CHAP. XII—HUNDRED DAYS' BATTLES.
ROCKY FACE RIDGE.
When I got back to Dalton, I found the Yankee army advancing; they were at Rocky Face Ridge. Now, for Old Joe's generalship. We have seen him in camp, now we will see him in action. We are marched to meet the enemy; we occupy Turner's Gap at Tunnel Hill. Now, come on Mister Yank—we are keen for an engagement. It is like a picnic; the soldiers are ruddy and fat, and strong; whoop! whoop! hurrah! come on, Mr. Yank. We form line of battle on top of Rocky Face Ridge, and here we are face to face with the enemy. Why don't you unbottle your thunderbolts and dash us to pieces? Ha! here it comes; the boom of cannon and the bursting of a shell in our midst. Ha! ha! give us another blizzard! Boom! boom! That's all right, you ain't hurting nothing.
"Hold on, boys," says a sharpshooter, armed with a Whitworth gun, "I'll stop that racket. Wait until I see her smoke again." Boom! boom! the keen crack of the Whitworth rings upon the frosty morning air; the cannoneers are seen to lie down; something is going on. "Yes, yonder is a fellow being carried off on a litter." Bang! bang! goes the Whitworth, and the battery in seen to limber to the rear, What next! a yell! What does this yell mean? A charge right up the hill, and a little sharp skirmish for a few moments, We can see the Yankee line. They are resting on their arms. The valley below is full of blue coats, but a little too far off to do any execution.
Old Joe walks along the line. He happens to see the blue coats in the valley, in plain view. Company H is ordered to fire on them. We take deliberate aim and fire a solid volley of minnie balls into their midst. We see a terrible comsplutterment among them, and know that we have killed and wounded several of Sherman's incendiaries. They seem to get mad at
