Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1864-02-26

deadly thug" and q submissive gToan o
. two is ell that is beard,--the gaps are close
and the heroes of the Peninsula and the Rap
pahanock, move on with a s.eadiness worth
of Napoleon's Old Guard. Again and agai
the jagged fragments of iron sweep destruc
lively through the ranks, but there is no wav
= ering-nO backs turned to the advancing foe
The grey lines of rebels now began to bt
unmasked from the ravine, and to push steadily
up TO the level surface Of the plaiD. Theil
crimson banners, surmounted by the blue
cross containing the cabalastic stars of trea
son, hoated saucily in the air, and seemed tc
challenge combat. On they came, one line
after the other, in confident array. Our
: troops now steadily deployed, and the firing
hitherto reserved, began. Quick as thought
the bullets swept by, and, one after another
strong men toppled over and stretched upon
the green turf. Each instant some one fell or
went TO the rear wounded. The combatants
approached each other until they were hardly
seventy five yards apart No obstacle inter-
venipg to shelter or hinder either party.
/ The firing grew terrific, Both parties
fought with the obstinacy Of desperation
The ground became strewn with the helpless
wounded and the dead. 1t seemed that not a
man could survive the whitening leaden storm
except by miracle The line became dreadful
ly thinned yet there we're no reserves at hand.
Many of the dampened muskets could not be
discharged, and the excited soldier rammed in
load upon load. Fiercer and faster came the
pitiless volleys, gathering momentum from
the closing masses of the enemy 1t was i'm
possible to maintain the ground against such
odds. The thinned and broken line was or
dered to fall back towards the town.
The enemy was too much crippled to
charge, but maintained sweeping FIRE, under
which the troops made the best of their way
back to the classic heights east of Gettysburg.
| Here they rallied under the protection of the
reserves, and held the rebels at bay, until the
arrival of the main body of the army. But
such retreat could not rs executed except
at fearful loss. Fer distance of half mile
the plain was strewn with the mangled vic
Tins OF the fray. Scores of men in an agony
of pain cried for water and for help. II was
enough to make the plying Heavens weep.
Soon after the line began to withdraw,
poor fellow dropped at my side Oh, help
me, he cried. Giving him my hand be strug-
gled to rise, but he could not. He sank back
again and with look of unuterabIe despair
be exclaimed, g Oh, I'm gone; leave me."-
The implying bullets came fercer and faster ;,
reaping rich harvest of death, and drench-
ing the green sward with crimson. Success
seemed to intoxicate the mercess foe, and he
followed with infuriate yells.
1t was not long until l, too, felt the sting OF
bullet. and fell benumed with paia. It was
a sudden, a singular metamorphosis from
strengh and Yigor to utter helplessness. Call
ing to the nearest man for assistance, he ans
wsred by conVuisive grasp at the spot,
where bullet at that moment struck him.
He passed on, limping as he went, and in
moment more the last blue blouse had disap-
peared and the field was alive with hootiug
rebels. The cannonading was yet active, and |
the unexploded shells ricochetted in dances |
across the plain. The influence ofpain was not |
sufficient to entirely dispel a wounded mans |
anxiety in regard to their unwholesome /
pranks. But there was no alternative but to |
lie still and take the chances. a.-f
The musketry firing having Stacked, the |
enemy's line of battle advanced in fine style, |
preceded at a few PAGES by skirmishera The
crimson flags foated in the air more sauciIy |
breathed the language Of impertiueuce. One |
of our wounded soldiers rising upon his elbow,
to ease bis aching pain, curly monster dressed |
10 gray, hurled at him the most bitter curses. |
With his musket at ready the brute ordered |
him to at once lie down or he would shoot
him dead, accompanying the threat with the /
vilest epithets. The helpless soldier obeyed
the inhuman mandate and zank back upon
the turf, where, in few hours afterward, his
brave and noble spirit left its mangled clay.
The line of rebel skirmishers now passed !
me, and l was within the hated dominion of
traitors One of them, a young fellow whose
countenance betokened mildness, approached.
He had picked up the sword of one of our dis
abled officers, and carried it swinging to the
belt which was thrown 5over bis neck To
the inquiry. whether the wounded would be
molested by his companions in arms he re-
piled ".No, you need pot be afraid. Ten
minutes ago, I myself would have shot you in
minute, bat now prisoner, you will not be
disturbed" Taking my revolver he passed on.
The rebel infantry now faced by their right
flank and moved off ia direction perpendic-
uar to that by which they had been approach
ing. Looking about1I discovered my friend,
Lieutenant B, lying a few yards beyond.
" Is that indeed you. Lieutenant" But he
had hardly given me the look of recognition,
when rebel battery came up at a brisk can
ter, wheeled iato position and unlimbered its
guns upon the ground where we lay. They
seemed about to commence firing
upon the town, through which. troops
were now retreating. Fearing the shots that
wonld be fired by our batteries 10 return, as
well as the trampling of horses attached to the
caissous, requested the caDnoneers to remove
me. Two of them kindly complied, and very
gently placed me under the shade Of q surb,
in the corneref fence. They then
brought poor Lieutenant B, who
had received two threefrightful wounds,
and laid him close by me. His eufferings
we're indescribable. '@Ob, this is terri-
bic, terrible ~ be groaned The rebel ar
tillerymen spoke sympathizingly to him, and
their brouzed faces eyinced sincere compassion.
THEY endeavored to arrange for him an easy
posture but in vain all were alilS painful. =
They gave him water to queueh his feverish
thirst, but it only served as an emetic. Sin
gularly thoughtful, they brought testament
which soldier had dropped upon the field
He opened it and tried To read, but the dis
tracted torment of his wounds would not per-
nit "Oh cannot, said be despondingly,
and the book fell at his side. 7..
1t was now five O'Clock p. M. The artil-
lerymen were summoned away, and the col
umns of the rebel Infantry quietly filed off to
their different stations in front of Gettysburg
Our troops having taken position on Oemete-
ry Hill, the enemy chose to postpone his as
sault. "A comparative calm settled over the
field where the Mhirlwind of hMtte had SO