The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-08-25

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bushes, which screened us.
" Right facel" commanded the ma
! jCr a soldier seized me and turned
me half around to the right. For
ward, double quick, march,"
"Runp interpreted the man behind.
We trailed arms and made dash across
the narrow space. The head of the
column was ever before the musketry
from the hill began blazing away at us.
Before | was hardly aware of it l was
out in the open space, and the bullets
whizzing like hail about my ears.
While the officers were dressing our
lines, saw young farmer named
Sears, who had been impressed into the
ranks, suddenly drop his gun and begin
to scratch his leg near the ankle. l could
not imagine what allied him until saw
the tears of agony trickling down his
cheeks.
The firing was slow at first, but grew
more rapid until it cracked like the
burning of brush heap. When our
skirmishers fell back and they began to
fire volleys, it sounded like the tearing
of cloth.
"Look out for your ramrodl" eau
toned the file coverer in my rear. l
remembered now that / was a soldier
and gave no heed to the noises around
me, but bit off the end of my cartridge
deliberately-and was proud to see that
my hand did not shake as | poured the
powder into the barrel of my musket
and thrust the ball into the muzzle.
l had suddenly become as cool as
veteran. l was possessed with the
awful spirit OF war, and capable of any
desperate act. l remember how care
fully l returned my ramrod to its
socket, and how carefully | aimed at
spot where there YVES bunch of men
gathered about one of the cannon for
which they had no ammunition.
loaded and fred and loaded again,
as we slowly advanced up the hill.
Then some one shouted something,
and the men all lay down on the
ground, and began to lie on their backs
and load, and turn over on their stom-
achs to shoot. j initiated their exam.
Piles as well as if l had been soldier
for three years.
Suddenly the major came galoping
dow n the line and was nearly opposite
me when his big white horse made
spasmodic bound and fell backward.
The major leaped off his back before
he touched the EARTH The poor ami
NAL was dead in a moment.
Elk bayonets!"
The shooting stopped for a moment,
and we began to put on bayonets. A
soldier at my side showed me how to
put mine on. The command was given
to rise, and we did so.
"Charge bayonets-forward, march
double quick. Gumption hill now
seemed transformed into belching
volcano of fire and death, in continuous
wreaths and puffs, Though which we
charged. l tried TO keep up with the
others and shouted and cheered just
like the men.
The sides of Gumpton hill were al
most bare. In some places the stumps
of saplings had been cut away. | re-
member when about half way Up the
ascent stumbling over one of these
snags and falling TO my knees. just as
l got Strengthened up Mlt Davis, the
boy near my own age, staggered for
ward and fell on his face.
"Did you stub your toe, Milt?" l
asked. He made no answer, and after
the fight was over we discovered he
was dead, q bullet having gone through
his heart.
We went within forty PAGES of the
enemy; they poured in such terrible
fire upon US that our line began to
waver and fall back. All my courage
was gone in a moment. With the
rashness of a raw recruit L had
charged up the hill, and now With all
the fear of panic. stricken soldier in
his first battle, | was crazed with
fright.
l never stopped to reason, but like
seized by one of the non commissioned
officers and told TO stop.
We had been beaten about half way
down the hill, when suddenly there
arose tremendous shout from the
northwest side, ard volley after volley
announced the arrival of reinforce
ments for some one.
AT first we could not tell on which
side the reinforcements had come, but
we were not long left in doubt. The
stars and stripes at the head of 500 col
ored troops were seen ascending on the
other side. In less than five minutes
after the darkies raised the first yell the
enemy were flying away toward the
dense forest on the southwest of the
village, leaving us masters of the field,
with the artillery and all of the ammu-
milton train they had captured in our
possession.
The line of advancing men seen
from the steeple of the church had
proved to the mounted negro Infantry,
sent to help guard the ammunition
train. The confederates, who were
expecting reinforcements, supposed
they were their own friends, until they
burst like cyclone upon them, and
saved US from defeat.
We had six killed and nine wounded,
of whom one killed and two wounded
were impressed or volunteer citizens.
Shelby's men left nine dead and five
wounded on the field.
They had given me twelve rounds of
ammunition, and l turned over three
cartridges with my musket, so sup
pose must have fired nine shots dur
ing the fight.
When all was over and the enemy in
full retreat, l turned over my gun and
equipments and went to Kit, whom |
found nibbling the grass in the fence