The Washington herald., 1914-06-09

The washington Herald.)
, embrasure to show it was safe to do SO.
A ball struck him In the eye. A gaping
hole in the back of his head showed
where it passed out.
Risline Life for water.
The weather was very hot, and as the
men lay in the trenches they often suf-
fered for water This had to be brought
from springs and wells In the rear Of the
lines. an operation exceedingly hazard
GUS in places where the canteen bearers
were obliged to cross ground covered by
the Confederate sharpshooters.
Graphic accounts have been written OF
the hazards Of the water carriers, and
none is more striking than that Of Frank
wilkeson in his 'Recollections of Pri-
vate Soldier" The author served In the
Eleventh New York Battery, In the Sec
ond Corps. Near his bsttery's position In
the rear OF the lines was an alder swamp.
in which gushed a cool spring. The
ground between was swept by the enc
my's fire.
The soldiers in the trenches drew lots
to see who should run across this dan
gerous ground with a load Of canteens to
be filled. She chosen man would hang
fifteen or twenty canteens about him.
and. crouching low in the rifle pit would
give a. great jump and run at the top Of
his speed. Every Confederate sharp
shooter within range fired at him. Secur-
ing the water. the men would return In
face of their fire.
One day two soldiers from Albany
started together to carry back their bur-
den of canteens. One OF them was struck,
and fell.
Instantly he began to dig little hol-
low with his hands in the sandy soil.
and instantly the Confederate sharp
shooters went to work at him." writes
Wilkeson. The dust few up on one
side of him and then on the other The
wounded soldier kept scraping his little
protecting trench in the sand. We called
to him. He answered that his leg was
broken below the knee by a rife ball.
From the rifle pits. We heard his COM
rades call to him to take of his burden
Of canteens to tie their strings together
and set them to one side. He did soy
and then the thirsty men in the pits
drew lots to see who would risk his lifd
for the water. A soldier sprang out Of
the rifle pits. Running obliquely. he
stopped as he passed the canteens,
grasped the strings, turned and in a fash
was safe.
Looking through the embrasure, l saw
the dust rise in many little puffs around
the wounded man, who was still digging
his little trench. l noted in| the rife
pits a conspicuous man who was marked
with a goitre, and recognized him as
the comrade of the stricken soldier. He
called to his disabled friend. saying that
he was coming for him.
The hero left the rife pit on the run.
The wounded man rose up and stood on
,ne foot. The runner clasped him in his
arms; the arms of the wounded man |
we're twined about his neck and he was |
,arried into our battery at full speed. |
md was hurried to the rear and to the |
hospital" ..- !
A "sIusfcaI Duel"
Life in the trenches was not without |
is brighter side. for tears and smiles |
ningle in war as in peace. There was
Utmost as much rivalry among the mu- |
cians of the two armies as among the |
Usually toward evening a band could |
,e heard striking up a stirring air and |
hen others at different points in the two
ines. Then the sharpshooting ceased for
time and the rival bands OF the two
rmies engaged in a kind of musicians
uel.
The Star spangled Banner from the
federal side would bring out The
3onny. Blue Flag" from the Confederate.
While America was matched with MY
iaryland.
Once" says the historian Of the
'wentieth Massachusetts, Infantry
when Old John Brown was being
-iven with much vigor and snap. the
ival concert ceased and twenty cannons
Numbered In answer to the insolent
ong'
Tomorrow: Forrest Defeats Fed
raj Cavalry.