The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-12-22
SOLDIERS BUDGET,
At the Battles Close,
=" This is satanicl"

George Burton was studying for the
ministry, when the war broke out He
intendt d to return to the The ological
Seminary, ii be lived to got back, so
Captain Gates OF the Third Rifles did
not regard his first lieutenant's excla-
NATION as al ali profane.
We'll, old fellow, it certainly SIN ellis
like it.. How are you off for watel?'
Haven't even canteen. Lo tit in
our couutercbarge. Look out, capl
Here she comesl' and the lieutenant
pulled the captain closer to the earth
on which both lay.
Behind hastily-constructed breast
work at the base OF Snodgrass hill, the
ragged remnant of the Third Rifles
flattened themselves face down as a
shell from Bragg whisked to the earth
fifty yards outside and burst with a
molten glare and spintering roar.
For sixty hours the men had no
sleep. In the past forty. eight hours
ammunition had been served six times,
and rations-not at all. Three times
this Sabbath afternoon of September 20,
1864, Longstreets veterans, with their
hats slouched over their faces, like
men facing a cutting wind-had rushed
against the hill; and each time Thomas
remaining artillery roared defiance
from the slopes, held by six shattered
brigades of the army of the Cumber-
land
Two young men, lying on their faces,
to the right of the lieutenant varied
the monotony of lodging shells play
ing with pack of disreputably dirty
cards. In lieu of money they used but
tons cut from the coats of dead men in
blue and dead men in gray. Each
player had buttons of one kind, and as
they were evenly matched in skill, they
forgot, in their mimic contest, the
deadly struggle going on to the right,
and laughed as if in the barn at home.
Don't go to sleep, boys; they'll be
here soonl"
The captains warning was called out
by the gradual cessation of the artl-
lery fire from over the river. Mean
while the guns on Snodgrass hill were
so silent as to lead some of the men to
fear the ammunition was exhausted
Wait, boys, till the Johnnies show
up, and you'll see Pop Thomas amt the
man TO keep guns to the front unless
he's got powder to feed EN-" said a
grimy sergeant beside the two card
players, who were now blowing the
dust from the hind sights of their rifles.
After an anxious wait and sigh of re-
lief at the failure of the enemy to try
the red experiment again, the captain
sat up and said to his lieutenant {:
- think, Burton, the worst is over
for to-day. Thank God, the sun will
be down soon.
{" He looks red enough to have wash
ed in the Chickamauga. Hello What's
up in the woods out there 2" asked
Burton.
Since the failure of the last charge on
the center the enemy had been keeping
up close and persistent attack on the
right. From this point came the inces.
SAINT roar and ring of cannon and rifle,
cutting through which haunting yells
and defiant cheers could be heard
"Can't you see the black smoke,
blending with the white over there 2"
and the lieutenant pointed to the
woods in front.
"Yes ; but what of it?"
81 means the woods are on fire.
They are dry as punk. just think of
it, cap!"
I" / think we have in all our wounded.
What matters it to the dead?"
" Nothing, cap but the enemy
My God There are at least 200
wounded men in gray and along the
edge of that timber Look at that
spintered oak about hundred yards
to the right"
&C. see it, and I've noticed through
my glass, that there is a young officer
lying wounded at the foot. He'll crawl
in, if the fire comes near him." said the
captain, as he scratched a match on his
rusty sword scabbard and lit his pipe.
A few minutes and wreaths of black
smoke draped about the barked trees
and drifted across the face of tbe.setting
sun, hurrying the night. Snakes of
flame licked up the powder-dry leaves
and coiled up the short-riddled black
jacks. To the right and left the fire
fell and rose and roared in red rage, IN
der the whip of the increasing wind.
Now and then shell hurtled over from
Bragg's center and burst before or on
Thomas hill.
"They amt a-comin'
"They got enough last time"
LohsotiCOl . iOunu uc ouI WSoe
now"
"Well, his crowd are good fighters"
mot bit better'n Bragg's !" shout
ed a Missourian, who was known to
have a contempt for the eastern men on
both sides.
Meanwhile, unmistakable cries for
help and shrieks of agony came from
the heart of the confagration. Men
came staggering out of the blazing jun
gle. Nearly all these were in gray.
Some hobbled out, using muskets as
crutches, others, with worse shattered
limbs, dragged themselves slowly along
on back or face.
A few, stung to momentary strength,
ran and reeled to the works, shouting
as each fell, "Dont 6rel l surrender!"
On that part of the line the fury of two
days of unsurpassed struggle and car
mage was forgotten for the time.
Familiarity with suffering intensifes
the sympathies OF the true soldier, and
the gaunt, bronzed defenders of Snod-
grass hill were of this class. The hate
of years was burned out by those roar
ing, dancing flames, and uncaring for
the color of the uniform, an awful anx-
ietv for the man in tho furnaca tOOk ito