Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1858-05-08
sT0RMrHG TIE RAsTT0N.

This won't DO c0mrade, i must 90. 1
shall attack from your position. So | shall
go down the line, and bring the men up
Meantime, pick up my detachment. Give me
q good spice Of veterans. shall get one
word with you before we 90 out. God bless
yOu!"
"God bless you, Raynal!"
The moment Raynal was gone, Camille
beckoned lieutenant to him, and ordered
half the brigade to form in q strong column
on both sides Of deaths Alley.
His eye fell upon Private Dard.
"Come here" said he.
Dard came and saluted.
"Have you any body at Beaurepaire that
would be sorry il you we're killedf"
"Yes, colonel, Jacintha, that used to make
your broth, Colonel.
"Takc this line to Colonel Raynal. You
will find him with the 18th brigade.
He wrote few lines IN pencil, folded them
and Dard went off with them, little dreaming
that the colonel of his brigade was taking the
trouble to save his life, because he came from
Beaurepaire. Colonel Dujardin then wentin-
to his tent, and closed the aperture, and took
the good book the priest had given him, and
prayed humbly, and forgave all the world.
Then he sat down, his head in his hands,
huU buOukub " tttS CtIIut Auu uOW uhIu ~ W6S
that he must die and never see him. One sad
sob at this-one only.
Then he lighted candle and sealed up his
orders of valor, and wrote line begging that
they might be sent to his sister. lie also
sealed up his purse and left a memorandum
that the contents should be given to disabled
soldiers Of his brigade upon their being inval-
idcd.
Then he took out Josephine's letter.
Poor coward" he said, "let me not be un-
kin1. See burn your letter, lest it should
be found, and disturb the peace you prize 80
highly. |, too. shall soon be at peace, thank
God" He lighted it and dropped it on the
ground; burned slowly away. He eyed it
despairingly. "Ay! you perish, last record
Of an unhappy love; and az you pass away,
SO am gOing-my soul to my Creator, my
body to dust-ay, poor letter, even so passes
away my life, wasted by generals not fit to
command q corpOral's guard-my hopes of
glory and my dreams Of love-it all ends to-
day, at nine and twenty"
lie put his white handkerchief to his eyes.
Josephine had given it to him. He cried
little, not at dying but at seeing his life thrown
away.
When he had done crying, he put his white
handkerchief, in his bosom, and the whole man
was transformed beyond language to express.
Powder docs not change more when it catch
es fire. lie rose that moment, and went like
fash Oflghtning out ofthe tent The next,
he came down like falcon between the lines
Of the strong 'lumn to Deaths Alley.
Attention cried the Sergeants, ''thc colo
nel."
There was dead silence, for the bare sight
of that erect and inspired figure made the
mems bosOms thrill with the certainty Of great
deeds to come; the light Of battle was in his
eye. No longer the moody colonel, but
thundcrbOlt Of war, red hot, and waiting to
be launched.
"Oficers, sergtants and soldiers, a word
with you"
La Capitalization!
DO you know what passed here five min
utes agO!"
"Thc attack Of the bastion was settled "
cried captain.
1t was, and who was to lead the assault,
do you know that!"
"Eo!"
e 4 colonel from Egypt"
A groan from the men.
with detachments from other brigades.
All" an angry roar.
Colonel Dujardin walked quickly. down be-
tween the two lines, looking with his fiery eye
into the mems eyes on his right. Then he
came back OH the other side, and as he went
he lighted those eyes with his own. II was n
torch passing along line Of ready gaslights.
"The work to US " he cried in voice like
q clarion, (t fired the hearts IS his eye had
fired the eyes)-"the triumph to strangers!
Our fatigucs and our losses have not gained
the brigade the honor Of going out at those
fellows that have killed so many Of our CON-
rades.
A fierce groan from the men.
"What! shall the cOlors Of another brigade
and not ours fly from that bastiOn this after
noon:"
"No! no " in roar like thunder.
"Ah! you are Of my mind. Attention
the attack is fixed for five o'clock. Suppose
you and were to carry the bastiOn ten min
utes before the colonel from Egypt can bring
his men upon the ground?"
A fierce roar Of joy and laughter; the
strange laughter Of veterans and born irwin
cibles.
That was a question l put to your hearts
your answcr!"
The answer was yell Of exulting assent,
but it was half drowned by another response,
the thunder Of the impatient drums, and the
rattle of fixing bayonets.
The colonel told off party to the battery.
I" Level the guns at the top tier. Fire Ot my
signal, end keep firing over our heads, till you
see our cOlOrs on the place.
lie then darted to the head of the column,
which instantly formed behind him in the cen
ter of Deaths Alley.
"The cOlors! No hand but mine shall hold
them to-day"
They were instantly brought to him, his left
hand shook them free In the afternoon sun.
A deep murmur Of joy from the old hands
at the now unwonted sight. Out flashed the
sword like steel lightning He waved it to-
wards the battery.
Bang bang bang bang went the cannon,
and the smoke rolled over the trenches. At
the same moment up went the colOrs waving,
and the cOlOnel's clarion voice pealed high
above all
"Twenty fourth dcmi. .brigade-FoRwARD!"
They went so swiftly out Of the trenches
that they were not seen through their own
smoke until they had run some sixty yards.-
No sooner were they seen coming on like dew
lis, than two thousand muskets were leveled
ct them from ell the PrussiAn line. Il was not
rattle Of small arms it Was 0 crash, and the
men fell fast hut in moment they were seen