Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1859-11-27


In one OF the concluding chapters Of Charll
heade's great story, " White Lies,1 occurs h
following description OF an attack BIZ ii
French upoa the Bastion s.. Andre, during II
wars OF Napoleon Ths picture Of the ever
has no superior in the language FOR uephi
description and fearful interest
"This won't do, comrade, must 20. Isha
the line and bring men Up. Meantime pick n
ny detachment. Give ne q good spices {
veterans shall get one word with you be
fore We 60 out God bless youF'
God bless you, Rsynsllr
The moment Ravnal was gone, Camill
beckonsd a lieutenant to bin and ordered hal
the brigade to form a strong colnmn en- bot
sides Of Deaths Alley.
His eye fell upon private Dard.
"Come here, . said be-
Dsrd zane and saluted.
Have you any one at Beaurepairs VIII
would be sorry if you were ldlled2"
Yes, Colonel, gaeintha, that used to max
vour broth.S
@Tske this line to Col. HAWAI-. You vii
find him with the twelfth br gade."
He wrote 4 few lines in Teacil, folded them
and Bard went OF with them, little dreaming
that the Colonel Of his brigade was takinEth'
trouble to save bis life because be came from
B~esurepsire.
Colonel Duiarain then went into his tent anj
closed the spertu-e, and took the good boob
the priest had given him, and PRAYED humbly
and forgave al the WORK
Then be sat down, his he'd N his hands, snl
thought Of his child, and h5U hard it was e
die and never see him One sad SOB at this
one only.
Tbe1he lighted a candle, sealed ID bis or
ders Of valors and wrote 2 line begging that
they might Be sent 70 his sister. He also seal
ed up his purse and left 2 memorandum tina,
she e~-HauHr mi~ha ha ~suau n TfEahle1 sol
disrs OF bis brigade upon their being inva-
Edsd.
Then be took ont Josspbins's letter.
s. Poor coward he said. "let ne not b IN
kind. See, Ibun your letter, lest Il shonld b
found, and disturb tie peace ron prize 50
highly. I, TOO. shall soon b at nsaer, thank
God He lighted Il sns dropped " On the
ground IL Burned slowly away. He eyed Il
d~espsinnElv Az. you perish, las record n
a unhappy love, and % you pass away %
an Eoins-my soul 20 ny Creator, ny body 70
dust-sy. poor letter, even 80 passes ava mr.
life. wasted bT generals not e. 70 command a
corporsPs eusrd-my hopss OF glory ana nv
dream Of loFe-t an ends to-dsyat nine-snd-
twenty
He put his white handkerchiof to his ewes
Josephine had given T. 70 him He cried = lit
tie, not az dying but al seeing bis life thrown
away.
When he he'd done crying he pu' his white
haudkerchief in his bosom, and The whole man
was us-sfsrmad berond he power n language
% EXPRESS Powder does not change more
when 81 cstchas Ere. He rose that moment.
and wen iHse 2 fssh Of lightning ont OF the
tent The neat be can down like a falcon
between tbe lines Of the strong column to
Deaths Alley.
"Attenap6F = cried the sergsauts, @ths Col
onsL'
There was . dead silence. for the bare sight
- aH~a - 81 e---e--I g. - 81
mems bosom thrin with the certainty Of great
iesds to comes the Light Of battle was in his
eve. No longer the moody Colonel, but a
thunderboE q war, red hot and waiting to be
launched
aOHeers, ssrgsaHts and soldiers, a word
with vou-n
Ia Cnofx-H Attention. -
Do you know what passed here five min
@The attack Of the Basion was settled -
cried a captain
at was, and who was to lead the assault
do YOU know p
NO
a colonel from Egypt"
AEroan ron the men
With detachments from other brigades.1
Ar an angry roar
Colonel Duisrdin walked quickly down be-
tween thstwo lines, looking with bis fiery eve
into the mems eyes on the right n be
came back on the other side, and as he wenths
lighted those mems eyes with bis own. L was
a torch passing line II ready gas lights
"Ihe WurE % u.s. be cried in a voice ike :
clarion, N fred the hearts as his eve had frec
the eyes-) " he triumph 10 strangersi On
fstigues and our losses have not gained the
brigade he honor Of going cut at those fel-
lows that have killed so many Of our CON
rades -
A fierce groan from the men.
~ In n - -
and not ours, fy from that Bastion this after
mol no - IN a rear Of thunder
q" All. Vuu are Of nv mind. Attention. the
attack is fixed for I've o'clock. Sup ross you
and Were 70 carry the bsstion ten minutes
before the colonel from Egypt can bring bis
men upon the g-ouni2"
A ferre roar Of joy and laughter-the
strange laughter of veterans and born inTin-
clbles.
That was squesaOn I put tOyOur hearts
your answer p
The answer was a vel o. exuIHng assent,
but Il was half drowned by another response,
The thunder Of the impatient drums, and the
rattle Of fixing baYoBets-
The Colonel told of a party to the battery.
"Lerel the guns at the TOP ties. Fire Al
my signal, and keen hsiHg over our heads til
You see or eolors on the place.
He then dsrtsd 10 the head % The column,
which instantly formed behind him in the cen
fer o. Deaths Alley.
q The colorsi No hand but mine shall hold
them to-dav.1
They wsrs Instantly brought 10 hlm-his left
hand shook then free in the afternoon sun
A deep murmur Of JOY from the old hands at
the now unwoDted sight Out flashed the
sword like steel lightning. Re avsdittows
the battery.
Bangi bsngl bangl bsngl went the cannon
and the smoke rolled over the trenches. At
the same moment went the cOiOrs waving, and
the Colonel's clarion voice pealed high above
al else.
s'TwentT-fourth demi-brigsde-orwsrd -
They went 20 quickly out If the trenches
that they were not seen through their own
smoke until they bad run some sixty yards.
No sooner were they seen coming on Ike
devils, than two thousand muskets were level
Cd a. them from an the Pruesian line. T. was
not a rattle Of snail srns-it vas crash,
and the men feli fast; hHi n 2 moment they
were seen to spread out like ? far. end when
The fan closed sgsin e. hslf encir-led the has
ton i was a French attack. Part vwsrmea
at L In front Ike bees, Part rwrpt rornh 80
rlacis and fznked n. Thrr were seen 70 fan
in numbers, SHOT dow fHom the emH-asurrs
But The living took the niaces ~ ne asaF. and
the fight ranged evenly there. There he Col
onel and a hundred men are fshfing hand =
hand with the Prussiare. who have rh--eel
out at the bsckdoors NJ tbe bse'ion. Success
there, and DE bastion must faii-bosh ssss
know this.
All IN q moment he coio-s disappeared.
There was a grosn from the French line. VI
there they were again, and close undsrths bss-
ton.
And now in front the attack was 50 hos ths.
ofen the prrssisr runners were seen n iumF
down, driven from thrir posts: and the mex
uoment 2 fierce hurrsh from fhe rear told thai
the French hsi won some grsst sdvsnt4g'
there The fre siackening trld a similar tale
and presently down came the Prusslsn flag.
staff. That might - a. accident. Afew no
ments Of thirstng expectation and up vert b
eoIors Of The 24th brigade upon the Basdon
st. Andre.
TIE whole French army raised a shout that
rent the sky, and their esnnon began to PLAY
on the Pussisn line, and between de has
ton and the nearest fort 10 prevent a recap.
ture.
Then shot from the earth 4 cubic acre Of fire
where last the bastion vas seen II carried ~
a heavy mountain u red and black smoke,
that looked solid as marble. There was 4
heavy, snllen, tremulous explosion, b stsnufed
out The sound Of The cannon, and psrslyzsd
The French and Prussion gunnefs' hands. and
cnecked he very beating Of their hearts.
Thirty thousand pounds Of ~gunpowder were IN
that awful explosion.
War itself held its breath. and both srmies.
like peaceful spectators, gszed wonder struck,
terror struck Great he'll seemed tohsTe burnt
tAfoqgn ne earth's crust, and 10 Be rushing al
heaven- Huge stones, cannon. eornes- and
hmps q soidifrs. were see driven or failing
through he smnke. Some n tkese last came
quite clear n the rims. ave, into The Fr.pcb
and Pmssisn lines, that even tbe yeterans pui
4siI hanch 70 their eyes. Rsrnsl felt some
ns sPalef on him from the skyI It ws
ne smoke cleared. Where 4 uonsrt =.
fore ne great bastion stood and foughf- vs. /.
molstrOus pile Of blsckened bloodv 49,.
hmbss. viii disnountsi cannon sfetin~ =,
here and there. oP
smoking mass, lay the relies Of ~ 49,.
brigade and TIER victorious eoio-s