The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1857-03-25

chamber, there is only one man who can do it
and his name is Zachary Taylor"
1t was dark hour when this boy and this
General, both appointed at the suggestion or by
the voice of the Man of the Hermitage, met in
the battle of Resaca de la Palma.
By the blaze of cannon, and beneath the can
opy Of battle smoke, we behold the meeting.
"Capt. May, you must take that batteryn'
| As the old man uttered these words he point
ed far across the rayine with his sword. 1t was
like the glare of a vOlcano-the steady blaze OIL
that battery, pouring from the darkness of the
chapparal.
Before him, summoned from the rear by his
command, rose the form of a splendid soldier
whose hair, waving in long masses, swept his
| broad shoulders, while his beard fell over his
muscular chest. Hair and beard as dark as
midnight, framed determined face, surmomted
by small cap, glttering with single golden
tassel. The young warrior bestrode a magnif-
cent charger, broad in the chest, small in the
head, delicate in each slender limb, and with
Jets of flame. That steed was black as death
Without a word, the soldier turned to his
men.
Eghty-fo forms, with throats and breasts
bare, eighty four battle horses, eighty-four sa-
bres, that rose in the clutch Of naked arms and
flashed their lightning over eighty-four faces
knit in every feature with battle fire.
"Men, follow' shouted the young comman-
der, who had been created soldier by the hand
of Jackson, as his tall form rose in the stirrups
and the battle-breeze played with his long black
hair.
There was no response in words, but you
should have seen those horses quiyer beneath
the spur, and spring and launch away. Down
upon the sod with one terrible beat came the
sound of their hooG while through the air rose
in glittering circles those battle scimitars.
Four yards in front rode May, himself and
his horse the object of thousand eyes, so GER
tain was the death that loomed before him.
Proudly in his warrior beauty he rode that steed,
his hair floating from beneath his cap in raven
curls upon the wind.
lie turns his head-his men sec his face with
stern lip and knit brow; they feel the fire of his
eyes; they hear not men forward" but "men
folowh' and away like an immense battle en-
gne composed of eighty-our men and horses,
woven together by swords-away and on they
dash.
They near the ravine; old Taylor follows
them, with hushed breath, aye, clutcbing his
sword hilt, he sees the golden tassel Of May,
cleaning in the cannon flash.
They are on the verge of the ravine, May still
in front, his charger flinging the earth from lie.
meath him, with colossal leaps, when from
among the cannon, starts up a half clad figure,
red with blood and begrimned with powder
1t is Ridgely, who to-day has sworn to wear
the mantle of Rnggold, and to wear it WE'LL
At once his eyes catch the light now blazing in
the eyes Of May, and sprinning to the cannon
he shouts
Gone moment, my comrade! and will draw
their fre.''
The word is not passed from his lips when his
cannon speak out to the battery across the "a.
vine. HIS fash, his smoke have not gone, but
hark! Did you hear that storm of copper balls
clatter against his cannon did you see it dig the
earth beneath the hoois of Mays squadron.
"Men, follow" Doyou see that face CLEAN.
ing with battle fire, that scimitar cutting It's
| glittering circle in the air? Those men car
hold their shouts no longer. Hendng the all
with cries. Hark The whole army echo
them. They strife their spurs, and worried
into madness their horses whirl on and thunder
away to the deadly ravinc.
The old man, Taylor, said, after the battle
that he never felt his heart beat as it did then
For it was glorious sight to see that youn}
man, May, at the head Of his squadron, dashinI
across the ravine, four yards in advance of hi
foremost man, while long and dark behind him
was stretched the solid line Of warriors an(
their steeds.
Through the windows of the clouds SOM
CLEANS of sunlight fell--they light the colder
tassel ON the cap--they glitter on the up ,raiseC
sword--they illumine the dark horse and hi
rider with their warm glow-they reveal th
battery-you see it, above the further bank o
the rayine, frowning death from every muzze
|. Near and nearer; up and on! Never heet
the death before you, though it is certain New
er mind the leap, though it is terrible. But VI
the bank and over the cannon-hurrah A
this dread moment, just as his horse rises TO
the charge, May turns and secs the sword 0
|, the brave Inge on his right, turns again ant
reads his own soul written in the fire of Sack
cts eye,
10 his men once more he turns, his hairfoat
ing back behind him, he points to the cannon t
the steep bank and the certain death, and al
though inviting them, one and all, to his brida
feast, he says,
"CoME!" ffa y.tYgsta.gi,
They did come. 1t would have made you
blood dance to see it. AS one man they whirl
ed up the bank, following Mays sword as the.
would banner and striking madly home a
they heard, through the roar Of battle the,
heard it, that word Of frenzy, "Come!''
AS one mass of barred chests, leaping horse
and dazzling scimetars, they charged upon tn
bank; the cannons fire rushed into their faces
Inge, even as his shcutrang on the air, was laic
a mangled thing before his steed, his throat tor
open by cannon shot; Sacket was buried be
meath his horse, and seven dragons fell at tn
batterys muzzlcs, their blood and brains whrl
7 ing into their comrades oyes tss.
SILL May is yonder, above the cloud, Iii