The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-07-08

more experience of the same baleful
kind.
I remember that, on the first day at
Donelson, another correspondent from
New York and myself. were in a sparse
! wood, not far from the breastworks,
looking around for adventure. We were
on fot, having marched from Fort Hen
ry. eleven miles distant, across the
neck of land separating the Tennessee
from the Cumberland river. Many Of
US had come without horses, tents or
provisions, expecting to take Donelson
before breakfast, Inc We were sur
| prised to find a formidable fortified
post, for General Grant a been Who'll
ly deceived by his couts as to the
strength of the place.
While in the woods some field pieces
! opened OF the fort, which we could not
see for the intervening trees. The en-
emy's batteries Immediately replied.
Grape and canister ratified all around
US, cutting off the tWigs and boughs OF
the trees over our heads, and giving US
a vivid sense of war. We saw that the
locality was the reverse of safe, but we
stood in the open, trusting to luck. In
a few minutes a middle-aged German
officer, who had seen service in his
c"h county, SlCPPCN SA4A1o
tree n insisted on u seeking similar
shelter.
There is no courage he said, sin
exposing yourselves needlessly. You
only show that you are not trained
soldiers. I have been in a number of
battles, and 1 have learned prudence"
AS the firing continued and the iron
the officers advice.
The second 0av Was nearing the
Notifications, where hostilities were
very active. There I fell in with a COM
pany of Birge's Illinois sharpshooters,
vainly trying to pick off a confederate
gunner, whom we could not see, as he
was behind the breastworks, but whose
position we could determine, we thought
by puffs of smoke from the vent.
He had his cannon trained on some
Of our men n appeared to be doing
them harm, as he fired steadily at reg
ular intervals. I was very anxious to
silence him, n expressed my anxiety.
DO you think you could?" asked one
of the sh~arpshooters. Here, take my
rifle and try"
I accepted the rifle, got down behind
a log, is was the sharpshooters' Gus
tom; leveled the piece, and waited for
the puff. Sharpshooters or the other
side were pitted against ours. Every
few seconds a bullet whistled lear my
head, or struck the log with ar omi-
nosu thud that suggested sudden NOR
tally. Birge's men often drew the
fire of the confederates by exposing a
cap or a bit of an old garment, which
was always duly punctured. And the
rebel yell not infrequently denoted
that the enemy had been deceived into
thinking that another odious Yankee
had been disposed of.
Several times I fired at the invisible
gunner, n the familiar puff at the
regular interval indicated that I had
still missed. I tried harder and harder.
though I did not privately assume to
be anything of a shot. At last I fred
once more, after preparing myself for
several minutes. I had a faint hope
that I had succeeded. The interval of
the puff passed. The sh~arpshooter lok-
ed at me significantly, and said: ST
guess you've fetched him this time. I
felt in my bones o would"
I had no idea that I had; but 1 did
not wish to disturb the faith of the Illi-
noisan. So I replied: 81 shouldn't won-
DER locke wise, n withdrew to
another part of the field before my rep
utation had been shattered.
My limited experience as a sharp
shooter had benefited me. 1t had great
ly steadied my nerves, and I felt I was
gradually getting used to be under
fire.
The third day 1 borrowed a musket
as I had o before on several occa-
sions and did such service on my own
account as I felt inclined to. Strictly
speaking, l was not right in so acting.
for a military correspondent is sup
posed to be a non-combatant. But
was liable to be shot at any time,
going Wher l chose, where I had no
business. l felt, if I should be hit, that
| would have the satisfaction of know
ing that l had hot at the enemy re-
peatedly. Such a thing would not have
been allowed in the Army of the Poto-
mac. Nor was it allowed in the army
of the Tennessee, but if not winked at,
1t was not forbidden. Each and every
man in that field had the broadcast lib
erty, if he did not abuse it, so long as
ne kept out of trouble. The freedom of
the correspondents under Grant was
delightful, and they never clashed.
On the third day, on the left, several
western regiments called the breast
works at Donelson. After they had
got inside the entertainments, a con-
federate battery opened on them. and
there was fear lest they might eventu-
any De driven back, though they stood
nate batteries saw the threatening
peril. We know that a union battery
was needed to counterfeit the confed-
crate guns. But where could it be
found, and who could order it IN? T
VOLUNTEERED to perform the service. and
knowing where a Missouri battery and
General Grant had been, a little while
before, horseles sas 1 was, I started
on a run to hunt them up. Grant, on
being found. listened ~intently to the
message I brought, and sent an order
by me to the captain of the Missouri
battery to hasten to the Mace indi-