The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1862-07-24

ss0SSS
standard Of rebellion.
j "Halt v'-and under their respective
banners the dark, compact legions O
the two armies stand front 70 front
For moment reigns silence-deeF
and dread--a silence 20 profound thai
the heart beats Of these two lowering
clouds Of hostile men seem to break tn
smooth current Of the breess into throb
bing wavclets, and cause the very forest
leaves to vilbrate in sympathy with tht
ebb and flow Of the life Of these seas o.
men. Down all the long, motionies.
line-shoulder to shoulder, foot to foo,
firm and unflinching! with blue, com
pressed Fps, and pale, rigid faces, stand
men who arc soon to deal and feel the
deadly blows Of earnest battle.-Mark
them well. Mark their grasp tighten.
ing on their arms-thcir quiverine
chins, the nervous working Of their
nost'ils, the fixed. leaden gaze OF their
starting eyes. All, suspense is = torture
from which the danger and roar oi
battle is welcome relief.
Quick, look puff! puff! puff
there, there and there, the white smoke.
wreaths curl upward-jnst where you
perceive those first wheeling eddies in
that cslm human sea, which soon shall
be but ore boiling Maelstrom ofaroused
fury.
Ha hear you that kissing that quickly
grows to = hoarsc screamf See you
yonder dark, rushing thing, spouting
sparks ana. flame in its swift course ?
Mark where it plunges into, he crowded
ranks Of yonder closc.massed, motion.
less battalion! see the Aetna..iets Of
flame that dart upward in fierce, spread.
ing rays hear the dull swashing ex-
plosion.
Where are the men who stood 20
firmly with breast turned against the
shock of the scrcaching dcHon? Death
shrieks and the screams Of those in
mortal agony 60 mp from the wide gap
Just rent in the dense battalion.
The spell Of silence, Of suspense is
Acknowledgements on our foe!" cries
the heart Of every soldier. Not nerve
tremblcs now-every nostril expands to
breathe forth defiance redden
and tingle with boiling blood-eyes
flash with fierce determination. A
hundred cannonraise their black mouths
to the range Of tho foe-ten thousand
blazing eyes glance along ten thousand
glittering barrels.
"Fire!" and : sheet Of flame, ..
binding ~ the tightening fash that
wreaths in FIRE the hemsphcr, darts on,
toward the lines Of .he foe; then follows
an explosion that jars the firm rarth A
when an hundred kissing bolts Of hcav-
ems artillery explode upon and shiver
to the plain some tall granite pcak-and
the battle has begun. Inccsast as the
patter of hail is the rattle Of small arms;
continuous as the roar Of . hurricane r.
the boom of cannon and the bursting Of
shells. The hoarse voices ofthe leaders
are family heard urging on their men
gasping gunners with new resolution
load again their heated pieces fainting
infantry close mp their shattered ranks
and once more hnrl themselves upon the
dense masses Of the foe-tired and
scattered clouds Of cavalry form again
for another charge upon the solid
squares Of the enemy.
With the impetuosity Of an Alpine
avalanche, the dark columns Of the host
rush forward-artillcry, infantry, ca
valry, pour down upon the opposing
columns ofthe foe, shaking their ranks
a. field Of corn is shaken and ben
before the western gale. Cannons roar
rifles ring, and sabres CLEAN. Many /
terrible shrek 10 heard where the ba
yonet pierccs its way-ma.y painf''
moan rises where the trampling hoofs Q
horses pass.
| But death-shrieks are not needed
dying means arc not hearl-On, on J
on to victory or soldiers death !!
Hold on the greensward beneatl
the spreading branches Of an oak, lies
brown.haired, smooth-cheeked boy "
know. His left arm lies shattere
mass at his side-those checks ono
rosy with young blood arc now ash
pale; his half closed eyes are dull An
leaden, and his breath comes short an
quick through lis open lips. 4 surgeo
heated and blood.spattsred. approachs
the wounded lad. The saw glides acro'
9 the bone Of the shattered limb. IT