Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1860-02-02

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
haud shook them free in the afternoon sun.
A deep murmur Of JOY from the old hands
at the now unwouted sight. Out flashed the
the sword like steel lightning. He waved it
towards the battery
Bang bang bang bang went the can.
non, and the smoke rolled over the trenches
At the same moment up went the coors waving
and the ColoacI'S clarion voice peaIed above
all.
Twenty fourth dcmi-brigades 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 Ike devils
than two thousand mnskets were levelcd at
them from all the PruSsian line. II was not
a rattle of small arms-it was crash, and
the men fell fast but in moment they We're
seen to spread out like fan, and when the
fan closed again it half encircled the bastion.
1t was French attack. Part Swarmed at it
in front like bees, part swept around the glacis
aud aauked it, They were seen to fall iu mum.
berS, shot down from the embrasurcs But
the living took the place Of the dead, and the
Eight ranged evenly there Where are the
coors? Towards the rear There the Colonel
and hundred men are fighting hand to hand
with the PrussianS who have charged out at
the back doors of the baStion. Success there
and the bastion must falI-both sides knew
tiiS
All in a moment the ctlors disappeared.
There was groan from the French line. No,
there they were again, and close uader the
baSiOn.
And BOW in front the attack was So hot
that often the PruSsiaR guuncrs were seen to
Jump down, driven from their posts and the
moment told that the French had won some
great advantage there. The fire slackenug
;oId similar tale, and presently down came
the Prussian flagstaff That might be acci-
dent 4 few moments Of thirsty expectation,
uad mp went the colorS OF the 24th brigade
upon the Bastion ST Andre.
The whole Frcuch army raised a shout that
rent The sky, and their cannon began to play
on the Prussian lines, and between the ba>tiou
aud the nearest fort to prevent a rccapturc.
Then shot from TIE earth cubic acre OF
fire where last the baStion was seen it car
ried up a heavy mountain of red and black
smoke, that looked as solid as marble. There
was a heavy, sulIcn, tremuIouS explosion, that
suufcI ont the SQUAD of cannon, and para.
!yzed the French and PrRsSaR guRaegs' hands,
and checked the very beating Of thejC hearts.
Way itself he'd lis br"ath and both armies,
Ike pcacelRl spectators, gazcd wouder-struck,
lcrror-Struck Great bell seemed to have
burnt through caF,h's crust, aut to be rush
ing at heaven. Huge stones, cannon, corPses,
and limbs Of soldiers were seen driving or faI-
ling through the smoke. Some OF these last
came quite clear Of the rains, ayes in the
French aud Prussian lines that even the
veterans pa. taeig haRdS te their eye. Rlyuai
felt something spatter Oh him from the sky.
Il was blood d--Coarads perhaps. GA. war!
war!
The smoke cleared. Where moment be
fore the great baS'iou stood aud fou-.t was a
/ moustrous pile OF blackc@cd bloody stones and
tmbeys, with dsmomted cauuoa striking cat
aere and there.
Aad rent and crushed to atom, beneath
the smoking mass lay the relies OF the gallant
brigade aud their victorious colors.