The National tribune., 1899-11-02

evening man on horseback came up the
hill, approaching us, and asked:
What regiment is this?"
One of the boys answered phlegmat-
ically: This is no regiment; this is a bat
talon"
What is your NUMBER"
"This is the 39th n. Y"
That is Just what l want. Where is
your Colonel"'
I'VE amt got no Colonel; we've got a
Major" he replied with the same indiffer-
ence. After an impatient remark from the
stranger, Maj. Hildebrand appeared and
asked what was the matter.
Il want you 10 get my battery back again.
The rebels took II, and if don't get it back
| will have no command"
The Major stood there 4 while, as if con-
sidering about the authority. The man
broke tue silence by saying, i AIN the Cap
tain OF Battery X. 18th L. 5. Art, and am
sent here by Gen. Alex. Hays. He calls
you his 'lronclads, and says that you will
take it back" The Major smiled and COM
manded, Fall in, battalionr' ana i'll a few
seconds We stood ready in line.
The Captain then said: Major, I'll ask
you another favor. Would you let me
have the command? | know the spot
where the battery is. ! can take the men
there, surprise the rebels and make a sue
cess of il"
Take them" said the Major, promptly.
Soon we got near the JohnncS, and with
a hurrah rushed down a hill. ii was "A
| success, and one rebel was so surprised that
| he forgot To get off the cannon on which he
| was sitting aStride. We lost one good man
! by a shot in the forehead. We waited for
| another charge of the rebels, but they did
| not come. Some Of the boys pulled the
| guns back where the rest of the troops were.
Going back 10 the battalion after search
| for milk at a dairy, was SO tired i did not
look for~my place TO sleep, but lay down
1 alfafa
with blankets. When ] awoke on July 3,
these comrades had not stirred, and | lifted
the blanket. One man had half a head, the
other no head at ALL | did not examine the
| third.
INCIDENT ON THE SKIRMISH-LINE.
At s o'clock my company went out on
skirmish. We went out till we came 10 a
fence, behind which we lay. We could see
the rebs i'll the woods, apparently moving
about getting breakfast. We sent them an
occasional shot to worry them, but we got
what We didn't want i'll the way OF some
sharpshooters' bullets. The heat of the
sun made me very i'll. Half of the COM
pany had already gone back. / crawled
| back until | came 10 a tree at the roadside,
when ! lay down. A passing comrade
gave me a little water from his canteen, and
| managed to get back to where the COM
mand was. ! got the comrades who were
| there 10 give me some water. With con-
| siderable effort cooked some coffee behind
a stone fence. While / was there three
| batteries in succession took position not far
| away, but did not stay long.
| i got up to look for my comrades. and
discovered the battalion marching off
| through the woods, and staggered after
them, feeling very bad. One OF the COM
rades growied:
NOW we've got to go out there and stand
as targets, while all the others are lying
| behind stone fences" ! replied, We'll, il s
| the order; let us be targets"
| Being on the left Of the line, marched
ahead by the left oblique, not looking up.
! got a little too far, andsthe rebel bullets
striking the ground in front of me called a
! halt. | found 1 was rather closer 10 the
Johnnies than was comfortable, but my
comrades were no better off They were
coming up in three lines. AS | stood
watching them 1 heard Maj. Hilda brand
shouting, and saw him beckon me back.
AS | turned bullet whiZzed past my ear,
and the Major, being on a slight elevation,
caught it in the leg. | never saw him
afterward.
THAT WILD CHARGE.
The boys behind the stone fences were
shooting viciously now at the advancing
rebels could not see what was going on
but after awhile the firing ceased, and
thought the struggle was over, it was all sc
quiet. Suddenly | saw coming down the
hill about dozen rebels who had given uI
the fight, and they took shelter not fal
away. AS passed noticed one of them
an officer, on his knees, pressing his hand
to his breast, where was big hole.
stopped and helped him to some water, and
told him, I'VE are friends now," and Offered
10 take any message he might wish to send
for l could see he was dying. He could NO
lspeak, SO left him to die.