The National tribune., 1901-11-14

| Voice without MAILS come" The Ma
jor's chair and the Adjutant's heels strike
the floor at the same moment. Orderly
bOunces as if box exploding Writer
wheels right about exit ali, double
quick.)
Scene 2-Excited throng with out
stretched arms surging around soldier
Postmaster, clamoring for long-delayed
letters and papers.
Scene "a deserted camp-in appear
ance only. A busy hum issuing from 40
''shebangs." Inmates reading letters and
papers from home. Everybody happy.
Such is literal picture of the arrival
of the mail after two weeks delay.
A FORWARD MOVEMENT.
At sunrise Nov. II we turned our backs
upon AndersOn's Crossroads and our faces
toward the mountains, in company with
the 1OSth Ohio and Edgarton's Battery all
| under command of Gen. Morgan. We
| consumed nearly the entire day pushing
and pulling wagons and artillery up the
steep side Of Walden's Ridge, where the
roadside was Uttered with the broken and
charred remains of many supply wagons
and the decOmpOSing carcasses of mules.
But we felt repaid for our labor when
we reached the summit and looked down
| with admiration into the Sequatchie Val
! ley, whence we came. We were not so
far away from the crossroads but that
we could still see the ill-shaped cabins
and unsightly mud chimneys of our de-
| serted camp.
| Nov. II we proceeded along the top
of the ridge a distance Of u miles, when
| we reached the point where the road de
! scends into Chattanooga Valley, six miles
| above the city. Here we enjoyed another
sublime view, so unlike the level cxpanse
Of our own Prairie State. Down into the
| valley we descended by zig-zag road two
| miles in length and encamped in the deep
shadow of the mountain, which lowered
! between us and the setting sun.
Nov. IL we marched u miles reaching
! Dallas at p. m, where we found Col
! X. +. Smiths Brigade encamped The
! town was scarcely visible, as the troops
| had converted the building into huts. while
the brick Court House furnished the ma
| terlal for chimneyS. No sooner had we
broken ranks than there was a scramble
| for loose material or for logs to build
our new homes. It was not our DISPOSE
| tiOn to speculate how long we should re
main. We have already learned by cold
experience that He who hestates is lost
| to comfort.
The fact that rain was falling next
| morning at daybreak when we turned out
only stimulated us to n greater effort to
complete our huts. Nor were we dis
couraged by short ratiops, but continued
our work like SO many beavers until an
! Orderly was observed to enter our Colo
nels tent with a dispatch. A moment
| later the Colonel appeared and spoke to
those nearest him. Their work stopped.
| Whats the NATTER" inquired others
Marching orders" the reply. Then these
| magical words skipped from lip 10 lip
through the confines Of camp and out into
the wood beyond, where the sound Of chop
ping suddenly ceased.
Bearers of valuable building material,
upon hearing these words, quickly dropped
their loads and walked scornfuly away.
A moment before these words were ut
tered the pOSseSsOr of Il few dozen bricks
| was an object Of envy; u moment after
he was ready to diSciaim the ownership
of such rubbish. The order that was the
caHsc Of depreciation in values of brick
and lumber came from Gen. Thomas that
The 34th Ill. and 10Sth Ohio will report
to Gen. Beatty opposite Chattanooga"
| Two hours later we were on our way, and
marched to the mouth Of Chickamauga
Greek, where we cncamped, a distance of
six miles.
UNDER FIRE FROM LOOKOUT.
We reached Chattanooga Nov. 10 and re-
ported to Gen. Beatty, who assigned the
two regiments of ourdetachment to occupy
Moccasln Point, at the foot of Lookout
Mountain, but separated from it by the
; Tennessee River. Here we found two bat
teries i'll position, which it would be our
duty to protect and also to picket the
bank of the river, the opposite bank be-
ing occupied by the enemy's pickets.
As we approached our attention was di-
rected to threatening object in plain
view-a rebel battery frowning from the
point of Lookout, nearly 1000 feet above
our heads, and occasionally splitting forth
smoke, followed by the whistle and explo-
sion Of shell. We cast upward glances
at our lofty enemy like defenseless chick
ems at a hawk. We were puzzled to know
how we could protect ourselves from mis-
siles which might be dropped as from
| the clouds. One suggested caves, while