The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-12-09

AANAA-N. = lehltAl As WHICH lNfllE8 klls eQNlls
was llablt to hurt some one. OF course
II . possible 70 set used 70 anything.
but you know. TOO, that some things ere
easier 70 sccustom ones self to than
others. Now, I've gotten along pretty
wen in breaking myself Of being gum
shy that u, Just Mauser and Reming-
ton-shy- but Ilhnd Il harder 70 GET used
70 those Jumps d metal that you can
hear screening dWn along some path
that they have ctea for their line Of
flight; that might be, the same one you
were on. There Waa quite q, lively fusi-
llade that began at half-past 3 IN the
morning. Tue arc Of hre extended
about q mile and one.halt around the
right center and left front Of the town.
Thsil line was from q half to three
quarters Of a mile from the town, but
IS near Is 800 yards from some Of our
outpostS. We threw out a line to meet
the opposition. and the regiments on
the hanks-the Twelfth on the left-tell
in under arms and awaited orders. Our
Rrng volleys tore holes in the lambert,
lImpld carly dawn in such a murderous
manner that It seemed as though there
would have to be soldering up after
daylight. on our extreme left front is
a cemetery with thick stone wall en-
closing It Along one side vaults are
built up abutting In the wall 80 that
the top Of theiwall. including the top Of
the vaults. is about seven feet wide.
on the very corner Is mounted a Cat
ling gun behind a little stone perspet
that has been raised out OF the material
at hand. Behind this wall there was a
company OF the Twelfth infantry.
There was quite a little demonstration
OF the enemy before this quarter. I
could hear the voice of the company
commanded. and knew he would be
standing on top OF the wall as he sang
out. ''Fire by company at the enemy,
500 yards. Company, aim. Fret" And
then the hundred rides would ring out
as a hard quick tear and stop, Just at
the aelvage which was thus torn torn
through as one tardy chap discharged
his gun q second late.
The sangulne and prophetic teachers
of my youth had told me that ciytliEa-
ton was 20 far advanced that the
method Of settling controversies would
no longer be by the cruel and barbarops
methods of war, and / had learned to
believe great deal Of it. have won
dered as I've crossed the bloody
trenches Of the enemy, or have looked
about my OWE dressing station at my
own dead and wounded, II the teachers
of the next generation will be able to
guess any better than those teachers
OF the hIstory-makers Of to-day. ]
have seen the stage in melodrama or
comic opera CORY with the flow Of blood
or loud with the clash and glitter Of
Amazon arms, but that early morning
scene was trlne more realistic than
anything ever bought seat to see.
When you remember that the extreme
range OF u Mauser rifle is more than a
mile, you can see that after the shot
has missed the picket at whom 1t was
fred. it may still so on and pick UP
his friend a half mile in his rear. Such
a shot struck and instantly killed a SOL
der who's company had left him sick
IN quarters when It wen. out on the
line. 1t was the navy Hotchkiss re-
volvlng cannon that did the most dam
age. 1t was a light gun and the enemy
was not fearful Of bringing 1t close to
our lines Because they could easily
draw 1t back IL we advanced. This gun
was skllEully handled, being moved up
and down their line so as to keen our
artillery from locating 1t. Four men
were wounded, one quite severely, hay
ing his face badly lacerated and skull
fractured by shell from this gun. One
shell exploded directly in front Of the
trench Of one of our own posts. We
picked out OF the back of one man a
piece of shell that bore part of the man
ufacturer's stamp, Hartford Conn.,,
u. S. A." Four other men were wound
ed by rife balls, making the casualties
for the night one dead and eight
wounded. After daylight Monday the
observer In the church tower. with the
aid of his telescope, located the en-
placement Of the enemy's largest gun.
The Twelfth infantry was up and under
arms at daybreak Tuesday morning,
and in readiness to so out to bring the
gun in. we had expected another
shelllng that night and a confirmation
Of the suspected position Of the gun.
We were not disturbed, however, and
at daylight 1t was dIscerned that the
piece had been taken back and the
Twelfth was denied the opportunity Of
bringing in the gun.
am acting brigade surgeon on Cen
eral wheeler's staff. but have M re-
sponslbillty sim with the Twelfth In
fantry, as regimental surgeon.
General Wheeler rode out to the line
when the attack was the sharpest. As
he was riding along with his aide,
the latter remarked, Us bullet spat-
ted between them: General, that shot
lust missed you" The old general
terseiy answered It was too late to
dodge, and perhaps he hadn't thought
OF that. Ibid It? I'm glad 1t did" 1
stayed with my regiment, as the care
Of the left flank was left to the
Twelfth. The town was pretty well
shot up, and 1t was surprising that