Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1862-04-11

way of making a man salute which forlorn
joke seemed excellent considering the cir
cumstancrs. / congratulate you,' again
/ exclaimed the captain, you will not get a
scratch, and you will command company
this evening, for l shall get my discharge
to-day. Every time ! have been wounded,
the officer next in command has been struck
by spent ball; and added he in lower
tone as if ashamed of his supcrs,itious feel
ings, their names always began with p
] felt encouraged; most men would have
been, as was, struck uith these prophetic
words. Novice as | was, i felt that could
nnbosom myself to no one, and that it was
incumbent uEon me to appear always cocl-
ly intrepid.
In half an hour the fire of the enemy
sensibly decreased, and we left our shelter
to attack the redoubt Our regiment con-
sisted of three bal,alions. The second had
orders to charge upon the redoubt from the
valley side, the other two were 10 make the
first sttack. | was in the third battalion.
As we emersed from behind the natural
rampant that had protected us, we were
greeted with several discharges of musket-
ry, which however, did but little mischief
in our ranks. The whistling Of the balls
surprised me; could not help turning my
head, and thus got laughed at by my com
panions, who had become more familiar
with the sound. On the whole, said to
myself, battle is not so very terrible, after
all. We advanced quickly preceded By
the artillery. Suddenly the Russians gave
three shouts, and then were silent and
ceased firing. 5 / don't like that silence,
said my captain; i! bodies no good j
thought our troops somewhat too noisy, and
could not help comparing their tumultuous
shouts with the imposing stiffness of the
enemy.
We soon reached the foot of the redoubt
the palisades had been broken, and the
earth plowed up by our fire. The soldiers
rushed in over these ruins with cries Of
f rive fempere,tr,' louder than could have
been expected from men who had already
shouted so much. ] raised my eyes, and
shall never forget the spectacle which met
, them. The smoke had risen and hung like
/ a canopy twenty feet above the redoubt
Through the blue vapor / saw behind the
battered parapet the Russian grenaders
with picces raised, niolionless as statues
can still see those men, each with his left
| eye fastened upon us, the other concealed
by his musket. In an embrasure few
feet distant, stood man close by a cannon
ana holding a fire-brand. ] shuddered, fol
thought my last hour had come. The
! ball is going TO beginl' cried my captain
good night They were the last words
heard him utter. The drums beat in the
redoubt; saw the muskets lowered,
shut my eyes, and heard a horrible crash
followed by cries and groans. / opened
my eyes astonished 10 find myself alive
the redoubt was again enveloped in smoke
and was surrounded by the dead and
wounded. My captain lay at my feet; he
had been struck in the head by a shot, and
| was covered with his brains and blood.
OF all my company there remained bat six
men besides myself.
A moment of stupor succeeded this
slaughter. The colonel waving his chapeau
on the point of his sword, was the first to
scale the parapet, shouting 'pive fEmpe-
renar = and was followed by all the sur
viying soldiers. / have scarcely clear
recollection of what ensued. We entered
the redoubt, | know not how, and fought
hand to hand in a smoke so thick that we
T could not see each other. i must have
struck some one, for found my sabre all
bloody. AT last heard the shout of vic
heaps of dead bodies and the pools of blood
which covered the ground. The cannons,
TOO, were almost hidden by the corpses Of
those who had fallen About two hundred
men in French uniform were standing in
disorder, some loading their muskets, others
wiping their bayoncts, and with them were
eleven Russian prisoners.
+ The colonel had thrown himself, pale
and bleeding, on broken cdfSson, near the
entrance. The soldiers pressed around him
i approached also. sWhere is the senior
capiain2' he asked of a sergeant. The
sergeant shrugged his shoulder significant
Is. And the senior lieuienant2' This
gentleman, who arrived yesterday answer
cd the sergeant with perfect coolness The
colonel smiled bitterly. Come, SIR said
he to me. you are ccmnander-in-chief /;
see that the entrance 10 the redoJbt is
promptly fortified with these wagons, for
the enemy is in force however Gen. c.
will relieve us shortly Colonel said /.
you are grievonsly hcrt.' Cut TO pieces,
my dear fellow, but the redoubt is ours >"
On tombstone in churchyard inUlster,
England. is the following spitaph =" Erect
ed 10 the memory of John Phillips, acei-