Maryland free press., 1863-01-30
A BATTLE BETWEEN ANTS.

Twas witness to events of a less peaceful
: character. One day when went out to my
wood-pile, or rather my pile of stumps, OBJ
served tSo large ants, the one red, tho other
much larger, nearly half an inch long, and
black, fercely contcnding with one another
Having once got hold they never let go. but
struggled and wrestlcd and f6fled on the chips
incessantly. Looking farther, 1 was surpris-
ed to find thft -tts chips were covered with
such tcSsff9sttants, that it was not dnellun',
but belfxa, war between two races of ants,
the red always pitted against the black, and
frequently two red ones to ono black. The
1cgions of these Myrmidons covered all the
hills and wales in my wood yard, and the
'kPdhAfd was already strcwn with the dead and
diving. both red and black. It was tRe only
battle which have ever witnessed, the only
battlefield ever ttol while the battle was
raging internccino war the red republi-
lists on the other. On every side they wore
engaged in deadly combat, yet without any
noise that could hear, and human soldiers
never fought so resolutcly. l watched cou-
ple that were fast locked in each others en-
bSaces, in little sunny valley amid the chips,
now at noon-day prepared to fight until the
sun went down, or life went out. The small
lcr rcd champion had fastened himself like
S'fte 70 lris adversary's front, and through all
tho tumbling on that field never for an instant
ceased to gnaw at one of his fcolers near the
root, having already caused the other to go by
the board while the stronger black one dash
ed him from side to side, and, as I saw on look
ing nearer, had already di~eeted him of SOW
oral of his members. They fought with more
pcrtinacity than bulldogs. Neither manifes-
tGd fho least disposition to retreat. 1t was
evident that their battle-ery was conquer or
die In tho meanwhile there came along
single red ant OH tho hillside of this valley,
evidently full of excitement, who either had
dispatched his foe3 or had not yet taken part
in the battle probably tho latter, for he had
lost none of his limbs whose motacf had
charged him to return with his shield or upon
1t. Or porchancc he was some Achilles, who
had nourishcd his wrath apart, and had now
como to avcngo or rescue his Patroclus. Ho
saw this unequal combat from afar-for the
blacks were nearly twice tho size of the red
nc drew near with rapid pace till he stood on
his guard within half an inch of the combat.
tants then, watching his opportunity, he
sprang upon tho black warrior, and commen-
ced his operations ncar the root of his right
fore-lcg; leaving the foe to select among his
own members; and So there we're three united
for life, as if n new kind ofattsaction had been
invented which put all other locks and c.
ments to shame. should rot Atve wondered
by this time to find that thsy had th6ff respec-
hive musical bands statorSd OH some cminont
chip, and playi ing their national airs the while
to excite the slow and cheer the dying COM
battants. was myself excited somewhat,
even ms If they had been mon. The more you
think of it, the Toss the difference. And GER
tainly there is not tfS fight recorded in Con-
cord history, at least, if in the history of
America, that will bear moments comparis-
on with this, whether for tho numbers enga-
ged in it, or for the patriotism and heroism
displayed. For numbers and for carnage it
was an Austerlitz or Dresden. Concord fight!
Two killed on the patriots side, and Luther
blanchard wounded! Why hero every ant
u
and thousands shared the fate of Davis and
Hosmer. There was not one hireling there.
l have no doubt that it was principle they
fought for, as much as our ancestors, and not
to avoid threc-penny tax OH their tea; and
the results of this battle will be as important
and memorable to those whom it concerns, as
those of the battle of Bunker Hill, at least.
took up the chip on which the three have
particularly described wero struggling, car
ried it into my house, and placed it under
tumbler on my window sill, in order to see
the issue. Holding microscope to tho first
mentioned rod ant, saw that, though nc was
assiduously gnawing ut the near foreleg of
his enemy, having severed his remaining feel
or, his own breast was all t6fn away, expo
sing what vitals he had there tS the jaws of
the black warrior, whose breast plate was ap-
parently too thick for him to pierce and the
dark carb uncles of the sufferers eyes shonc
with ferocity such as war only could excite.
They struggled half an hour longer under the
tumbler, and when looked again the black
soldier had severed the heads of his foes from
their bodies, and the stilT tftisg beads were
hanging on either side of him like ghastly
trophies at the saddle bow, still apparently as
firmly fastened as ever, and he was cndeavor-
ing with feeble struggles, being without feel
crs, and with only the remnant of d leg, and
! know not how many other wounds, tb divest
himself of them; which at length, after half
an hour more, he accomplished. raised the
glass, and he went off over the window-sill in
that crippled state. Whether he finally sur.
vived that combat, and spent the remainder Of
his days in some Hotel des 1nvalidcs, l do not
know; but thought that his industry would
not DO worth nfsieh thereafter. never learn
cd which party Was victorious, nor the cause
of the war but fen fes the rcst of that day
as if had had my feelings excited and har-
rowed by witnessing tho ftfuggle, the feroci.
ty and carnage of humah battle before my
door.
"A stand of arms consists Of = musket
,,-:tL .l,o ,,,,ol .onoodaoac boAonet chrfridoe