The National tribune., 1910-03-10

seemed to siclsen at the horrors wit
messed since first he rose in the East,
and to hasten to put the Blue Ridge
between him and its awfulness. Night
came on quickly, for the heavy breath
of the muskets and cannon hung around
the somber pines and oaks and the
trailing, poisonous vines. The dense
smoke rising from the burning breast
works and the raging fires of the Woods'
mingled with the choking. sulphurous
vapor to deepen the twilight and smut
out the stars and the moon.
In the three-quarters of mile oe-
tween the two lines, over which had
surged all day long hosts of men in the
frenzy of assault and the trepidation OF
retreat, the trees had been torn by the
hurtling shells. receiving the savage
pruning of bullet and cannon. and the
virginia. Spring flowers, the starry dog
wood blossoms, the aZaleas, the violets
and the white hanging flowers or the
huckleberry bushes were torn ana
blackened by the cartridges fiery breath,
while the underground was trampied py
tens of thousands of madly rushing feet
Where the fire ragged the wounded were
burning to death. with everywhere still
forms. awful In their immobile rigidity,
awful In their sightless eyes turned up to
Heaven, but who cared no more where
blasting fires ran or the vengeful bullet
shrieked.
The land might run red with other
battles. the ground shake with mighty
assaults and the crashing of cannon, but
they were at peace. a peace that passed
even the calm of the vernal woods be-
fore the entering armies became demons
of destruction. 1t was the sacred peace
of Eternity, to be broken only on Res ar
rection Morn.
Around the Campfres.
Inexpressibly weary. weary with
slaughter, weary with the wild frenzy
of assault, weary with the swelling of
their hearts to near bursting. as one
supreme effort followed another, weary
with the rapid alienation of victory
and defeat, with faces powder-b black
ened and throats scared with burning
thirst, the men of the Army of the Po-
tomac gathered around their little
campfires TO boil their coffee and MUNICH
their hardtack and pork. They were
too stunned by the awful events of the
day now to gossip as usual and COM
pare notes. They would do this later
on. Later, when the awful shocks had
lost something of their deadening ef-
feet, they would gather in little groups
and get from each other correct idea
of the battle.
There was hardly yet time for sad
ness for the loss of comrades whose
touch of elbow would be felt no more
| for the brave boys who had lined ut
with them at Antietam, at Fredericks-
burg, at Charlottesville, at Gettysburg
| and who were now mustered out for
ever. The bitterness of their loss would
come in after days, when they would be
seen no more around camp or in drill
and when the Orderly-Sergeant, calling
the roll by rote, would forgetfully cal
out names to which there could be nc
answer In the unutterably exhausted
brains of the men there was now room
| for only one thought-wonder what thu
next step would be.
! They recalled with the bitterness o.
unappreciatcd endeavor the three pre-
vious eventful times when they -hat
crossed the fateful line of the Kappa
hammock to the useless waste of life o.
Fredericksburg. to the humiliating de-
feat at Charlottesville. to the abortive
Mine Run Was all this terrific fighting
and slaughter to end again in retreat tt
the further side of the Rapidan? Hat
| they really gained anything in those
| two awful days?
With this question tormenting theil
brains they sank into slumber behin'
their rude defenses, and the stars looked
down upon them in plying sympathy
as if to say: BE patient, be patient
men IN blue. wait just little ioHseI
All has not been in vain. The end il
close at hand" And the answer CAM
lin the morning. when they were awak
ened by the thrilling order that the bri
gades, divisions and corps would con
time their march by the left flank.
The dullest of them saw that thi
meant on toward Richmond, and spon
taneous cheers sprang from the throat
of all as the news passed along the line
and the enemy, in their works beyond
Ihoaring<it, were startled into eXpecta
ton of fresh assault.
| (To be continued.)