muffled roar; and with a rushing sound,
we saw what seemed two lighted tapers mounting upward, describing a
curve through the air, and descending upon the rebel works, followed by
two sharp, ringing explosions. There was a moment's pause, and then
"boo-oom," and again two curves of light were marked along the dark
sky, and the great shells descended upon the rebel works, exploding with
a terrific crash. Still no reply from the rebel guns. Again the mortars
boom out as before; but now, as if by a preconcerted signal, the
batteries for about a mile along the rebel line cut loose at once, a
perfect volley of cannon, all centered on the one point, around which
the shells burst and flashed like a thousand thunderbolts. Not a cannon
replied from our lines; only at intervals, for a while, would growl out
that "boo-oom," and above the flash of bursting shells and flaming
cannon would rise those two little points of light, curving slowly
upward and then down, with a seeming deliberation that contrasted oddly
with the whirl and bustle below. This continued a few minutes, and the
"boo-oom" ceased. The little mortar-battery was "knocked out of time."
Then there arose along our line a great "ha-ha"--an army laughing. Such
was the spirit in which the men had watched this unequal combat. But the
laugh quickly changed to a cheer, and a hundred cannon roared out their
savage thunder from either line. Gradually the noise of strife died
away, and an hour later the army slept.

As before noted, our rifle-pits extended along a sandy ridge, the ground
open in front, sloping downward to the railroad. On our right the ground
was somewhat rough and broken; but immediately in front, at the
railroad, the ground rose abruptly for several feet, and then sloped
gradually upward toward the rebel works. Toward the left of this point,
the abrupt rise disappeared; but in general, the rebel works crowned
elevated ground beyond, and the entrenched picket-lines of the two
armies were in the open ground between the railroad and the rebel
entrenchments. On the right, as you would go down from our trenches to
the road, a kind of ravine extended toward the rebel works, and was
commanded by their rifles. A large and well-manned picket-pit was
established at its head, from which they sent their bullets hissing down
almost without hindrance.

On the afternoon of June 19th, I think it was, word came in from our
picket-line that ammunition was running short, and