The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-03-14

mimic contest the deadly struggle go.
ing on to the right and laughed as if II
the barn at home.
Don't go TO Sleep boys! They'll bt
here soon" The captains warning was
called out by the gradual cessation OF
the artillery fire over the river. Mean
while the guns on Snodgrass hill were
so silent as to lead some of the men to
fear the ammunition was exhausted.
"Wait, boys, till the Johnnies show
up, and you'll see Pap Thomas amt the
man to keep guns to the front unless
| he's got powder fodder to feed en-
said grimy sergeant beside the two
card players, who were now blowing the
dast from the hind sights of their rifles.
After an anxious wait and a sigh of
| relief at the failure Of the enemy to try
the red experiment again, the captain
sat UP and said to his lieutenant s
II think, Burton, the worst is over for
to-day. Thank God, the sun will be
down soon!'
HE looks red enough to have washed
In the Chickamauga. Hello! What's
up in the woods out there?" asked Bur
ton.
II see nothing unusual" said the cap
tain.
Since the failure of the last charge on
the center the enemy had been keeping
up close and persistent attack on the
right. From this point came the inces-
SAINT roar and ring of cannon and rifle,
cutting through which yells and defiant
cheers could be heard. Across the
front cottony heaps OF powder smoke
rolled, growing luminous and crimsoned
as If being blood dyed.
Cant you see the black smoke
blending with the white over there?"
And the Lieutenant pointed to the woods
in front.
Yes; but what Of it?"
you know what 1t means"
Like all smoke, it means fire."
laughed the captain,
That's It, 1t means the woods are
on fire. They are as dry as punk
Just think OF 1t, CAPT"
II think we have in all our wounded.
What matters 1t to the dead?"
Nothing, cap; but the enemy! My
God! There are at least two hundred
wounded men in gray along the edge Of
that timber! Look at that splintered
oak about a hundred yards to the
right"
II see it, and I've noticed through
my glass that there is young officer
lying wounded at the foot. He'll crawl
in If the fire comes near him." said the
captain as he scratched a match on his
rusty sword scabbard and lit his pipe.
A few minutes and mourning wreaths
of black smoke draped about the barked
trees and drifted across the face Of the
setting sun, hurrying the night.
Tongues Of flames Kissed out from the
earth. Snakes of flame licked up the
powder dry leaves and coiled up the
shot ridded black jacks To the right
and left and back and forth the fire fell
and rose and roa-ed in red rage under
the whip Of the increasing wind Now
and then a shell hurled over from
Bragg's center and burst before or on
Thomas hill.
If Lieutenant Burton had said, This
Is hell" he would have been nearer the
truth than at first. Now many men
said III and all thought 1t.
'They amt a-comingn
"They got enough last time
"Longstreet's found; he's out west
nown'
WELL his crowd are good fighters"
mot a bit better'n Bragg's!'' shout
ed a Mssourian, who was known to
have q contempt for the eastern men on
both Sides
Meanwhile unmistakable cries for
help and shrieks of agony came from
the heart Of the conflagration. A horse,
with helpless hind legs, drew himself to
the edge of the timber and with his fore
legs paving at the ground in front he
looked appealingly at the line of heads
above the breastworks.
"Shoot him, Dixonl Shoot hin1!''
cried the captain. One Of the young
,ard players threw his rifle over the top
og. He had often hit postage stamp
1ffhand at that distance. A flash, q
rack, and the poor creatures head fell
forward But such methods could not
De used on the men staggering out Of |
HE blazing jungle. Nearly all these
we're in gray. Helpless they lay In the |
woods, praying for night and the COM
ng OF, friends, but their only hope now |
vas to reach the lines Of the enemy. |
some hobbled out, using muskets as |
others, with worse shattered |
limbs, dragged themselves slowly along |
III back or face. A few, stung to mo-
nentary strength ran and reeled to the
works., shouting as each fell Don't
Ire! I surrender These were carried
inside where they cried piteously for
vater On that part Of the line the
ury of two days of unsurpassed strug-
lie and carnage was forgotten for the
line. Had the charging enemy APP
as was expected shortly before,
he third rifles and veterans to the right
md left would have set their teeth and
ejoiced in the death they wrought
Familiarity with suffering intenslfies ,
he sympathies of the true soldier, and /,
he gaunt, bronzed defenders Of Snod-
rass hill were of this class. The hate
( years was burned out by these roar
1g, dancing flames. and, uncaring for
he color of the uniform, an awful anx-
,ty for the men In the furnace took it's
lace. Nearly every man dropped OUT
lde the breastwork and these the RI
es, unheeding the still crashing trees,
arried in. Lieutenant Burton was the
1ost active in this work. He was
bout to pick up a young soldier with
lnged black hair and a splintered
nee when the man cried out:
Don't mind Inc, but for Gods sake
ave the major!"
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