Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 32.djvu/254

 242 Southern Historical Society Papers.

of the day, and we were moved across the pike to a position almost exactly in the centre of General Lee's lines. This position we held for the remaining two days of the great battle, doing our part in the terrific artillery duels of both days, losing our gallant Lieutenant Eustace and several privates, and witnessing that grand infantry charge on the third day, which has seldom been equalled and never surpassed in the history of the war. We fired our guns until too hot to hold the hand on them, and then waited and waited and waited until heart-sick at the inexplicable delay in the forward move- ment which we knew was to follow. Oh, how we missed our old commander, " Old Jack," who would so promptly have taken ad- vantage of the enemy's demoralization from the splendid artillery firing. The charge came too late, as we all know now.

As our battery started from Fredericksburg for the Pennsylvania campaign the writer donned, as the best he could get, a pair of old shoes thrown away by one of the boys who had received a new pair from his home nearby. This ancient and holey foot-gear he wore and kept together by diligent care and sundry strings all through that tedious and muddy march. But on that second day they ut- terly refused further service and had to be consigned to shoe ceme- tery, to become food for goats or crumble into the inhospitable Pennsylvania dust. About the same time his caisson was blown up by a shot from the enemy, and along with it went all his rations, which had been tied on this caisson. The melange of external gray with internal blue, resulting from a sense of defeat in battle, a two or three days' hunger (which could have been borne cheerfully if we had won the battle), and utterly bare and very tender feet can better be imagined than described. More rations were obtained on the afternoon of July 5th, but the poor feet had to tough it out till they were carried back to old Virginny.