The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-06-07

fedefate corps numbered more than 20. 900
men. the entire force at our post num-
10 joke about. Men spoke 10 one an
other about the situation and reasoned
about IL. but I'm sentences no longer or
more sensible than those above. Every
cne seemed laboring under a sense OF per-
sonal affront-affront which he was un-
able to resent
We went TO camp. and the enemy went
to fortifying. as we soon afterward
learned when on one reconnaissance or
another I'VE stumbled upon forts and
breastworks where once had been clear
roadway and fields. Weeks afterward We
learned from Richmond papers that Long
street had been I'm our neighborhood for
forage and food for Lees army. Had
General I.ongstreet explained his purpose
10 us when he came, a great lot OF un-
profitable worry might have been spared.
We might even have complimented him
on the wisdom displayed In the selection
OF the territory, for the country round
about us was fertile and well titled and
had not been laid under contribution by
soldiers. except perhaps 10 the extent OF
a few sweet potatoes chickens and tur-
keys. BY driving In our pickets Long
street got possession OF two railroad lines
which gave him free communication, barr
ing the few miles within our lines. be-
tween Richmond and North Carolina.
But none OF these things did General
Longstreet explain TO US. Whatever may
have been his own intentions as he mean
dered from farm TO farm for corn and
bacon his men acted as II they would
like 10 draw forage from the commits
sary department OF our own post and get
anything else the town might hold, our
selves included. II man doesn't want
peaceable intentions msconstrued, he
shouldn't intrust them 10 thousands OF
fellows with guns I'm their hands. Such
men always get things mixed.
or one thing we felt assured-the en-
emy could not cut our line OF retreat,
which also was the route OF our supplies,
for this was over causeways through the
Dismal swamp. a dark. deep, but friend
ly ally, which could have swallowed an
army like Longstreets without more
than whetting its own appetite. The
swamp was not exactly mud. but almost
any part OF II could be turned TO mud In
few minutes by the tramp OF a few
men And such mud A rich. black
ooze Of decayed vegetation. into which,
except I'm midsummer or midwnter, the
foot would sink as into moss, while right
under the surface was a tangle Of roots
which never tired Of playing bootJack for
tire pedestrian. To have ones boot
pulled on without warning Is amazing.
To afterward drag the same boot from
a net full OF ooze into which the other
boot is slowly sinking Is still worse. One
OF Longstreets men got through the
swamp to the railroad track and cap
tured one of our pickets but he admitted
that he was sorry he did It, He had
trouble enough in returning 10 wish he
had only himself to think OF. To get
enough men through to destroy our rail-
road track would have been impossible.
So We could run away II the post be-
came too hot to hold us. and we couldn't
be starved. After thinking this over the
siuation didn't seem so bad as at first.
We wished that General Lee had sent us
cavalry instead of infantry 10 fight. We
were not accustomed 20 meeting infan-
try and might make mistakes Still there
was a chance OF improving our military
education under so able a tutor as Long
street
For the next few days our principal
duty was 10 find out where the enemy
was We always succeeded. We had
only to GO a mile OF two outside our own
lines TO be loudly assured that 1t was
not necessary TO go farther. and the
mounted skirmisherds who dashed IN the
direction of the first shots always saw
gray figures lying down IN shallow rife
pits, with breastworks far I'm the rear.
Sometimes we would take some infantry
with us-enough TO engage the enemy
smartly after we had found them and
lar so far as we troopers were concerned.
near enough to protect the "doughboys"
To sit still and be fired at or even to DE
one else and not be allowed to reply Is the