Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1855-05-09
4 TALE OF TIN ca1ixn1


| gloom Of clouds. the vanguard has given ALARM
| VI that siau ,hter whioi before tbe day was
done. should make lnkermann Sc cond only to
| Waterloo. Through the fcggy, drix8ly dark
now brlst the sound Of bugles. and drums and
hfes aud sa tling rausketry; and tie transition
| from sleep to battle had been an interval Of
cons,e,na,ion; not the consterna,ion OF coward
ice. however. but OF sudden surprise.
The battle Of Inkerlnann would have been q
splendid sight to ape iu a broad field and
bright sun. But the nature Of the grouad aud
the dark ness of the day. rendered Il impossible
! to take in more than small sceae OF he grand
and terrible drama NJ one v,ew.-M Many he.
roic deed was performed that day IN obscure
1 aud solitary places, that left no record but
death. lfyou 'onnd some oomy glen. flush
harvest OF fcarnage--corpses lying thick as
sheaves af.er the sick e-yon knew there had
been great achievement Is there--but they will
unt illnminc the page Of his ory. fur thar mem
ory sleeps in he burial trenches with those
who died enscli"g them.
Thirst Tor glory. such ~ is slaoked Ly blood
had iured young Cecil GRAY from his happy
home in old England. Ia the camp Of the field.
tie vas officer IN the Fifth Dragons; and
a. we have an interest in NJ now. let us watch
the performs nee Of the Fifth, on that day VI lD.
kermann.
| Ia it not they, yonder on the height? Lot
rs get nearer them. Tor this dismal day is so
like twilighttha we cannot distinguish the
figure on their buttons. Yes, II is b. What
noble fellows Hpw proudly they sit on their
horsesi With what an air OF impa,ience they
lean forwatd as the battles din increases -
How their nos,rils di ate fsr an opp rtlnt y
VIII ch Of them il Cecil Gfayf DO yon See,
yonder vt the right, that tail, noble young Off
Ger who Is gazing with locks of dnspeakabls
tenderness upon iockct miniature. which he
has just drawn from his bosom That il he /;
aud the miniature of-the name would choke
his ut,erance IL he attempted to speak IL. for he
IL thinking Of the time -s' many months ago
! but. oh hov long = when the original Of that
picture sobb ed on his breast. and cinng ITO hun
! with loves desperation, kissing HIN m ,st fond
". and pleading with him'in Gods name not
! no gol
. Hisl lip qnivcrs. h. brushes his hand across
his eyes he c!otes the ioc bet snsi replaces u IN
hi, bosom--Tbe Fifth had lost most OF thsi'
, infantry In the beginning Of the battle the
Turkish foot, their main surpart, had fled sl
! the first onset-and lErrs remained TO them
now only & small division OF the iighlanders.
a number quite insufficient to sustain hem.
Yet as the cahuons thunderrd and the mnskels
hailed death around. the brave fellow, felt "
, like shame 10 sit there viii o their comrades
were winning glory. aud every moinent u ~
grew more eager, even WITHOUT the support .
Infantry for an occasion to act
Hark the tramp Of cavalry. Evry rem Is
tigh'ened, ah'i every hor.cmtna breath is
quelled with expectation. Up they come at a
fierce gallDp A. though they meant To sweep
he height a. single pass. " is the Mnscov-
ties Their heavy. rushing bllows Of horse
dash ful upon the Highlaniers, and are shock
ed back by the shore Of bayo,s,s They rally,
ard ADVANCE more slowly Then the bug cs
Of the Fifth sound. and the fiery horses are
whee.d into order for he onset,
L"ok Ut Cecil Gray he has forgt en- the
miniature, he has forgot en The Original, he
hiss forgotten the little cottage by the Thames,
where she is sighing prayers, TO Heaven for him
now-he thinks only Of glory. His breast
hraves and pants 4 I'd his hilt i, waiting Tor the
next signal twang
Another blast of bug'es. and the whole
F!'th. instantly bristlipg all over with sw ords
Ike single being. spring into the CHARGE -
thuhdetihg hurricane Of battle. they swoop
'ight down mn the advancing foe with speed o
: The Wind God VI Heaven! what spectacle
, With what snhlimely terfif shock the two
band. Of hostile men and Lorses md ride
,, OF battis surging over them.
The Fifth cut he foe through and through
and when their bug'es sound the rally, they
disregard the signal. determined to fight I'LL
they clear the fed or die. Horse against
horse, with onset and repnlse Saxon and Co
sack. they cleava nne another down, swaylns
10 and fro like . stormy sea
Where is Cecil Gray Yonder is his plume
Watch il. II tosaes above the thick Of the figh
a. il it was alive with glory There.
loses itself in the smoke OF pistols. II emer
ges We lose sight Of It again. Yonder ono
more j. flies along the field, like aome splendi
bird of prey, that kills its quarry. but stop
mt to devour Swords leap up above an
about it. other plumes nod and sink around u
: riderless horses wbirl away from IL. and ro
down, and .urseA,. aud, stiuggle, and die !
= the whelminr billowA It battle Bet sver All tbs
!. plume. and the sword which goes With it. cf'
= ees not for an instant in their sublime career.
LII Nkua vhs.v NJ