The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1866-03-28


for moment it was overcome. And b.
was disciplinarian too; the best eve
knew.
Well, things were undeniably looking
bad-and growing from bad to worse
There were symptoms of exhaustion ant
encouragement, and not on the enemy
side. My neighbor touched my arm, ane
without word, pointed to the right; Their,
were men running, and they were English
Right in our front the fire blazed uE
afresh, and the screams of "Vive Fem
pereur" growing more and more distinct
told of coming attack. Our line was
formed four deep, and how do not ex
actly remember) we became aware that a,
last we were going to be sent forward-thai
the time was come for Greek to meet Greek
We woke up as from dull and dismal
dream, to real life and action. We had Of
yet done nothing, except that little brush
with the cavalry. But how many hours had
We been suffering! Our losses, compare
lively, had not been heavy; but the full and
hideous effect Of every shot that struck
was displayed before us, and we had to
stand and wstch it, hopelessly. It was as
bad as slipping your medicine, and that
medicine the bitterness Of death. But now
the load was off US, the nightmare at an
end All the feelings so long pent up were
loosened and working into fury. At last
we were free to show what we too could do.
But as yet there was no visible change we
still stood behind that ridge, not seeing the
approaching column, and unseen by them.
Our commanding officer, with two or three
of the mounted staff, was on the brow,
watching the enemy. Now he is coming
back to US; now he puts US in motion. Az
we topped this rise, we had to break and
pass between our guns, which ceased firing,
the gunners cheering US as we went by
their sleeves tucked up, their hands and
faces devilishly black, and hot, reeking hot
they looked. They are passed, and here
are the enemy, coming on at run, and up.
roarious. The sudden separation of our
formidable line moving down upon them,
so firm, so steady, in such awful silence,
Enthusiastically staggered them. Their voices
hushed; they came to stand; they deliv-
cred weak, scattering fire, which, though
SO close, did no harm. Then came our vol
ley, and then pause, for one tremendous
moment, till the smoke should lift and show
10 the effect.
They are down-broken, crushed, fleeing
all who can! British phlegm, British dis
cipline could keep quiet no longer out
rung cheer, which none there, French or
English, would forget while they lived
Every bugle in the regiment sounded the
advance'-kept sounding it over and over
again. Forward over the wreck we stalked
From that moment, our advance, in spite
of momentary checks, was never stopped
till we drew up at the finish at La Belle
Alliance-in the fore front of the whole
British battle.
The horrors of our progress were not un-
mixed with ludicrous incidents. Here was
the first piece of plumber ever saw One
of the men as he ran on, stopped, twitched
q knapsack off dead Frenchman's back,
and throwing his firelock into the hollow of
one arm, proceeded to rummage it with the
other. Out Jew letters, letters-nothing
else. The more angrily he shook it, the
more the papers futtered. A nice prize "a
knapsackful of billets doux! The laugh
was against him, and he flung it away with
curse.
We were now coming up to q second line,
which seemed disposed to make q stand be-
hind little bank, ON which, to all appear
ances, had grown yesterday q hedge-now
leveled. As we came close, the enemy
hearts failed them-they broke and fed. A
few, who could not make up their minds in
time, were bayoneted. Forward, forward,
over man and horse, and wreck Of all sorts
numbering the ground! Since spoke Of
things looking 60 il; very short tipe had
complete as shifting scene in q panorama
We were still leading, but the whole British
army was coming on at our back. So for
Anl v~,A~ tL~k - II. n
began to fall among US. A messenger was
sent back to the offending artillery; but the
commanding officer was indignant ct the
supposition that he Was capable Of such
bad practice. Suddenly We found ourselves
on the brink Of deep, hollow road, with
steep clay-banks, very slippery from the
rain. 1t was choked with French. huddled
together like sheep in Q pen; Frenchin dis
may, crying for quarter. We slid down /;
our men snatched the French muskets,
broke the stocks against the ground, flung
away the barrels, left the disarmed crowd
to be dealt with by our people in the rear
there were awkward stories Of some Of these
defenceless men having been massacred by
our ies-scrambled up the other bank,
formed as good fghting-line as ever, and
forward! There was sudden cry
of cavalry" little unsasiness at being
caught by them in line. But the word was
passed: Remember you are four deep /;
it's as good as . square," 1--WE had been
trained for any such sudden emergency.
Any individual officer, in case Of disorder,
was to give the word: "Form rallying
and collect in that form any strag-
glers near him; and know one case in
which that was done But the men stead
led in moment. Out Of the smoke rushed
. mob Of horsemen upon us. It was an
English cavalry regiment, driven by and
mixed up with French one. Right on US
they came: in self defence we gave them
our FIRE; it was deadly. French and Eng
lish broke and vanished in the smoke so
quickly as they had come into view
heard Of British cavalry officer killed in
our ranks, unable to make the men under
stand that he was not Frenchman. The
disaster was no fault of ours.
Forward again. We were now getting
near some French guns which opened upon
US, and down went lot Of men. A chat
tering in my ears, the like Of which had
never heard, made me call out: "What's
that?" An old sergeant, touched his cap
with q grim smile at the youngsters igno-
rance, replled: Grape, SIT. IL was no
small satisfaction to see the gunners cutting
the traces Of their teams and riding off
Every moment came fresh signs that the
end was at hand. On the rising ground
above Mont ST. Jean, some Of our batteries
which had been silent, broke out again fast
and furious: and out came the sun just as
he had done the previous evening. The
sky was just as wild and stormy. But
how gloomy had he looked then-how
bright and smiling now to me! and how to
the unfortunate French! Then did call
to mind the saving Of my brother subaltern