
appreheDsive in his exposed position
and wishing to be called at the slightest
sign of an attack To him Maynard re-
counted what he had seen, and the gen.
eral was awakened and informed He
tion and at once ordered that the men
be aroused, the horses fed and breakfast
prepared Then the horses were sad
died, the artillery harnessed and the
baggage loaded into the wagons.
After imparting his information May
nard went to his own camp, called for
his horse, and buckling ON his saber
and pistol rode back to the camp he had
left. He arrived just in time to join
accommodating party starting to ride
over the ridge in the direction of Rim
gold. Being in private's uniform, he
was not recognized by the men--his
appearance was much changed by the
loss Of his beard-and fell in with the
last files as though he belonged TO the
troop.
The squadron trotted up the road lead
ing through gap in the ridge and
stood on q summit overlooking the Pea
Vine valley. BY the light of day May
nard looked down upon the landscape
he had seen few hours before but, ah,
how changed! Ten thousand men in
gray were coming across the valley.
1t is solemn sight at any time to
SEQ an army moving to strike a foe.
There was something in the silent
movement--too far fer him 20 hear the
tramp of the mon advancing over the
intervening space, still wearing its sum
mer robes of green-to remind him of a
thundercloud rising in clear sky.
There were compact columns OF infan-
try steadily marching, while on either
flank cavalry trottcd forward, head up,
like troop Of lions over Jungle Occa
sionally there came confusion Of dis
tart scunds--ordorE--m murmurings
preceding tho storm. The advancing
host seemed rather II troop of specters,
moving with the wind, an army OF ma
licious spirits coming to scatter plague
from their still silent weapons
This fancy vanished with the first few
shots from tho skirmishers. They Were
too real, too spiteful, to attribute 70
any but human agencies. Back goes the
thin line of blue before the scattered
Confederates in advance, supported by
thick columns of dusty gray. No skir-
mish line would care to stand against
these columns coming silently, not yet
in presence of foe worthy of volley.
Suddenly there is a rumbling, shout
ing, a lashing of horses in Maynard's
rca; Turning, ho sees q Union battery,
drawn by horses, galloping up the slope
from the bridge. Dashing into position.
the horses are swung around, pointing
the muzzles Of cannon toward the adj
vancing host The guns are unlimbered.
There is a boom, followed by shrek.
ing shell arching toward the heavens
and dropping with sound like an ex-
ploding rocket over one of the adyanc.
ing columns.
The shot produces change i'm the
disposition of the closely packed Con.
federates as n turn Of Kaleidoscope
alters the combination of colors. The
closed columns halt uuickly extend