The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1905-11-02
COVERING TRENCH DIGGERs.
An Entirely Too Neighborly Proximity Il
Very Unneighborly Rebels.

Very Unneighb0rly Rebels.
Editor National Tribune: While the
10Th Wis. was before Atlanta was one
of six detailed from Co. E to relieve
the pickets then on duty. Our picket
line ran along the edge of a field so or
60 rods in width, bordered by more or
less timber. The rebel pickets were To-
Gated on The opposite side. Soon after
relieving the pickets We were ordered
TO deploy as skirmishers and advance
our line. Now, to say that we We're
surprised would be putting it mild. In
fact. W. We're confident that there was
q mistake somewhere, and that the or
der would be countermanded; which
shows how little soldier knows as to
where or when he will be ordered to GO
While we were wondering what it
meant, .'Forward-March,"r rang along
the line. Then, as we faced the whiZ-
ling bullets. we found it was all
dreadful reality and no mistake; but
we supposed that we would be followed
by strong force, and we often glanced
back to SEE how near it might be; but
nc line canie UP TO support us.
We pushed on under a steady fire
and reached the timber, where there
was a fence, the rails of which We piled
up for our protection. boy of my
company while laying up rail was
shot in the wrist; l believe he after
ward lost his arm in consequence. By
some ones blunder the shells from our
own guns were bursting around us all
the time.
While lying as fiat as I could behind
a bunch of brush to shelter me from
the bullets of the enemy in front piece
of a shell that had exploded back of us,
and was nearly spent, came skipping
and jumping over the ground and hit
me painfully on the dubious portion of
my pants. taking my attention from the
front for short time; but the pants
were not injured. Our officers soon got
word back to our batteries, and put a
stop to the danger from that direction.
We were now some 10 rods from
strong line of rebel pickets There was
some brush, but mostly open timber.
some large trees. Our boys made quick
time in getting behind trees, stumps and
anything else that would help stop rebel
bullets. There was q large tree quite
a long way in front ~ our line, and
little too near the enemy to be really
entiCins. but | concluded that it would
be as goOd place as / could find to
carry on InGian warfare, provided
could reach ii in safety. / crawled to
1t. and found it to be an oak about two
feet across with n smaller one growing
from the roots The two We're, l should
judge, four inches apart, a foot and
half from the ground.
The rebel picket posts were in plain
view not more than six rods away, forti-
fed. The smoke from my first shot
brought a dozen or more bullets. but
they struck The tree several feet above
me. As the -rders. were TO keep up
steady fire, would fire between tho
trees, Their drop on my back. load. rise
and fire again, every shot bringing a
shower of balls from the rebels
After using nearly 40 rounds of cart
ridges. / took aim and fired under their
top log, falling back instantly; and only
I'm time to escape ball which cut the
bark where my head had been but a
small fraction of Il second before /
discovered that from the lest they had
got cross-fire on my position, and /
felt anxious about the matter, to say
the least. To cap the climax my am
munition gave out. The only way for
me was to get back to our Iines-if 1
couid-and replenish. i knew that the
trip would be perilous: but there was
fiat to the ground as possible, / snaked
thought myself large man, but while
crawling along through that scanty
grass and heritage it seemed to me nv
form doomed up nightly making a too
conspicuous target for the rebel marks
men. However, / reached the lines in
safety, filled my cartridge-box and eau
tiously retraced my way to a small tree
about halfway to my recent position;
but after drawing the enemy's fire /
found at once that / could not stay
there and keep a whole hide Think
Ing my old oak the best friend / could