The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1864-02-25
INTO THE LIONS MOUTH. %


book, culled from this chapter:
The Fifty second had stopped for its
dinner last Saturday noon. lay, as I
have written it, on my side, pencil in
hand; then l snoOzed; then looked
across the burrows, through the sweet,
sunny, blossom scented air, to the long
line. Of the Ninety first, their color ex-
actly opposite ours. Half dozen pigs
ran down between the regiments; a
gauntlet, believe, not one survived;
and before night they wero eaten with
much gusto; for, during our stay at Bu-
ton Rouge, we have very rarely tasted
fresh meat.
Boom, bOoml-big guns from the riv-
er. We can hear, too, the cough of
high-pressure transport steamers, and
know now that the feet arc, at least, as
near old Port II udson as we are; and we
are only four or five miles away. At
length, "Fall in, men, at oBcel' An
aide has come galloping up to the colo
mel, who is on horseback in a moment.
awe shall probably have sharp work
before we come back" "Keep cool,
and do not waste your 6re." SO Capt.
Morgan and the rest gave such caution
to their men as is needful on the eve Of
battle. "Leavo knapslck4 here; the
footsorc men will guard them, poor
Hines, and the like Of him, whose feet
these real sc esh roads have beaten and
bruised with true rebel violence.
How do VIC fee2 We arc going out
to meet the enemy, we all fully believe
and so do our o fi GERS and even staff Of
Gcers of tic General, who are friendly
to u, look pityinSly after, as We march
on; for they know, though we do not
that wo are to be pushed up in front 0
the whole army, into close range Of tn,
cannon on the fortress walls. The Fir
ty-Sccond is cool, and yet eager; an,
not man, that can limp at all, want
to stay. For the last thing, "Loadl"-
open Gsrtridgo-box; tear the tough pa
per from the powder and2there it goo
down the barrel; and now the ball; hall
cock, then cap the cone, and all is done
IF I have to Ere, it will be for the cans
Ssruplos, now, are mere usanishues,
Now, "By the right fink, forwlrl!'
Hardiker carries the white State hlc
the tall sergeant, the Stars and Stripes
Old flag, you arc woven Of no ordinar,
stuff! Rank and flc and shoulder
straps, is sacred thing! 1t has for
warp, liberty; and for. woof, constitu
rional order; and is dyed dsep in tint!
Of love and justice. Bitwjon HIrd Ike,
and the sergeant marches Wilson
fne looking corporal, with a militar,
face aye, and f cure; mu,tachsl, beard
cd, eager such face as have seen i
Horace Vernet's battlc-pieces. A GOO
marksman, too, is Wilson; for man,
years the terror of squirrels in tn
woods of E.. Prince and CIaypol
cover Hardiker and Wilson, while
march behind, right in the folds Of tn
great flag. Alongside, in the line c
filo-closers, go Wost, and lisping light
haired Wiebcl the German; aud, las
the ever sage, serene, and satisfactor
Bias Dickinson.
X X X X 4
SO we 60 out of the field into IL
road, in the centre Of the long column
, with banners waving, aud, hope, IL
true light of battle upon our faces--so
diers in a noble cause-farmer and mt
Ohanic, merchant and preacher shou
der to shoulder. "BoOml' 90 the far
. way guns. We are moving rapidly
the front: so the other regiments AT
the stout battery-men and the ysllo
cavalry;men give way for US, oheerir
US on. Down a cross road towards t
river, sweet south wind shaking viii
cloud favors out of every window
heaven at US; the sun smiling God'spee
and the lady ross-bushes, from fenc
corners Ike balconies, showing the
blossom handkerchief.
X X x X X
Cautiously, boysl A few steps, al
m we stumble over the handsome horse
the wounded colonel, dead in the m
die of the road, with eight bull'
through him. There, too, is the bloc
boot Of his rider, hastily cut off after
wOunding was accomplished. A co
pany are detailed as aankers; and
they 60 through the wood few r,
!. distant from the road, they hear
groans Of other wounded men. Tt
~ cannot 60 to them; for to stop would