The National tribune., 1901-09-12

First Division, Fifth Corps, and we had
charge of number of rebel prisoners
who had been taken in the FIRST day S
fighting. When this division moved in
the direction of the plank road, so called,
one of the prisoners remarked to us,
You are going to intercept Jackson; you
have missed him, however; while you are
marching this way he is coming down
the plank road, beyond those hills" point
ing to Il range about quarter of nile
distant, land will form junction with
Lees main body before you can turn
back and catch him." 1t proved to be
very true; the junction was formed, and
the Army of the Potomac was rcpulsed.
An amusing incident came under our
notice during the progress OF the engage
ment at Charlottesville, which may
prove interesting. A large number of
| front upon stretchers, and carried to the
hospital tents about a quarter of a mile
in the rear. These tents were pitched in
the woods, and were supposed to be out
of reach of the enemy'S fire. About noon,
however, of the second days fight, the
heavy guns of the enemy opened fire, and
threw their shells right into the wood
and surrounding places.
1t was a curious sight to see the wound
ed men, who, moment before, seemed
unable to rise up, scramble from their
stretchers and hobble farther to the rear;
to see the Surgeons display extraordinary
agility in packing up their murderOuS-
looking instruments, strike their tents, and
follow their astOnished patients to place
of greater security.
| 1t was Take up thy bed and walk
most comcaIly illustrated. The poor,
wounded fellows no doubt thought that it
was enough to get struck in action, with
out waiting to be demolished in their
beds; and they were right. No one was
hit, however, and they succeeded in max
ing their retreat in good order, the soldier
with his kit" and the Surgeons with
their implements of torture.
BACK AT THE OLD CAMPS.
On the evening of May the whole
army, after a tiresome march over rough,
muddy roads, found themselves back in
their old camps, anXiously' specializing as
| to who would be the next commander of
the Army of the Potomac, for, in the
terse and expressive language of the 9th,
Gen. Hooker was certainly gone up"
On the 2Sth of the same month our
army was again on the move; as usual,
the roads were very bad; after a march
| of about 10 miles our regiment encamped
at HARDWOOD Church. Early the next
morning the march was resumed, and, af-
ter biyouacking one or two nights, we ar
rived at Ellis's Ford, on the Rappahan-
mock, and established ourselves in camp
sent two companies of ours out on picket
to guard the ford, and men were detailed
| from the remainder of the regiment to
throw up breastworks along the edge of
the river. The enemy, who were posted
on the summit of the bluff on the Oppo-
site side, opened fire upon our working
party with musketry, and afterwards
brought up a piece of artillery, and fired
two charges of grape and canister. For
tunately no one was hit, and our work
proceeded.
The following description, from the
notebook of an officer, of Eliis's Ford,
may be found interesting.
Il have not stated anything of our
stay at old Ellis's, at the ford, and the
friendly converse maintained with him,
and the inexpressible pleasure l enjoyed
in sleeping on his comfortable sofa, and
occasionally reclining even on his soft and
downy bed. The old man, somewhat of
a cripple, did not like the idea of remain
ing in his chamber during the night, lest
an engagement might take place between
the opposing forces, and an accidental