The National tribune., 1901-09-12

was added to the five companies of our
regiment already on the skirmish line, I'M
| til ours alone remained in the friendly
shade and shelter of a young oak thicket,
screened from view of the enemy's sharp
| shooters and skrmishers who kept close
watch within easy range of its outer edge.
] All the ether companies were buslly en-
gagged on our left, exchanging shots with
! the Confederate skirInisherS behind trees,
| logs and stumps.
An occasional bullet whistIed persua-
sively near us, but we declined the chal-
| lenge and remained undiscovered all after
noon, although momentarily expecting to
be sent forward. Night came and ended
the firing in our front, but 1t was destined
/ to be night of great preparation for the
morrow. During the day the debatable
ground between the opposing lines of fort
| ifcations was abandoned to the skirInish-
erS Of both armies, neither Halleck nor
| Beauregard desiring to do more than to
maintain his position; SO it was that
with great earthwOrks and batteries be-
fore and behind US, menacing but silent,
we were left to fight our duels.
As soon as darkness hid our movements
| frCw view, the masses of men behind us
began to stir with the utmost activity.
| The stealthy tramping of infantry and
creaking Of heavy artillery tTayersing the
| road in our rear, with the dull thud Of
! pick and spade to right and left of US all
| through the night, betOkcned, we supposed,
an early assault upon the enemy's works,
and we discussed in our company the
| chances Of battle as we lay in our con-
cealment with blankets which we dared
not unroll for pillows, with cartridge
boxes strapped on, loaded muskets at our
side, and hayeFsackS and CantcenS within
reach. Anxiety and suspense did not
however, prevent us from stealing a suf-
ficiency of sleep, while the stars in clear
mOonless sky glimmered through the
branches Of the oaks overhead, and here
and there were reflected in little dm-blue
flashes from polished muskets or metal
equipments. No other light, not the fash
Of a match, was allowed to disturb the
cloak of concealment thrown over US by
nature.
With the first streaks Of light, MAY %,
the skirmishers again began to fire at each
other as wickedly as before but as
neither had been reinforced during the
night, the situation remained the same
Our main army had closed up during the
night, but now lay inactive behind great
earthworks i'll our rear, with hundreds OF
cannon pointing just over our heads.
The Confederate works behind their
skirmish line scowled defiance at ours, but
neither, in our vicinity, exchanged any
shots.
fications was left as before to the Skin
misherS.
About 10 n. m. there was a sudden and
furious outbreak of cannonading two or
three miles to our left, which made us
tighten the grasp on our guns, for the bat
tie, 1t seemed, had surely begun, and in
moment more would break over our
heads from the Confederate cannon in
front and ours in rear; but IT was only
Pope's heavy batteries endeavoring to
provoke the enemy to unmask his bat
tcries in reply, but without success.
on TIE sKIRMIsH LINE.
With the roar of Pope's guns in our
ears we heard Capt. Miller order the com
pany to fall in" and knew that our turn
had come at last, after so long waiting;
so with the Captain leading we filed about
2OO yards through the thicket, emerging
at the entrance to lane running through
a held parallel to Il border of brush and
timber on the right. where our attention
was at once arrested by little puffs of
smoke, followed by the cracking of mus
kerry and the zip" of many bullets about
our ears clipping splinters from the rails
! of the fence at our side. There was n
ducking of heads at the same time that
the Captain ordered "doubie-quick," so
with half-bent bodies, like when running
through Il heavy shower of rain we sped
| 'i"Hs the iane uHth we reacneu the com
parative shelter of a log hut, where we
halted while the Captain sent one-half our
number to pick their way to the front
and hunt for an enemy to shoot at
A few yards of crawling from one OBJ
ject to another brought them within range
and drew fresh installment of bullets
In the direction ct the hut where we Of
the second detachment, with the Captain,
awaited further Developments Our eta
del was not bullet-proof, as there was no
chinking between the logs, and bullets fire.
quently found their way through. Suffer
ing from fever caused by my exertions to
keep with my company, l was forced to
abandon the shelter of the hut, which af-
forded no shade, for that OF q mulberry