The National tribune., 1899-04-27
A BOY LIEUTENANT.
Continued from first pase.)


shape, and with my knife cut new holes
in the straps and fitted it snugly upon
his shoulders. l had the satisfaction of
hearing him say that it was ga heaper-
sight easier"
At the next halt I showed several
others how they could make their bur-
dens easier, and was rewarded by an
approving word from Capt. Smith.
The quaint sayings of the men amused
me greatly, and their peculiar negro
dialect was all new and novel to me.
I found, too, that there were some very
original characters in the company, and
that one of the stupid ones was the butt
of all his comrades.
Toward noon the dull booming Of
cannon was heard. The men at the
front had found the enemy.
One man, Thomas Festus by name,
the oldest man in the company, showed
signs of giving out, and carried his
musket for him The looks of approval
among the men amply repaid me.
1t was 1890 o'clock when we halted
that night near Rappahannock Station.
With throbbing, blistered feet I lay
down near the stacks of muskets and
was asleep at once.
At 2 o'clock in the morning I was
reused again. The line was forming,
and in five minutes we were on the
march again.
FIGHTING AT THE FRONT.
At daylight we crossed the Kappa
hammock River on a pontoon bridge.
The artillery was booming loudly at The
front and the dropping sound of mus
kerry could be heard. Staff officers
were hurrying up the column. Gaps
between the regiments were closed by
double-quicking.
The Rapidan River was crossed at
Germania Ford on another pontoon
bridge at 7 o'clock. The cracking of
musketry was growing sharper all the
time.
Along a narrow road through a
tangled forest we hurried on. A short
halt was made near house where the
amhnlances wero bringing in wounded
A flag with a Greek cross indicated that
it was the Sixth Corps hospital. l
visited the house, which had been taken
by the Surgeons as an operating room.
AS l entered two attendants brought in
a powerful soldier, his leg shattered by
shell. A handkerchief had been tied
around the limb and twisted tightly
with a bayonet. Even to my un-
practiced eye it was plain that the leg
was hopelessly mangled, and nothing
but amputation would save the mans
life. At the sight of the table and the
Surgeons, who stood with rolled-up
sleeves, the wounded man began to
scream and resist violently. "Oh,
Doctor, don't take oG my legi" he
cried. al can't be a cripple all my
life!"
"That's all right, my boy" said the
Surgeon soothingIy; "but 1 must tie up
these arteries or you will bleed to death.
Better take little chloroform to stop
the pain"
The Surgeon glanced significantly at
an attendant, who clapped a sponge to
the nostrils of the wounded man. "Now
take long breaths and count seven slow
ly," said the Doctor. Before seven was
counted the man was insensibls, and in
few seconds the mangled limb was am
putated and the stewards were applying
the bandages. 1 hurried outside. l was
growing sick. Outside, under the trees
and tents, were hundreds of wounded.
There was pit near the house, 10 feet
long, five feet wide, and four feet deep,
halfflled with the amputated members
of the wounded. Many of them had
the army shoe and stocking still on
them. Some of the hands, I noticed,
were powder-stained and blackened,
showing that their owner had been in
the front line-of- battle, and had been
doing his duty faithfully.
But there was no time for sentimental
musings. The order rang out sharply,
Fall in-Forward, March!" We were
off again, still pushing for the front.
The officers swords were drawn and
their pistol holsters were pulled well
around on the right side.
GOING INTO ACTION.
The musketry was rolling wildly now.
Wounded men, painfully making their
way to the hospital, lined the road.
"Double-quick, men. Close up. boys;
never mind the sore feet. Drop your
knapsack if you can't carry it."
Every man was in his place. Sud-
denly we turned off the road into the
tangled brush. A shrill, ear-piercing
yell was heard.
"Dat am de Johnnies, suah 'nuff,"
said Serg't Worrell, who had been an !
army teamster for nearly three years.
' You yere's dat music" he added, ad-
dressing the men in the ranks, as a
terrific crash Of musketry rose in answer
to the charging yell. "How you likes it?
It's to yere dat an not git skeered by |