The National tribune., 1901-07-25

We're up against the works of Sa-
yannah itself now, good and hard said
ST, as he climbed down out of a tall cy-
press, from which he had been taking a
survey of the SteepleS and maStS of Sa-
yannah, now five miles away, and the
country intervening. Its Il regular At
| ianta of a place only worse, for they We
mud and water that sou can't climb over.
| They We got the same old forts, with big
ger guns than ever; the same old works,
! running from here to the Day o JudE-
ment, with slashings Of abatIS till You
| can't rest, and infantry piled in behind
EN- thicser'n hair on Il dogs back and III
| front Of 'em bitches, canals, ponds and
| lakes and mud enough to break the heart
Of anybody but an alligator
Great Jchoscphat,' exclaimed Shorty,
looking at the mIry stretch Immediately
| in front of them. why didn't somebody
| think to start a breed Of wcb-foOtCd men
| for soldering in a country like this? I'm
getting as mOuldy fIom the damp as we
was M there around Tullyhomy.'
Scatter. boys, and lay low, thcy'r go
| ing TO shoot" shouted Pete, coming down
| fIom another cypress, in a tangle of Span
! iSh moss. They've caught sight of us
y big siege gun, Il mile or two away.
doomed, and "A huge shell moaued duly,
as it swept deliberately along just above
! their heads, cutting off large limbs and
] 'niAa''ii fi'CN EASILY IL lllfy Nttf oitii
der sticks of candy. and finally exploding
III a marsh sent up geyser of mud,
water, sticks. roots, small aliisatOrs,
snakes and fish
That's right said Shorty, sardoni-
caily. just because you're mad at some
body, go on and tear up your own old
swamps, and kill the pretty little alliga-
tors, and mOccasins, and other innocent
! ornaments, that haint been doing nothing
TO you. About Us much sense as you
could expect from a rebel"
Struck something here, Sergeant" in
quired Col. McGillicuddy, coming up on
foot. What's the natter Trying to
fight Gi-poUnder, or gunboat, with
your Springfelds"
Looks rs if we'd struck an Atlanty
combination, with Vicksburg trimmings"
said ST. Get up in that cyprus, Colonel,
and take n look. Here, let me lay that
sapling against it, so that you can get up
easy. They won't fire that gun again for
some time"
IN get up in that other one, Colonel.
and watch for them to shoot said Pete.
'All right Pete said the Colonel,
climbing up. Look out for the gun,
while I'm taking general survey"
They're spongfng out the gun, two
men working the rammer," called out
Pete. Now they seem to be working
around the touchhole. Now one man
u
it in the muzzle. Now two men have hold
of the ramIner pushing it down. Now
two men come up, carrying a big shell By
pair of tUngs, with one hand on each
others shoulders. Now they're putting
it in. Now three men have got hold of
the rammer pushing it down. Now Il
man s sticking in the primer, and jump
ing down and running off to the end Of
the string. Now they are all around the
britch of the cannon with handsDikes
slewing it around and aiming it. as an
officer standing behind with a glass mo-
tons his hand. He's on to you. Colonel
He's aiming night for you and sighting
along the gan himself. Better jump, for
that feller's straightening the lanyard"
The Colonel clambered down, just as the
duh boom foated over the dreary swamps
aud the shell cut out n cash in the side
of the tree just above where his feet had
been.
Well" said the Colonel brushing the
shower of bark splinters from MS clothes,
that artillery officer certainly knows his |
business. | never saw SO good a shot
made by big gun before. You couldn't
We done better than that with your rifle |
Sergeant. This means a siege, sure as
you are born. And it's got the ground
work for very tough one. It's what we
have been expecting, though, and now it is |
mere. But our brigade is not to be in the |
line Of inTestment-at least for a while. |
we are 10 move over to the right, to- |
ward place called Kings Bridge, to help |
the Fifteenth Corps open a way to the !
coast. Since we are going to have a
siege the first thing is to get into cOmmuni- |
cation with our vessels, which have orders
to watch for MS all the way from Charles
ton to Florida. / don't imagine they have
any present idea of just where we are
now, for they have had no means Of know
ing what direction we have been taking. |
For all they are likely to know we may
be in South Carolina, or away down to-
ward the Florida line. Several scouts
have been sent down the river in canoes
to make their way to the blockaders, but
we have no idea whether any of them
have got through. Kilpatrick's cavalry
mas gone off away down to a place called
Darien, nearly l0G miles down the coast.
so as to make sure. Gen. Howard seems
TO be even more anxious than anybody
eise' ana talking with him little while
ago, told him | had some men who would
find the feet if they had to wade to the
Gulf Stream for it. He said send them
out by all means. BE further directed
that you go across the Ogeechee, and fol
low its course down to the sea, or to Ossa-
baw Sound, which it runs into. You will
get as near as you can to Fort McAlIster
which IS at its mouth, on the right hand
side of the river, because some of our yes
sels are sure to be near there, watching
FOR blockade runners. You viii listen for
the guns of the ships, and when you hear
them try to make your way to them. The
AdJutant will give you small flag to use
IN signaling our ships when you come in
sight Of them. The main thing will be for
you TO tell the feet that we are here. Then
report with all possible speed to Gen,
Howard. l hope you'll bring the first news
and beat the cavalry"
If we don't get to the ships before
the cavalry, Colonel, it's because we're
drowned trying" said Shorty. And we're
all mighty good swimmers. I've swum the
Mississippi over and back again without
resting"
We'll, goodbye and good luck to you"
said the Colonel.
Say. you just beat that cavalry. and
you'll tickle the old man to DEATH" said
the Adjutant, as he handed 81 the flag
There's been a good deal of chipnInp
around headquarters, over the matter, and
the Col0nePs been giving them n very CAV
note on his bazoo as to what you could do.
If you don't see the ships when you strike
the shore, wade out few miles and look
for them. They are out there somewhere.
between Baltimore and Key West and
you can't miss them if you go far enough"
Wen find the ships IL we have to
charter an alligator to tow rs ont to
them," promised Shorty, while 81 was fas-
tening the flag ON to his saddIe-bow. and
the boys were dividing up the extra rations
of coffee, sugar and salt issued to them.
You cant miss your way" said the
Adjutant, showing 81 and Shorty a man
'Al you've got to do Is TO keen rigbt ,