andersonville-第44部分

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We　took　our　position　just　on　the　brow　of　a　hill；　and　were　ordered　to　lie
down；　and　the　rear　rank　to　go　for　rails；　which　we　discovered　a　few　rods
behind　us　in　the　shape　of　a　good　ten…rail　fence。　　Every　rear…rank　chap
came　back　with　all　the　rails　he　could　lug；　and　we　barely　had　time　to　lay
them　down　in　front　of　us；　forming　a　little　barricade　of　six　to　eight　or
ten　inches　high；　when　we　heard　the　most　unearthly　Rebel　yell　directly　in
front　of　us。　　It　grew　louder　and　came　nearer　and　nearer；　until　we　could
see　a　solid　line　of　the　gray　coats　coming　out　of　the　woods　and　down　the
opposite　slope；　their　battle　flags　flying；　officers　in　front　with　drawn
swords；　arms　at　right　shoulder；　and　every　one　of　them　yelling　like　so
many　Sioux　Indians。　　The　line　seemed　to　be　massed　six　or　eight　ranks
deep；　followed　closely　by　the　second　line；　and　that　by　the　third；　each；
if　possible；　yelling　louder　and　appearing　more　desperately　reckless　than
the　one　ahead。　　At　their　first　appearance　we　opened　on　them；　and　so　did
the　bully　old　twenty…four…pounders；　with　canister。

〃On　they　came；　the　first　line　staggered　and　wavered　back　on　to　the
second；　which　was　coming　on　the　double　quick。　　Such　a　raking　as　we　did
give　them。　　Oh；　Lordy；　how　we　did　wish　that　we　had　the　breech　loading
Spencers　or　Winchesters。　　But　we　had　the　old　reliable　Springfields；　and
we　poured　it　in　hot　and　heavy。　　By　the　time　the　charging　column　got　down
the　opposite　slope；　and　were　struggling　through　the　thicket　of
undergrowth　in　the　ravine；　they　were　one　confused　mass　of　officers　and
men；　the　three　lines　now　forming　one　solid　column；　which　made　several
desperate　efforts　to　rush　up　to　the　top　of　the　hill　where　we　were
punishing　them　so。　　One　of　their　first　surges　came　mighty　near　going
right　over　the　left　of　our　Regiment；　as　they　were　lying　down　behind　their
little　rail　piles。　　But　the　boys　clubbed　their　guns　and　the　officers　used
their　revolvers　and　swords　and　drove　them　back　down　the　hill。

〃The　Seventy…Eighth　and　Twentieth　Ohio；　our　right　and　left　bowers；　who
had　been　brigaded　with　us　ever　since　'Shiloh；'　were　into　it　as　hot　and
heavy　as　we　had　been；　and　had　lost　numbers　of　their　officers　and　men；　but
were　hanging　on　to　their　little　rail　piles　when　the　fight　was　over。
At　one　time　the　Rebs　were　right　in　on　top　of　the　Seventy…Eighth。　　One　big
Reb　grabbed　their　colors；　and　tried　to　pull　them　out　of　the　hands　of　the
color…bearer。　　But　old　Captain　Orr；　a　little；　short；　dried…up　fellow；
about　sixty　years　old；　struck　him　with　his　sword　across　the　back　of　the
neck；　and　killed　him　deader　than　a　mackerel；　right　in　his　tracks。

〃It　was　now　getting　dark；　and　the　Johnnies　concluded　they　had　taken　a
bigger　contract　in　trying　to　drive　us　off　that　hill　in　one　day　than　they
had　counted　on；　so　they　quit　charging　on　us；　but　drew　back　under　cover　of
the　woods　and　along　the　old　line　of　works　that　we　had　left；　and　kept　up　a
pecking　away　and　sharp…shooting　at　us　all　night　long。　　They　opened　fire
on　us　from　a　number　of　pieces　of　artillery　from　the　front；　from　the　left；
and　from　some　heavy　guns　away　over　to　the　right　of　us；　in　the　main　works
around　Atlanta。

〃We　did　not　fool　away　much　time　that　night；　either。　　We　got　our　shovels
and　picks；　and　while　part　of　us　were　sharpshooting　and　trying　to　keep　the
Rebels　from　working　up　too　close　to　us；　the　rest　of　the　boys　were　putting
up　some　good　solid　earthworks　right　where　our　rail　piles　had　been；　and　by
morning　we　were　in　splendid　shape　to　have　received　our　friends；　no　matter
which　way　they　had　come　at　us；　for　they　kept　up　such　an　all…fired
shelling　of　us　from　so　many　different　directions；　that　the　boys　had　built
traverses　and　bomb…proofs　at　all　sorts　of　angles　and　in　all　directions。

〃There　was　one　point　off　to　our　right；　a　few　rods　up　along　our　old　line
of　works　where　there　was　a　crowd　of　Rebel　sharpshooters　that　annoyed　us
more　than　all　the　rest；　by　their　constant　firing　at　us　through　the　night。
They　killed　one　of　Company　H's　boys；　and　wounded　several　others。　　Finally
Captain　Williams；　of　D　Company；　came　along　and　said　he　wanted　a　couple　of
good　shots　out　of　our　company　to　go　with　him；　so　I　went　for　one。　　He　took
about　ten　of　us；　and　we　crawled　down　into　the　ravine　in　front　of　where　we
were　building　the　works；　and　got　behind　a　large　fallen　tree；　and　we　laid
there　and　could　just　fire　right　up　into　the　rear　of　those　fellows　as　they
lay　behind　a　traverse　extending　back　from　our　old　line　of　works。　　It　was
so　dark　we　could　only　see　where　to　fire　by　the　flash　of　guns；　but　every
time　they　would　shoot；　some　of　us　would　let　them　have　one。　　They　staid
there　until　almost　daylight；　when　they；　concluded　as　things　looked；　since
we　were　going　to　stay；　they　had　better　be　going。

〃It　was　an　awful　night。　　Down　in　the　ravine　below　us　lay　hundreds　of
killed　and　wounded　Rebels；　groaning　and　crying　aloud　for　water　and　for
help。　　We　did　do　what　we　could　for　those　right　around　usbut　it　was　so
dark；　and　so　many　shell　bursting　and　bullets　flying　around　that　a　fellow
could　not　get　about　much。　　I　tell　you　it　was　pretty　tough　next　morning　to
go　along　to　the　different　companies　of　our　regiment　and　hear　who　were
among　the　killed　and　wounded；　and　to　see　the　long　row　of　graves　that　were
being　dug　to　bury　our　comrades　and　our　officers。　　There　was　the　Captain
of　Company　E；　Nelson　Skeeles；　of　Fulton　County；　O。；　one　ofthe　bravest
and　best　officers　in　the　regiment。　　By　his　side　lay　First　Sergeant
Lesnit；　and　next　were　the　two　great；　powerful　Shepherdscousins　but　more
like　brothers。　　One；　it　seems；　was　killed　while　supporting　the　head　of
the　other；　who　had　just　received　a　death　wound；　thus　dying　in　each
other's　arms。

〃But　I　can't　begin　to　think　or　tell　you　the　names　of　all　the　poor　boys
that　we　laid　away　to　rest　in　their　last；　long　sleep　on　that　gloomy　day。
Our　Major　was　severely　wounded；　and　several　other　officers　had　been　hit
more　or　less　badly。

〃It　was　a　frightful　sight；　though；　to　go　over　the　field　in　front　of　our
works　on　that　morning。　　The　Rebel　dead　and　badly　wounded　laid　where　they
had　fallen。　　The　bottom　and　opposite　side　of　the　ravine　showed　how
destructive　our　fire　and　that　of　the　canister　from　the　howitzers　had
been。　　The　underbrush　was　cut；　slashed；　and　torn　into　shreds；　and　the
larger　trees　were　scarred；　bruised　and　broken　by　the　thousands　of　bullets
and　other　missiles　that　had　been　poured　into　them　from　almost　every
conceivable　direction　during　the　day　before。

〃A　lot　of　us　boys　went　way　over　to　the　left　into　Fuller's　Division　of　the
Sixteenth　Corps；　to　see　how　some　of　our　boys　over　there　had　got　through
the　scrimmage；　for　they　had　about　as　nasty　a　fight　as　any　part　of　the
Army；　and　if　it　had　not　been　for　their　being　just　where　they　were；　I　am
not　sure　but　what　the　old　Seventeenth　Corps　would　have　had　a　different
story　to　tell　now。　　We　found　our　friends　had　been　way　out　by　Decatur；
where　their　brigade　had　got　into　a　pretty　lively　fight　on　their　own　hook。

〃We　got　back　to　camp；　and　the　first　thing　I　knew　I　was　detailed　for
picket　duty；　and　we　were　posted　over　a　few　rods　across　the　ravine　in　our
front。　　We　had　not　been　out　but　a　short　time　when　we　saw　a　flag　of　truce；
borne　by　an　officer；　coming　towards　us。　　We　halted　him；　and　made　him　wait
until　a　report　was　sent　back　to　Corps　headquarters。　　The　Rebel　officer
was　quite　chatty　and　talkative　with　our　picket　officer；　while　waiting。
He　said　he　was　on　General　Cleburne's　staff；　and　that　the　troops　that
charged　us　so　fiercely　the　evening　before　was　Cleburne's　whole　Division；
and　that　after　their　last　repulse；　knowing　the　hill　where　we　were　posted
was　the　most　important　position　along　our　line；　he　felt　that　if　they
would　keep　close　to　us　during　the　night；　and　keep　up　a　show　of　fight；
that　we　would　pull　out　and　abandon　the　hill　before　morning。　　He　said　that
he；　with　about　fifty　of　their　best　men；　had　volunteered　to　keep　up　the
demonstration；　and　it　was　his　party　that　had　occupied　the　traverse　in　our
old　works　the　night　before　and　had　annoyed　us　and　the　Battery　men　by
their　constant　sharpshooting；　which　we　fellows　behind　the　old　tree　had
finally　tired　out。　　He　said　they　staid　until　almost　daylight；　and　that　he
lost　more　than　half　his　men　before　he　left。　　He　also　told　us　that　General
Scott　was　captured　by　their　Division；　at　about　the　time　and　almost　the
same　spot　as　where　General　McPherson　was　killed；　and　that　he　was　not　hurt
or　wounded；　and　was　now　a　prisoner　in　their　hands。

〃Quite　a　lot　of　our；　staff　officers　soon　came　out；　and　as　near　as　we
could　learn　the　Rebels　wanted　a　truce　to　bury　their　dead。　　Our　folks
tried　to　get　up　an　exchange　of　prisoners　that　had　been　taken　by　both
sides　the　day　before；　but　for　some　reason　they　could　not　bring　it　about。
But　the　truce　for　burying　the　dead　was　agreed　to。　　Along　about　dusk　some
of　the　boys　on　my　post　got　to　telling　about　a　lot　of　silver　and　brass
instruments　that　belonged　to　one　of　the　bands　of　the　Fourth　Division；
which　had　been　hung　up　in　some　small　trees　a　little　way　over　in　front　of
where　we　were　when　the　fight　was　going　on　the　day　before；　and　that　when；
a　bullet　would　strike　one　of　the　horns　they　could　hear　it　go　'pin…g'　and
in　a　few　minutes　'pan…g'　would　go　another　bullet　through　one　of　them。

〃A　new　picket　was　just　coming'　on；　and　I　had　picked　up　my　blanket　and
haversack；　and　was　about　ready　to　start　back　to　camp；　when；　thinks　I；
'I'll　just　go　out　there　and　see　about　them　horns。'　　I　told　the　boys　what
I　was　going　to　do。　　They　all　seemed　to　think　it　was　safe　enough；　so　out　I
started。　　I　had　not　gone　more　than　a　hundred　yards；　I　should　think；　when
here　I　found　the　horns　all　hanging　around　on　the　trees　just　as　the　boys
had　described。　　Some　of　them　had　lots　of　bullet　holes　in　them。　　But　I　saw
a　beautiful；　nice　looking　silver　bugle　hanging　off　to　one　side　a　little。
'I　Thinks；'　says　I；　'I'll　just　take　that　little　toot　horn　in　out　of　the…
wet；　and　take　it　back　to　camp。'　I　was　just　reaching　up　after　it　when　I
heard　some　one　say；

'Halt！'　and　I'll　be　dog…Boned　if　there　wasn't　two　of　the　meanest　looking
Rebels；　standing　not　ten　feet　from　me；　with　their　guns　cocked　and　pointed
at　me；　and；　of　course；　I　knew　I　was　a　goner；　they　walked　me　back　about
one　hundred　and　fifty　y