Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1911-12-28
CHAPTER XXI.

S1e eAperlences-Antleta GettyS
burg. the Wilderness, ay! even in
GLIDING that first fierce baptism OF
fire at Manassas-no action in which
ever participated should remain SO
clearly photographed upon memory as
this last desperate struggle for SUI
premacy in the Shenandoah. Every
minute detail of the conflict, at
least so far as 1 CHANGED to be a
personal participant, rises before me
as write, and 1 doubt not l could
trace to-day each step taken upon that
stricken field.
The reveille had not sounded when
first awoke and, rolling from my
blanket, looked about me. Already a
faint, dim line Of gray, heralding the
dawn, was growing clearly defined in
the east, and making manifest those
heavy fog-barks which, hanging dank
and low, obscured the valley The
tired men of my troop were yet lying
upon the ground, wrapped tightly in
their blankets, oblivious of the deadly
work before them; but could hear
the horses already moving uneasily at
their picket-ropes, and observed here
and there the chilled figure Of sentry
leaning upon his gun, oddly distorted
In form by the enveloping mist.
Directly in advance Of. where we
rested, long hill sloped gently up
ward for perhaps hundred yards. its
crest topped with thick growth of
young oak-trees. yet seemingly devoid
Of underbrush. No troops were
camped in our immediate front, and
feeling curious to ascertain something
OF our formation, as we'll as to ex-
anime the lay Of the land between us
and the position occupied by the
enemy, walked slowly forward I'M
hindered, until attained the crest.
The fog yet held the secrets of the
valley safely locked within its brown
hand, and could penetrate none of
dts mysteries. 1t was like gazing
down from some headland into ST.
lent, unvexed sea. But directly across
from where stood, apparently along
che summit of another chain of low
hills similar to those we occupied,
NOuld perceive the flames of numerous
oamp-fires leaping up into sudden
radiance, while against the brighten
hng sky great flag iazily tapped its
folds to the freshening breeze. Evil
DENLY our opponents were first astir,
and the headquarters of some division
iOf the enemy must be across yonder.
As gazed, other fires burst forth to
left and right, as far as the unaided
eye could carry through the gloom,
and I was thus enabled to trace dis.
ltinctly those advanced lines opposing
Ns. Experience told me their position
unjust be strong one, and their force
heavy.
a AS I turned to mark our own forma
Ition, the roll of drums rang out
while the quickening notes Of the
Ireveille sounded down the long lines
of slumbering men. Life returned, as
af by magic, to those motionless forms
and almost in moment all below me
became astir, and I could clearly
distinguish the various branches Of
the service, as they stretched away
commingled upon either hand. We
were evidently stationed close to the
centre of our own position. The in
tervening ground sloped SO gently for
ward, while the hill crest was sc
thickly crowned with trees, it looked
an ideal position from which tc
advance in line of attack. Upon my
right there appeared a break in the
solidity of our line, but even as
noted 1t. wondering at the oversight
the dense front of an infantry column
debouched from ravine and, march
ing steadily forward, filled the gap
] could distinctly mark the wearie6
manner in which the men COMPOSING
At flung themselves PROSTATE on the
hard ground the moment they were
Observation-Disclosures all through the
long hours of the black night they
had been toiling on to be in time.
Aides were galloping furiously now
among the scattered commands. The
obscuring fog slowly rose from of
the face of the valley. but all the
central portion remained yelled from
[vA0W. NuOuOA1J, do WdLCA0Oy Lut
brown cloud beneath me was rent
asunder here and there by little spits
of fire, and it was curious to OBJ
serve how those quick spiteful darts
OF flame swept the full length of my
vista. could distinguish no reports
lit was too far away,-but realized
that the opposing pickets had caught
sight of each other through the gloom
Then big gun doomed almost direct
" opposite me, it's flame seeming like
b red-hot knife rending the mist. This
had barely vanished when sudden
cheer rang out upon my left, and
turned in time to behold thin, scat
tered line of gray-slad infantrymer
swarm down the steep slope into the
valley With hats drawn low, ant
guns advanced. they plunged at {
run into the mist and disappeared
Our skirmishers had gone in; the bal
had opened.
had tarried long enough; any
moment now might bring "boots and
saddles" and II possessed the slight