The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-08-25
4 FILE OF INFApTRYWEn.
For Three Years. During the AT Home in Shelter
Tent, and Abroad with Three Days Ratons
and Forty Rounds of Ammunition"

BY JOHN McELROY.

sluggards who have either slept through the
call to fall in or pretended to do so.
These are the usual scenes where regiments
are aroused ut dayb break to stand in line to
repel any sortie the enemy make at that hour
most suspicious for salies
The angry storm clouds in the east began
| to be Redeemed by the rising sum- The air
quivered with q terrific crash away off on
he right, where McCIernanl's and Wallace S
| Divisions were interrOsed 10 prevent retreat on
| Nashville. is comes from 20 rebel guns which
! have come up under cover of the darkness to
where they can sweep the Union lines with
Crane and canister at short range. SO clcS :.
uvon the crash that it seems to he a part of t
follows the veil and the roll of ninsketIy OF
rebels. masked by the guns, who now rush
OH the former. Its cheers. the reply Of the
few guns and the CHATTER of its musketry Is it
firmly stands its ground and joins bat lie with
| its overwhelming asSailants. come over the
hilltops and reverberate and echo through the
WOODS.
Then comes wave after wave of deep-voiced
| cheers followed by roll of musketry, as
regiment after regiment rush up to the assist
ance of Oglesby's Brigade and open lire on
the enemy. The rebels have nearly ceased
yelling but they are plying their musllets
a continuous roar above which rise at regular
intervals the terrible crash OF artillery.
Nothing can be seen of the progress of the
battle by the anxious watchers on tie other
hill. The struggle is going on in dense
forest OF oaks, which hides everything from
view except the smoke that rises from the
tops of the trees and is swept far away to the
south by the icy wind.
stream of wounded men and skulker5 drift
through the open space IN the rear Of the
woods and hurry across into the security OF
the trees beyond. Artillery teams draw
empty caisSons back with the drivers lash
ing the ioamng, galloping horses. The boxes
are hastily changed for full ones and the
painting horses return at n run, the heavy
wheels tearing UP the stones, stumpS and
saplingS that intef re with their progress.
The men in Gen Smiths Division. on the
center and left, expect every moment that
the tide OF battle will roll up toward them.
Tney begin Il vigorous fire on the rebels in
front to MAKE diversion and prevent assist
ance being sent 10 the right. A battery OF
heavy parrott guns, which have been brought
from the boats and placed in position the day
before, open with an; awful roar on the
rebel lines, cutting down trees, sending
branches and twigs flying i'll ali directions
and tearing up the ground.
Farther 10 the left a heavy rebel gun-a
32-pounder it was found to be, by digging up
and examining one OF the shots it sent over
sweeps ridge inside OF our lines and annoys
our mtn exceedingly, and embarras,es sew
eral movements that it is desired TO II a e.
1t cannot lie reached by any of our guns III
position. and there is a call for snarpanooters
TO 90 forward and try to silence it. The File
offer fi.ir spTy-icuS and ar,a t.J
They start forward, O'Ncl III the lead. and
fit from tree to tree, sometimes without at
tracing the attention of the rebel sharp
shooters, but as they near the bottom OF the
ravine a bullet plows through Bronson's hat,
warning him that he is exposing his head
with entirely too much freedom Tor his per-
Sonal safety. Looking across tne Taylne, he
sees the man VINO fired it coolly wipng out
his rife before loading for another shot.
Before bronson can fire the rebel notices
his intention and steps behind tree. leaving