The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1857-06-10
"One moment, my comrade! and

| 'One moment, my cQmraue! anu
will draw their fire t'
The word is not passed from his lips
when his cannon speaks out to the bae=
terry across the ravine. His flash, his
smoke have not gone, but bark! Did
you hear that storm of copper balls
clatter against his cannon; did you see
it dig the earth beneath the hoofs Of
Mays squadron !
"Men, follew!n Do you see that face
cleaning with battle fire, that scimitar
cutting its gIitter1ng circle IN the 'sir. =
Those men can hold their shouts no Ion I.
er. Rending the air with cries. Harkl
The whole army echo them. TheE
strike their spurs, and worried into mad /.
ness their horses whirl on and thundef
away to the deadly ravine.
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 young man, May, at the
head of his squadron, dashing across
the ravinc, four yards in advance of his
foremost man, while long and dark be-
hind him, was stretched the solid line Of
warriors and their steeds.
Through the windows of the clouds
some CLEANS of sunlight fell-they light
the golden tassel on the cap-they illu-
mine the dark horse and his rider with
their warm glow-they reveal the bat.
tery-you see it. above thefurther bank
of the ravine, frowning death from every
muzzle.
Near and nearer, up and on Never
heed the death before you, though it is
certain. Never mind the leap, though
it is terrible. But up the bank and over
the cannon-hurrah At this dread
moment, just as his horse rises for the
charge, May turns and sees the sword of
brave Inge on his right, turns again and
reads his own soul written in the fire of
Sacket's eye.
To his men once more he turns, his.
hair floating back behind him, he points.
to the cannon, to the steep bank and the.
certain death and as though inviting
them, one and all, to his bridal feast,
he says "Come ~
They did come. It would have made
your blood dance to see it. AS one man
they whirled up the bank. following
May,s-swora- -as-they would bannef5
and striking madly home as they heard,
through the roar of battle they heard it,
that word of frenzy, "Come."
As one mass of bard chests, leapipg
horses and dazzling scimitars, they
charged upon the bank; the cannon's fire
rushed into their faces; Inge, even as
his shout rang on the air, was laid a
mangled thing before his steed, his
throat torn open by cannon shot. =
Sacket was buried beneath his nor@,
and seven dragons fell at the batterys
muzzles, their blood and brains whirlad
into their comrades eyes.
Still May is yonder, above the clouds,
his horse rioting over heaps of dead, Is
with his sabre, circlipg round his fowl sg
hair, he cuts his way through the liviSg
wall, and says to his comrades-"comd"
All around him, friend and foe. thor |
swords locked together-yonder the
blaze of musketry showered the iron
hail upon his band-beneath his horses
feet the deadly cannon and CHASTITY
corpse, still that young soldier riots on,
for Taylor has said "Silcnce that bat
tery," and he will do it.
The Mexicans are driven from their
guns; their cannons are silenced, and
Mays heroic band scattered among the
mazes If the chapparel, are entangled
in wall of bayonets. Once more the
combat deepens, and dyes the sod in
blood. Hedged in by that wall of steel,
May gathers eight of his men, and hews
his way back toward the captured bat
terry. As his charger rears, his sword |
circles above his head, and sinks blow |
after blow into the foemen's throats-I
To the left shout is hoard; tho Amsri-
cans, led on by Graham and Pleasonton
and Winship, have silenced the battery
there, while the whole fury of the Mex
lean army seems concentrated to crush
May and his band.
As he went through their locked ranks
so he comes back. Everywhere his men
know him by his hair, waving in dark
masses; his golden tinselled cap; his
sword-they knew 1t too, and whenever
it falls hear the gurgling groan of NOR
tai agony.
Back to the captured cannon he cuts
his way, and on the brink of the ravine
beholds sight that fires his blood.
A solitary Mexican stands there,
reaching forth his arm in all the frenzy
of a brave mans despair he entreats
his countrymen to turn, to man the bat
terry once more and hurl destruction on
the foe. They shrink back appalled, be-
fore that dark horse and rider, May =
The Mexican, a gallant young man,
whose handsome features can scarce be
on account Of the blood
which covers them, while his rent uni
form bears testimony to his deeds in that
days carnage, clenches his hands, as he
aipgs curse in the face of his flying
countrymen, and then with lighted
match in hand springs to the cannon