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


swing from whatever band wo get tomor.
row well show the way for you old fellows
In great shape"
Yes; a great deal depends upon the
band" said the colonel, reaching down 10
drawer In his desk and bringing up from
its depths a box Of cigars "A good band
can put lifo into the lamest column, and
I've even known band 10 put life into q
dead man. Facti But hore-light up.
Wen make o short session of IL tonight,
for tomorrow calls us out early, but there s
plenty OF time for cigar all round.
1T was-let me see--80 years and some
odd months ago." continued tho colonel
1.-The old resimens' was down in Virginia
then, as have said, and merry time wo
wero having Of it too. There had been
about two days let mp Ia the general un-
pleasan.ness, Though, lnd'we wore begin
ming to wonder II tho other side had emf
grated. Thay haon t-oh, mol At this
time were all by cur alone. of on a sort of
side track, Watching a road that cnmo from
nowhere In particular, but which was
thought To DO worth Watching just the
same. Our positlon was beauty, and 10
was lucky for us that it was. / tell you,
boys, it's about the same IN war as in bill
liards--'position g everything. The road
we were watching ran almost exactly
north and south. 20 the east of US, on our
left, was a densa patch of woods, and on
our right was another, with the added fea-
ture Of good sized swamp. In our front
the ground was open for distance Of
about 500 yards, and beyond that tho I'M
broken woods began again. The clearing
before us was OF almost tho exact shape OF
fan, and we were at the point where the
lines that would represent tho sticks con
vergod, so that in line Of battle we stretch
ed completely across from tho woods on
one flank to those on the other. Somo 200
yards to our rear road came into the one
that we were guarding from n northwest
erly direction, and at the intersection OF
the two was forlorn group of tumble
down houses, which collectively went by
the name of Ashford Four Corners, appar.
emily for no earthly reason, for there GER
tainly were not four corners there.
ITO tell the honest truth wo didn't or
pect we were so far TO one side OF active
operations that we should soc or hear from
the enemy, so long as we were lucky
enough to bo allowed to remain where we
were. But we had been in the business
too long to take any chances, and SO we
put in days work with the ak and
breastworks across our front.
I'VE had picket line in the woods bo-
yond the clearing" he continued, "and
felt pretty comfortable and safe, and SO wo
went to work TO amuse ourselves as best
we could. i am free TO say that most Of
us found our best amusement in going TO
sleep, for wo had had hard drive of 1t
during the ton days previous, and 10 would
have taken mighty lively surroundings to
rouse much sporting blood in us. We had
foraging parties out, of course, but what
they found wouldn't have filed haver-
saok, and 80 we had to DO content with
what our few wagons had brought along
1t was our second night In that posi-
tion. had been officer of the guard on
the night before, and rs a result l was
sleeping In very determined and bust
nesslike way. But it didn't take any
alarm clock to bring me out OF my blan-
kets when a shot came cracking out from
the woods where our pickets were, and |
when another sounded, and then two or
three together, I began routing out my |
men mighty promptly. Well, our drum |
mers thumped cut the long roll and the |
regiment fell In, and presently back camo |
the pickets with the report that the enemy |
was In our front and, so far IA thoy could |
Judge, In force. The night was pretty /
well used up then, and the first hazy light |
of tho new day was just coming. But |
there wasn't enough Of 10 to show what
was going on across the clearing, and so |
we threw out skirmishers into tho woods |
on either side of us and waited for tho
other fellow to show his hand. Apparently
he, too was bit doubtful as to what
might be in his front, and so "a wo stood
behind our breastworks half hour went
by without our being able to detect O
on his part. But oil this time
the light had been growing brighter and
Just as we could begin to make out OBJ
ieots skirmish line camo out Of the OPP
posito woods and began to make its way
slowly across the open. On they came for
perhaps a couple of hundred yards, and
then, seeing clearly for the first timo our
works, they halted, not seeming to have
any great ambition to obtain a closer
view, for you must know that by this time
both the Confederates and wo had learned
that 10 was well TO think twice about in
truding upon a forco woll intronched.
However, these fellows didn't got much
limo TO consider the situation, for we gave
hem volley that left here and there a
vacancy In their line, and back they went
20 the cover of the woods, firing as they
ell back. But this little exchange OF
was only curtain raiser to
iho real performance, for in about ten
minutes a regiment came out into the
'pen, changed direction TO the right and
ormcd line OF battle. Another followed
. and formed line to the left Of tho road,
md a battery came into position In tho |
interval between them and unlimbercd
No didn't care particularly for tho two
egiments, but the battery looked ominous,
nd the conviction was forced upon us
hat Ashford -Four Corners was destined
o become Confederate territory in mighty
hort order unless heavier force than
vo could muster were placed between 1t
nd the gray line In front Of us.
But old Colonel Burloigh didn't seem
b bo much worried at the outlook, though
% did seem trino in earnest when he
urned to the quartormaster and said:
Woodslde, take my horse and get back TO
he brigade rs fast as the Lord will let
oul Tell the general that we've got
rigado TO handle, and nobody knows how {