The National tribune., 1903-03-05

deriDg like specters amid the reeking
smoke of the lurid fires, with compressed
lips that pain would frequently force open
i'll distressing groans.
Far to the northeast stretched the fires
OF hundreds of camps in long GORDON
which Sherman was drawing about John
ston.
II am frightfully worried over the situa-
tion," the Surgeon confided to the Colonel
i'll low tone, so as to be out of hearing
of those around him. 1--WE have done all
that is possible for these poor men with
our present means. Everything in our
hospital stores is exhausted, or nearly so,
while Johnston still blocks the road to any
fresh supplies. We can get nothing short
of GoldsbGro, and between us and Colds
boro is Johnston's whole army. 1t may be
that the whole Confederacy is over there,
Lee having abandoned Richmond and join
ed his army to .Johnston's. If so. and we
are defeated. or even checked for several
days, many hundred of these poor men will
die. Their lives can not be saved. They
can only be saved by getting them into
GoldsbOro, where they can be properly
cared for. and how in the world we can
do it, even if Johnston got out of our way,
l can not see, for the reason that it would
take weeks with our present ambulances
to haul all of the wounded into town. l
am almost despairing when l look upon
the suffering around me, and realize the
impissibility of any immediate relief
BE of good heart, Surgeon answered
the Colonel; Johnston won't stop US long
err than tomorrow, / am sure. An officer
just came by who said that Sherman had
sent through couriers with orders to Scho-
field and Terry to press forward with all
speed to GoldsbOrO and JOhnston's rear;
that they would find little opposition to
their advance, since all of JOhnston's army
is here. They are probably well on to
GoldsborO by this time. and by night will
be in the town, and Johnston will find his
retreat cut off. unless he falls back. By
tonight Sherman will have 100000 men
moving against him, and can take care
of him and Lee too. if Lee should have
come on. Ii Lee pulls nut of Petersburg
Grant will be at his heels every step of
the way, and will probably get here as
soon as Lee does. / look forward to the
great, final battle of the war being fought
tomorrow, # Johnston stands his ground
/ am eager to have part in it. 1t will be
the regret of my life if l DON'T
but think of the good men who have
been killed or disabled in the battles long
ago and have not seen as much as you
have. Colonel" demonstrated the Surgeon
keep quiet. You have had very good
luck, and you ought to thank God for that
VI
Il do thank God that / have been
spared so long," answered the Colonel,
but / am desperately anxious to strike
one more blow and be in at the DEATH
Il fear that you will not, and that l
will have to order you not to stir from
this place for some days YETI" answered
the Surgeon regretfuily. Let the Army
of the Tennessee do something. The Four
teenth Corps took the whole of the fight
yesterday, while the rest escaped. Let
them have show. Don't be so greedy.
You can't expect to put down the rebellion
by yourself"
The Colonel's eyes looked at him re-
proachfully.
All through the night pickering fire
was kept up along the advance line by the
excitable rebels, expecting fresh assaults.
and the nervous UniOnists, fearful that
their enemy should escape them or build
impregnabe works to repel their attacks.
The long-cOming morning at last dawned
gray and red, giving sinister promise of
the renewal of the cruel rain, and pres
emily the low-lying clouds fulfilled the
promise by beginning to. weep slowly and
persistently the dismal drench so Disagree
ably familiar. on the march from Fayette-
vile. The wounded boys on the knoll
rocked little of this. The burning fever
had spread a film over their eyes, and the
sharp, continuous pain left them little
strength to think of aught else. They
would glance, from time to time, through
the showers, to see the regiments and bril-
gades marching across the DOGGY fields
into the dense, damp woods, and hear the
roar of musketry, announcing that they
had struck the rebel line, and would SILVER
at the thought of the death and mutila-
ton that those awful crashes meant; then
their own pains would despotically claim
their attention.
The Colonel watched with eager eyes his
old brigade and division form for the at
tack, and sadly noted the lines so shrunk-
en- from what they had been two days be-
fore. He made half step as if the i'm
pulse to put himself ut the head of his
own regiment was irresistible, then he
staggered, and would have fallen had not
Shorty and the Surgeon caught him.