Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1908-07-09

which be had got himself for the &C.
casion. IN fact, he was disappointed,
provoked He said that, since he had
brought himself into the mental con-
dition TO storm the enemy on that
mountain he wanted TO do SO; that
it was mighty hard work to get up
the courage, and he did not like to
feel that the effort was wasted. Yet
McVey was forced to quiet down and
forego a fight that day SO far as l
was concerned, the disappointment
did not disturb me much.
The week or ten days we spent at
Brush Mountain were though within
| easy range of the cannon at the top
Of the mountain opposite, not alto
gether unpleasant. The weather had
come to be fine, and in our elevated
camp We had fresh air. Our duties
were not so arduous as they had been
in front Of Big Shanty and we rested.
Our position was a little below, and
in plain sight of the troops on Big
eants over there call the roll and hear
the men answer to their names. Their
band music came across to Us mel
lowed by the distance and sweet in
tone and harmony. One of our bands
would play The Star-Spangled Ban
ner' and theirs would reply with
The Bonny Blue Flag; and so on
with other faVorites. We'd cheer our
music and they'd hurrah for theirs.
One day some officers of our regi-
ment spread a big flag over some
poles on tall crotches and had their
dinner table set under it. 1t was a
cool place and pretty in which to
dine, and they sat down with no little
satisfaction,-four of them, one on
each side of the table. In the mean
| time, some gunner up on the mountain
! top caught sight of their dining hall
Of stars and stripes, and, just as the
officers began to eat, sent his respects
to them in the form of three or four
Well-aimed cannon balls, in quick sue
cession. 1t was worth a cup of good
hot coffee to see those shoulder
straps radiate from the table, each to-
ward his own point Of the compass.
They did not stop till they were
a good way off AS for the rest
Of US, We scampered fe~ our line of
works, standing not at all upon the
order of our going. Only four or five
shots we're fired, yet we lay close to
| the ground for a good half hour before
venturing forth again. No harm had
been done, except that one Of the
balls cut off the hind feet of the old
| cream cOlored mule so long ridden by
our wagon-master, Bill Jordan. The
poor old fellow jumped up and tried
to stand on the stumps, but he was
soon shot TO put him ut of his misery.
He had been a faithful old soldier
for the union and We felt sad at his
untimeIy taking off.
Our railroad builders were busy all
this time. The confederates had
torn up the track and burned bridges
most of the way from Chattanooga to
Marietta, near the foot of Kenesaw
Mountain. One day we were made
happy by the sound of a locomotive to
the north of US. By this we knew that
ratioHs could be the more easily got
to us. 1t was while We were on Brush
Mountain that track laying was COM
pleted clear down to our lines. One
evening about shutdown we heard a
train approaching. 1t was coming
down TO greet the Johnnies on the
mountain over against US. The roll
ing Of the trucks over the rather
rough road awoke the echoes among
the hills, and the boys all along re-
echoed a hearty welcome. Nearer and
nearer it came, footing and footing
as if to say to every regiment along
the track: ''HOwdy boys, howdy." 1t
came laundering along until it came
to a stand stiM just under the brow
of Old Kenesaw close to the rebel
lines. Here it began 10 foot its res
poets TO the Johnnies on the hill.
There were short toots and long tQots
straight toots and crooked, plain
toOts and fancy-and various other
kinds of toots, until it seemed as if
the echoes beaUrg back and forth be
, tween Brush Mountain and Kenesaw
would surely shake the rocks loose.
| All the fellows on our side footed a
| lusty accompaniment, and so, take il
altogether, there was some noise.
But the fellows over across kept still.
To them the footing of the iron horse
seemed fraught with tokens of evil.
In the gathering dusk the engineer
| backed his triumphant engine slowly
tho vpaY, IF 04r,- poOonC
Both our picket posts and those of
the enemy were deep down in the val
ley between two hills and they were
very close together. We could not,
with any degree OF safety, reach ours
/ in daylight, so had to go to them af-
ter dark, and then return the follow
ing evening. When once in the pits
We had TO keep shady, for the sight
Of cap above the works would be
sure to bring a shower of lead. Some
Of US had narrow escapes while on
duty there, yet none were hit.
One Of the inconvenience, for
4 some Of our men, of campaig ning clear
in the front was the scarcity Of to-
| bacco. Our army suttler was not with
1 US for the purpose Of shedding his
| blood for his country, so he kept his
| shop at a tolerably safe distance from
| danger. When he could not be found,
/ there was apt to be a tobacco famine.
/ There was such a famine in our camp
in front Of Kenesaw, and it was anus