St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-10-05
THE BATTLE OF SHILOH.
The Second InstaIment Of Ambrose pierce's
Story.

Along the sheltered strip of beach be-
tween the river bank and the water was
a confused mass of humanity-several
thousands OF men. They were mostly
unarmed; many were wounded; some
dead. All the camp-following tribes
were here; all the towards; few offi-
GERS. Not one OF them knew where his
regiment was nor if he had regiment.
Many had not. These men were defeated,
beaten, cowed. They were deaf to duty
and dead to shame. more demented
crew never drifted to the rear OF broken
tatalions. They would have stood in
their tracks and been shot down to
man by provost-marshal's guard, but
they could not have been urged up that
bank. An army's bravest men are its
towards. The death which they would
not meet at the hands of the enemy they
will meet at the hands of their officers,
with never finching
HIS dDO IOutt WbNhNfNl q
steamboat would land, had to be kept
off her with bayonets; when she pulled
away they sprang on her, and were
pushed by ores into the water where
they were suffered to drown one another
in their own way. The men disembark-
ing insulted them, showed them, struck
them. In return they expressed their I'M
holy delight in the certainty of our de-
struction by the enemy.
By the time my regiment had reached
the plateau night had put an end to the
struggle. A sputter of rifles would break
out now and then, followed perhaps by
a spiritess hurrah. Occasionally shell
from a far.away battery would come
pitching down somewhere near, with
wbirr crescendo, or fit above our heads
with a whisper like that made by the
wings of night-bird, to smother itself
in the river. But there was no more
fighting. The gunboats, however, bazed
away at short intervals all night long,
Just to make the enemy uncomfortable
and break him of rest.
For us there was of course no rest.
Foot by foot we moved through the
dusty fields, we knew not whittier.
There we're men all about us, but no
camp6res; to have made blaze would
have been madness. The men were of
strange regiments; they mentioned the
names of unknown generals. They gath
cred in groups by the wayside, asking
eagerly our numbers. They recounted
the depressing incidents of the day. A
thoughtful officer shut their mouths with
sharp word as he passed a cynical one
coming after encouraged them to repeat
their doleiul tale all along the line.
Hidden in hollows and behind clumps
of rank brambles were large tents, dimly
lighted with candles, but looking comfor
table. The kind of comfort they afforded
was indicated by pairs of men entering
and reappearing, bearing filters; by low
moans from within and by long rows Of
the dead with covered faces outside.
These tents were constantly receiving the
wounded, yet were never full; they were
continually ejecting the dead, yet were
never empty. 1t was as if the helpless
had been carried in and murdered that
they might not hamper those whose bust,
ness it was to fall tomorrow.
Itwas now pitch dark, and, as is usual
after battle, had begun to rain. Still
we moved we were being put into posi-
ton by somebody. Inch by inch we
crept along, treading on one anothers
heels by way of keeping together. Com
mands were passed along the line in whis-
pers; more commonly none were given.
When the men had pressed so closely to.
gether that they could advance no fur
Their they stood stock still, sheltering
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chos. In this position many fell asleep
When those in front suddenly stepped
away those in the rear, reused by the
tramping, FASTENED after with such yea
that the line was soon choked again
Evidently the head of the division was
being piloted at snail's pace by some
one who did not feel sure OF his ground
Very often we struck our feet against thu
dead; more frequently against those who
still had spirit enough to resent it with {
moan. These were lifted carefully to on,
side and abandoned. Some had sens
enough to ask in their weak way fo
water. Absurd! Their clothes wer
soaken, their hair dank; their whit
faces, dimlv discernible, were clamm,
and cold. Besides none of us ha,
any water. There was plenty coming
though, for before midnight a thunde
storm broke upon us with great violence
The rain, which had for hours been du
drizze, fell with copousness that stifle
us; we moved in running water up t.
our ankles. Happily, we were in tores
of great trees heavily decorated" wit
Spanish moss, or with an enemy stanc
ing to his guns, the disclosures of til
lightning might have been inconvenien
As it was, the incessant blaze enabled u
to consult our watches, and encourage
us by displaying our numbers; our b!acl
sinuous line, creeping like giant serper
beneath the trees, was apparently inte
minable. ! am almost ashamed to sa
how sweet found the ompanonship
those coarse men.
So the long night wore away, and
the gimmer OF morning crept in throug
the forest we found ourselves in a mo
open country. But where! Not sil
OF battle was here. The trees were n
Their splintered nor Scared, the undo
brush was unknown, the ground had
footprints but our own. 1t was as if ,
had broken into glades sacred to etern
silence. | should not have been surpris
to see sleek leopards come fawning abo
our feet, or milk-white deer confront
with human eyes.
A few inaudble commands from an
visible leader had placed us in order
battle. But where was the enem
Where, too, were the broken regimen
we had come to save? Had our otl
divisions arrived during the night, a
r,acca1 ha v,uar n acc,cf ttc2 xxi