The National tribune., 1899-03-30

81 know were badly banged up and
can't so in This fight, as We did atore,
but we can't stan an do nothIn. an
hain't Coin ter, neither haint. We
jist determined that ole Desolater' here
and he affcctionatcly patted the muZzle
OF his gum .'shud hcv her little say IN
windin' up this scrimmage along with the
rest; an here she is. We're goin' up Ter
the head wv thet ditch ther an git our
100 ro, n Is Nv ammunition, same ez the
rest NV EN-, an we'll shell the Johnnies
fur every cent they's wuth; you Jest MIND
wat lis yer.
AS the point to which IiJ>y was as
signed was commanding one, and al
forded as good . view as could be Sc
ctncd, Walter volunteered TO accompany
him and assist in guarding hlm from
molcstation by the rebel sharpshooters.
The Sd of July. dawned hot and uncom-
Portable A few bright, fieecy clouds I'm
gered iazily around the edge OF the hori,
Zon but the rest Of the blue arch blaEed
like the vault of Il fiercely glowing rever r
beratory furnace. The higher the sun
fose the fiercer beat the storm OF fire upon
the btleaguercd garrison. The field
pieces shriel>cti. The rifles ratified like the
cracking of brusIlwo0d in Il forest fire.
The big guns on land and water thun.
dered and roaret II was me precuiso. ~, VI
that tempest OF fiery wrath that on the
morrow was TO Scorch and Shrivel Penn
berton'S army.
At 10 O'Clock the eager marSsmen in
the Union riflepitS were aStounded 10 see
a white handkerchief attached TO ram
rod raised above a high bastion i'm front OF
Gen. A. J. Smiths lines. For a moment
it hung Imply, and it could not be seen
what il was. Three or four ritiemen fired
at it from sheer force of habit, shooting at
ANYTHING connected with the rebels. Then
a breeze moving laZily ;HOng caught 1T,
spreading it out languidiy. There could
be no mistake.
ITS flag OF truce" said the aston
ished watchers The firing ceased, and
speedily died down the WHOLE length of
the line. The dead silence which now
succeeded the clamor OF battle that had
reigned for As days was oppressive. ii
affected the men more than the angrlest
storm OF conflict had. 1t seemed un-
natural, as if somc important thing had
been taken out OF each ones lie. Some
minutes after the last Sraggling shot had
died away two tall rebel officers rose UP
from behind the pararet OF the bastion
and walked down the side toward the bot
tom of the ravine, that at that point made
an interval of about hundred yards be
tween the two lines. Walter. who had
retained possession of Stocks field glass,
saw that the collar OF one oi them bore
The plain stars Of Colonel, and the
other the wrcatiied stars OF u Major Gen
eral AS they advanced n Alaior-General
came on. OF our works and advanced, with
his staff, and walked down the hill TO
meet them. Both sides saluted stif!y,
and an earnest colloquy ensued.
The Union lines took Oh the appear
ancc of {, long, winding. sinuous biue wall
from the thousands who rose up from the
entertainments and stood upon them to
watch the interview. The rebel works were
covered with similar eager crowd OF
spectators dressed in gray. hutternut. and
motley garments. For the first time since
the beginning OF the siege the whole mass
of besiegers and besieged looked each
other fairly and squarely in the face.