The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1859-12-01
sTORMING OF THE BAsr1or

Charles Readc's great story White Lies
occurs the following description of m at
tack by the French upon the Ba,tio,
St. Andre, dafihg the wars of Napoleon
m he picture OF the event has no superior i,
the language for graphic description an,
fearful interest:
This won't do, comrade, must 90.
shall attack from your position. So
sha'l go down the line and bring men up
Meantime pick up my detachment. Give
inc good spices Of veterans. l shall pe,
2no word with you before we 90 out. God
Iless you!'
God bleess you, Raynalp
lie moment Raynal was gone, Cam.
lie beckoned a lieutenant to him and or
dered half the brigade to form 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 one at Beaurepare who
would be sorry if you were killed g
Yes, colonel, Jacintha that used to
make your broth, Colonel
take this line to Col. Raynal. You
will 6nd him with the 18th Brigade
lie wrote few lines in pencil, folded
them, and Dard went of with them.
little dreaming that the colonel Of his brig.
ade was taking the trouble to save his
life because he came from Beaureparc.
Colonel Dujardin then went into his
tent and closed the aperture, and took the
good book the priest had given him,
and prayed humbIy, and forgave all the
world.
Then he sat down, his head in his hands,
and thought of his child, and how hard it
was to die and never see him. One sad
sob at this-one only.
Then he lighted Il candle, 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 mem
orandum that the contents might be given
to disabled soldiers of Lis brigade upon
their being invaIided.
Then he took out Josephine's letter.
Poor coward he said, let me not be
unkind. See, burn your letter, lest il:
should be found, and disturb the peace
you prize SO highly. /, too, shall soon lie
at peace, thank God' lie lighted it and
dropped It on the ground; it burned slow
iy away. lie eyed it despairingly: ny,
you perish, last record of an unhappy love,
and as you pass away SO l am going-iny
soul to. my Creator, my body to dust
ay, poor letter, even SO passes away my
life,;wasted 10y generals not fit to command
a corporaI's guard-my hopes Of glory
and my dreams of love-it all ends to-day,
at nine and twenty
He put his. whie handkerchief to his
eyes-Josepline 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 the
power of language to express. Powder
does not charge more when it catches fire.
lie rose that moment, and went like flash
of lightning out of the tent. The next lie
came. down like a falcon between the
lines Of the strong column to Deaths AL.
lev.
Attention cried the scrgeants, the
Colonel
There was a dead silence, for the bare
sight of that erect and inspired figure
made the mems bosoms thrill with the GER
tainty of great deeds to come; the light
of battle was in his eye. No longer the
moody colonel, but thundcrbolt of war,
red hotsand waiting to be launched.
Officers, .sergeants and soldiers word
with YOU
La Croix-' Attention. -
DO you know what passed here five
minutes ago.
'The attack of the bastion was settled,
cried 9 captain.
II was, and who was to lead the as.
sault--doyou know9'
MOP ,'
"A colonel from Egypt
Asgyoan from the men.
tWitA AstacAWents from other brig
ades'
Al! an angry roar.
Colonel Dnjar4iR walked quickly down
bstween the two lines, locking with his
fery eye into the mems eyes on the right.
Then he GAME back on the other side, and
as he went he lighted those mems eyes
with his own. It. was q torch passing
along a'$line Of ready gas lights: :The