The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1913-01-10
oaAprEa xxII.

49, - "a ~
I'M patfls Ii The ehsnandosh. "
E4o me II has always seemed 70
Nffknbie that after ~ my other bat
a. experienced -Antietam. 0sttys-
vtfg. the Wilderness. 'ayi even In
Guiding that first fierce baptism Of
fIr9 ~ hfanas3ab no action IN which
Fever participated should remain 80
4,1Arly photographed upon memory a.
an last desperate struggle for su-
IF9macy In the Shenandoah. Every
minute detail OF the conflict, at
Ieagt % far Is ! CHANGED to be .
Dersonai participant. rises before me
- ! write. and doubt not / could
tree to-day each step taken upon that
stricken field,
The reveille had not sounded whom
4 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-banks which, hanging dank
and low, obscured the valley. The
tired men OF my troop were yet lying
upon the ground. wrapped tightly in
thoir blankets. yoblivious Of the deadly
vofk before them; bnt could hear
th4 horses already moving uneasily at
their picket-ropeS. and observed here
~ there the chilled figure Of sentry
l.aning upon HIS gun, oddly distorted
n form By the envsioping mist
Directly IN advancs Of where We
t>9ted. along I'm sloped gently up
vnrd for perhaps . hundred yards. IT.
eern topped with q THICK growth Of
soong aktress. ut seemingly devoid
a. upderbrush. No troops were
clnped In cur immediate front. and
f.oling curious 10 ascsrtain something
q our formation. - well a. 10 en-
e11ine the iny ~ the land between W
end he position occupied By tho
oAbmy. I walked slowly forward. un-
nlAdsred. until ] attained tho crest
H. f5g yst held the .sscrets Of the
v1Iley safely locked within IT. brown
nand. and !. could psnetrate none Of
m mysteries. Il was like gazing
down from soms headland into a 81
lent. unveEcd SEA. nut directly across
from where | stood. apparently along
the summit Of another chain Of low
hills similar 20 those We occupied, I
could perceive the flames Of numerous
camp-fires leaping up into sudden
radiance, while against the brighten
Ing sky great flag. iazily. Tapped. Its
folds to the freshening breeze. Evi-
IDENTIFY our opponents were first astir.
and the headquarters Of some division
Of tho enemy must be across yonder.
A ] gazed. other fires burst forth to
left and right. as far as the unaided
ere could carry through the gloom.
and was thus enabled to trace dis
tinctiy those advanced lines opposing
a., Experience told me their position
must be strong one. and their force
heavy. s,ss.s nsst..s f,
Aides were galloping furiously now
among the scattered commands. The
'obscuring fog slowly rose from off
the fnoe. OF the valley. but all the
central portion remained yelled from
vieY. suddenly, AZ watched. the
brown cloud beneath me was rent
asunder here and thsre By little splits
Of fire. and II was curious to OBJ
aprvo how those quick spiteful darts
Of flams swept the full length Of my
vista. could distinguish no reports.
1T was too far avay.--but realised
that the opposing pickets had caught
sight % oach other through the gloom.
Then big gun DOOMED almost direct
" opposite me, IT, flame seeming like
. rsd-hot knife rending the mist This
he'd barely vanished when . sudden
cheer rang out upon my left. and I
turned IN time TO behold thin, scat
tsred line Of gray-clad infantrymen
swarm down the steep slope into the
valley. with hats drawn low. and
guns advanced, they plunged at
run into the mist and disappeared.
Our skirmishers had gone in; the ball
had opsned. lTr
had tarried long enough; any
moment now might bring boots and
saddles." and II possessed the slight