The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-01-15

| sct ne Tuiuocdteu WOrkS tOOkeO tS
| if they had not been occupied for weeks,
| instead of hours. All was abandonment,
desolation. sickening solitude and dreary
waste. The breastworks were running
| back to the earth again under the beating
rain. in torrents of yellow slime. The
bastions were pools Of mud, the roads
bitches. the parade grounds sheets Of
mire. Only things broken and ruined in
the battles Of the day before were left
behind. Everything worth taking was
| gone.
| The rebels were too far away by this
time for pursuit. and making his way over
to the plank road. 81 came to a shack
which had been put up to shelter some
officers, likely the curIed darlings Of
Charleston society, who were in Rhett's
Brigade of heavy artillery. which had
been defending the works. ST went on to
the farther edge of the HILL took a look
across the valley. and then decided to re-
turn to the shack, halt, feed. and get
breakfast.
| The sound of cheering came duly
through the wet blankets of rain. as regi-
ment after regiment plodded through the
mud over the deserted works.
As the boys finished their breakfast.
lighted their pipes. and stood around de-
batting what should be the next move, still
louder cheering came from down the
| plank road.
"Old Billy must be coming up out there,
from the way the boys are yelling" re.
marked Shorty.
THAT'S what he is" answered 81.
There he comes now" he continued,
pointing with his pipe-stem to where q
group OF horsemen were dashing through
the showers around q bend in the road.
At their head, and considerably in ad-
vance of the others. squirting forward i'm
patiently, was the well-known form Of
the General-in- Chief-tall, angular. bend
ing forward, as If he could not get his
horse to go on fast enough. Behind him
rode his hard-worked staff. and the sleI.
der. schoriarly-looking Maj.-Gen. Slocum,
the Commander of the Left Wing.
| 81 lined the boys up in the rain. to re-
ceive the distinguished Corners in proper
form.
Hello, Sergeant" said Gen. Sherman,
springing from his horse and walking un-
der the shelter of the shack to the fire,
and giving the chunks an impatient kick,
to bunch them closer together. How far
out this road have you been?"
Only little ways, General" replied
81 saluting. "Went far enough to SEQ
across the valley to TIE highland on the
other side. Nothing over there-nobody
moving. Then we came back here to get
breakfast and wait for orders"
| every good. Very good. Hardee's far
enough off by this time. Devil Of night
march that for his men, though. Here,
men, rouse up this FIRE. There's some fat
pine lying over there. Go over and get
| it and pile 1t on"
This was Sherman's way. He always
wanted to take charge Of everything in
sight, wherever he was, and give direc-
| tons and orders about everything. from
the boiling of cup Of coffee by some pri-
| vate to the manuver of a brigade by q
| General. Nothing escaped his eye, nor
suggestion that it could be done better
| than it was being.
The boys jumped around. and gathered
| up every bit of dead wood in sight.
"a FIRE big enough to warm a Sergeant
| and Corpofals ought to be about 20 times
| as big for a couple of Major-Generals."
said Shorty, making for a big pine-log
which formed part of the revetment Of
the works. Here, Abe, catch hold of one
end of that log"
| The two splashed and slipped with the
heavy log, laboring up to the fire.
| 1Here, don't lay it over there. Lay Il
right on" commanded Gen. Sherman.
It'll mash the fire down." Shorty tried
| to say. grunting under the weight.
Lay il right Outright across the fire
| this way" commanded the General with
| sharp imperativeness.
Not in the best of humors-who could
be good-humored such morning-Shorty
brought his end around until the log was
over the center of the fire, and dropped it.
1t fell with crushing weight on the pile
| Of blazing fagots, sending them flying in
every direction.
"Confound it, didn't tell you to throw
it on. but lay it en-" exclaimed Gen Sher-
| man, hopping around with the rest to
avoid the frebrands. 'Why didn't you
| lay it on gently!"
''That log amt no feather" said Shor-
| ty, moving away, sullenly.
81 and the rest FASTENED to smooth
| things over by picking up the scattered
chunks. rebuilding the fire, and piling on
| rine-knots.
'Stay here. Sergeant" said Gen. Sher.
man, as 81 moved to respectful distance.
81 may have use for you. | remember
you. You're from Indiana-belong to the
"We belong to the 2OOth Injianny Vol
unteer Infantry" said 81 proudly. draw.
ing. himself up to the position of soldier
and saluting.
Eyes. yes. I know; Col. McGilicuddy's
regiment. Splendid fellows, all Of you.
Stay right there few minutes"
''Slocum, this is all right" he continued
| triumphantly. to the Commander Of the
Left Wing. ''Hardee's thrown up tho
sponge, and is making all speed back to
join Johnston. for the defense of Raj
eigh. We won't see anything more Of
him until we get near Raleigh. By that
time wen have Schofield and Terry with
US. and it won't matter how many John
ston may have with him. This clears our
road to Goldsboro. where Wen meet Soho
field and Terry. You send one division
up toward Averasboro. to make Hardee
believe we are pursuing him, and turn
the others up this road toward Goldsboro.
I'll send orders to Fitzpatrick to follow on
after Hardee, and hang on to him. I'll
go across the country to join Howard,
and hurry forward the junction with the
others at Goldsboro. I'll be with How
ard till we get to Goldsboro. Push things
along. but keep well-closed up Let your
division come back. and after it reaches
Averasboro, and follow along after the
others. Here, Sergeant, I want you to
take this note to Gen. Fitzpatrick Find
him as soon as you can. He's somewhere
out there in that direction. Give it per.
sonally into his hands, and report the fact
to Gen. Slocum."
Taking his letter book from his inside
pocket he hastily wrote note to the Gen.
eral, with which 81 went off into the
drenched woods followed by the others.
To be continued)
SENATOR MLAURIN, of Mississippi,
proposes a couple of startling amend
ments to the Military Bill. The first is
that any officer ordering a private to per-
form any service for his or any other
officers benefit shall be cashiered, and