The National tribune., 1900-03-29

some other rebel prison, for a few minutes,
but escaped all right by standing still in a
fence-corner, while a rebel regiment
marched by on the road. Possibly was
not in as great danger as imagined was,
but / was greatly relieved when the tramp
Of receding footsteps and the rattle of tin
cups and canteens against the bayOnets
died away in the distance. | promptly
made myself scarce in that vicinity.
1t was o'clock or thereabouts when the
order came to move, and about half an
hour after l had rejoined the company,
and lain down for little sleep. / would
say here that when | reported to Lieut.-Co
Miller, he thanked me and again promised
to remember me. He kept his promise
Among the souvenirs of the war in my
possession are three commissions signed
by him when Governor of Minnesota.
AT IT AGAIN.
Slowly and silently we Withdrew from
those blOod-bcdewed, battle-scarred, war
wasted woods and fields, and started again
on our march toward the James River,
where We expected rest and rations. The
extreme fatigue of the men rendered the
march almost as slow and silent as "A funeral
procession; for but little was said as we
loiled YEARLY forward-the talkative stage
had been passed a couple of days before.
When daylight came, and permitted us
TO look at each other again, il revealed the
worse for wear. We had aged percepti-
bly, i'll the last "a hours. Additions had
been suspended for two or three days.
clothes were torn and covered with dirt.
hair uncombcd, eyes red and inflamed.
faces and lips covered with dirt and powder
had washed little channels. making the
cheeks lool- like some of the ne wspaper
maps we see of the war in South Africa and
the Philippines. We were in truth a sorry
and sccdy-l looking band, and Minnesota
would not have recognized in us her first
offering on the altar of her country" Our
own mothers would scarcely have been
able 10 identify us.
The sun was rising in all the glory of a
MldSunm"r morning as we began toilinp
up the nights Of Malvern Hill Lines Of
infantry and batteries of artillery were
crawling np the slope atri stretching along
Its sides. II was a grand position at Nal
vern Hill for "A defensive fight, and the
sight Of II renewed oar courage and unoosed
some OF the silent tongues. Siege guns
crowned it, field batteries pointed their
muzzlci from a narrow plateau near its
crest, ana Its sides bristleh with the bayo-
nets OF two lines of infantry encircling it.
We passed through the first line and
We're assigned Il place in the second in "A
field OF clover. We halted and immc-
dlatcly lay down and slept. We were
literally lin clover" but our rest, though
oN''',, W'.', Hhe HoSt eHJOyaDle tlllngS,
very brief.
We were stirred up by the booming of
guns and the shrieking Of shells as they
cut the air with a wild scream, or struck
and pounded along the ground One of
these daisy cutters" struck a wagon near
by loaded with hardtack. smashing g
Whcel and tearing to pieces the hind portion
OF the box. Our boys improved the oppor-
tunity 10 replenish their haversacks with
crackers.
GETTING SHAKEN UP.
The rebel artillery practice was nm
close that morning. and we had
several m en- hit by scraps of the bursting
shells, tn ough none killed. We thought
our experiences of the last week had so
dead cned every sense, and schooled every
nerve so that we could meet the shock of an
earthquake without quver, but that
lively morning bombardment showed us
that we We're mistaken.
We noticed this particularly as the reg-
ment stood for few minutes at Il shoulder
arms, previous TO change of position
AS the shells from our own and the euemv's
guns passed over us there was n vibration
ana WlgglIng OF the muskets us if the motion
had been impaired by the passing pro-
jectiles. i apprehend there are few men
with self-control sufficient or nerves so
strong that they are undisturbed by the |
close flight of those fiendsh, screcching.
ieath-dealing missiles. | have no recoi- |
ecton of ever SEEING one, and believe, |
with the author o. ii California ballad,
that though
Music" says Halleck, sis everywhere:
Harmony guides the whole creation:
Yet, when bullet sings in the air
:, SO close TO your hat it stirs your hair,
10 ENJOY 1t requires a taste quite rare.
With certain amount of cultivation -
Personally failed to acquire that