The National tribune., 1901-06-20

This looks like 2 battle, sure" re-
They had to- pass directly through the
| Twentieth Corps, formed of the old
| Eleventh and Twelfth Corps of the Army
| of the Potomac.
There were recognitions and salutations
on all sides, and every body said:
We're up against old Bragg again.
But we've licked him, every time and we'll
do it again at Augusta, and thatll end
| the war" Eg
''Kilpatric'5's2 out there with his cavalry
fixing up things for big battle. Directly
the infantry II have to go in and settle
Bragg's hash"
Herds of cattle and trains of wagons
We're being closed up to the main body,
as II In anticipation of a battle.
Whenever the boys crossed a hilltop
they would catch the faint, sullen boom
of kilpatrick's guns off toward Waynes-
b0ro, where he and 10 Wheeler were set
ting the usual preliminaries to a great
conflict.
From the sound it sometimes seems to
me that we're driving them, and then
again it appears like we're being driven"
remarked 81, irritably. That's the way
with the tormented cavalry. n plaguey
regiment of themll fight all over whole
condemned, measly county, and you never
can tell whether they're licking or being
licked, until they run back behind the in
fantry, with their tails betwix their legs"
Never mind, ST. said Shorty. more
cheerful. The cavalry's just putting in
the time, as usual, until Sherman gets
good and ready. BY tomorrow he'll have
the army all up, and then you'll see the
fur fly. Wen be in plenty of time. We're
getting near the Corps. See the acOrns
on them wagons there?'
The sight of the familiar old corps
badge gave new impetus to their progress,
and thanks to it they had little trouble in
making their way through the thrOng of
teams and cattle and other impedimenta
of the rear of an army, and soon came
in sight of their division flag. Then it
was only short distance to the camp of
the 200th Ind, where they were received
with enthusiasm.
Soon there pushed through the crowd
of handshaking, cheering boys surround
ing them Aunt Minerva Ann. vibrating
between the maintenance of her stately
dignity as de chief cook-lady oh lie reji-
mint and her palpitating eagerness to
see little Pete.
The attention and praise which Aunt
Minerva Ann had gotten from the officers
Especially the Adjutant, and more es-
pecially the Commissioned to her far
more than any other cOlored woman had
received in the world, and her natural
vanity grew like Il mushroom, She was
certain that Col. McGillicuddy was the
greatest man in the world and much of
his greatness reflected directly upon the
sable matrOn who was the presiding
genius of his household. She remembered
all the airs put on by those colOred aristo-
crafts, the hOuSckeeperS on the plantations,
and assumed every one herself, with addi-
tons of her own invention. She was always
remembered by the officers, when the fac
tories and depots were being destroyed,
N .HEE.f II.
sure to be given her. She was conse-
qucntly the best dressed of any of the
'culled ladies" in the Corps, and her tur-
ban of yellow SILK, a remnant of cloth CON
1iscated at Slilledgeville, was Il gorgeous
creation that excited general admiration
and jealous envy. 1t was the joy of her
life, for it far outshone those which the
favored house servants used to wear as a
badge of their superiority to the field
hands.
She stalked down from regmental head
quarters, with her turban showing like
an exaggerated sunflOwer, the boys made
way for her. as they always did and she
addressed the youngSter with the voice
of awful authority:
Pete, yo' young wagabond, why dom
yO' come straight t headquarters, an
report t yer Auntie, who's bin powerfully
worried bout You? Don't yo' know yer
duty bettern datt What yo' loafn down
hyah wild desc high privates, when go
ortcr come straight, t headquarters? Don't
let dis happen agin.'
Then headquarters manner had to sue
cumb to maternal affection, and she
caught Pete's head to her ample bosom,
ecStatically:
70, yo' darlin' leetle honey lamb. WHY
fo' yo' done stay away so long f'Om yer
ole Auntie, when yo' mus've knowcd she
wuz jcs' a-dyin' fo' t see yo'? Yo' jes'
come straight away up t headquarters,
whar | glib yo' de bes meal 70 ebber had
III all yo' bon days. Ebbery time | cook
sumin' nice, | done lay away leetle bite
Come right. along: Yo' done rot back.
too, has yo', Eph? 'Xpected dat. Can't
lose 20: Come long, too. Eve got
enough fo' bofe OBJ yo'."
Sergeant" said Col. McGilicuddy.
coming up with the Adjutant, Il am very
glad to see you back. | know you have
been doing good work. | have heard of
Seu here now. The rebels promise to give
us the time of our lives before we get
Augusta, and have our old friend Bragg
up there in command"
Thank you, Colonel We heard some
thing of that, and hurried back as soon's
possible" answered 81. We didn't want
you to 20 into fight without us. What's
old Bragg going to give US this time,
Colonel! Stone River, Tullyhomy, or
Can't say just what sort of On en-
Mr.. Bragg has in store for us.
All that we can do is to be ready for any
thing that he may choose to set up"
We'll be that all right" said Shorty
confidently.
well, from the looks of things, serious
business will begin about tomorrow. Turn
your horses over temporarily to the Quar-
termaster. Tell him it's only temporary,
for you may need them again. Until this
things over yOurl stay with your COM
pany. Get enough to eat and all the sleep
and rest you can tonight, SOS to be in
fine shape for tomorrow"
Thank you, Colonel. Well be with
you to the end tomorrow"
AS they had now been fully three months
without any real fighting, the imminence
of the great battle sobered every one. The
were carefully inspected, the
were filled, the guns were
all seem to be in good order, all unnecessary
things were piled into the wagons, the
and canteens were filled, and
then the companies were dismissed and
the men set themselves to writing letters
home, or sat around and talked of the
while the officers gathered in
groups and discussed the operations.
BY the light of a blazing pile of pine
knots 81 wrote short letter to his wife:
"Dere Annabel: Though we've bin wakin
up the snakes in GeOrgy since we left
Atlanty, we are all well, nobody even
wounded. Col. McGillicuddy says that
me and the bows have done mighty well