Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1866-03-29

/ 49,
collision, as if unawares pistol-shots wer,
rapidly exchanged, saddles as rapidly EN-
tied; away went the horses back into thu
smoke in various directions, not one ride
| left: the whole was enacted 10 less Tins
than you have taken to read 1t. {
We took M the ground which had beer
occupied by the Black Brunswlckers, anc
still was occupied by large number OF them
poor fellows! Very honestly had they beer
fighting; very thick they lay Close to me
was the body Of an officer, quite dead: Az
it was leisure moment, anal nad never
had fair view Of dead man before, de
termined to take good look at him, and
felt much the better for it. He was not dis
fgured-quite placid, but as yellow as any
duck in the market.
Wenow formed, not one, but two squares,
because we were 80 strong-above one
thousand bayonets The French cavalry
had by this time got possession OF the field,
but could never hold it ! they came and
went. Every now and then, they
would drive our artillerymen from their
guns; saw at one time seventeen guns IN a
row, abandoned The gunners, as well as
all general and staff officers, would take
shelter in the squares, just as you pop into
shop in a shower, and beg leave to wait
till the rain is over; and the squares be-
come crowded with announcement guests.
remember one couple in particular, be-
cause the horse trod on my toes. lie was
a. hot chestnut, but how sadly nervous
could not stand still for an instant. The
rider was curious contrast. His natural
temper was one of the most irritable ever
knew but scene like this steadied him,
and he sat like statue. By the by, did
not in one single instance see horse in the
rampageous attitude which battle-palnters
are so fond Of No ha! ha no hooking at
fear. They were not the animals they were
in Jobs days, or this gunpowder made the
difference? They do sniff the battle, poor
brutes, and realize the danger. Some, in
deed, showed no unusual symptoms. Here
and there (rarely) was case OF frantic
fright More frequently, it was qUaking,
shivering from head to foot.
And now our turn came; the cuirassiers
were going to try us. Very calmly our
colonel gave his directions, quite in con-
versational tone: CHOW, mind, memo
firing till I give the word, and I shan't do
that until they are within 80 yards" On
they came at a trot--the ground was too
deep for any faster pace-the officers in
front cheering them on, as the French SOL
der expects his officer to do.
It was mere murder. l do not think the
distance could have been 80 yards, when a
clear gentlemanly voice said: "Ready !!
PRESENT. A fash and a crack from the
face of the square. A heap of them were
down "The rest they run away as the
nursery rhyme has it. The cavalry tried us
no more. A large part of that wonderful
body of troops was disheartened and wasted
in such hopeless attacks; it was one of the
great mistakes of that great day.
N our turn we advanced, still in square.
We vent over the bridge, and little way
down the slope but the enemy were too
mishers, and a mark they could not miss !;
nearly surrounded by them. 1t was an
ugly moment. There was call for the
rifles, who were near us, to go at them, and
calamity the green-coats dashed into the
skirmish. The two lines were almost hand
to hand, without the slightest shelter. The
rifles dropped so fast that 1 thought they
were done; but the French dropped faster,
and were driven off after short struggle,
too deadly to last. 1t gave us relief; but
we had to walk back-we did not run-to
our old ground. .1Es4 tI
Soon after the square was reduced, and
we formed line just behind the ridge. I
was tall enough to see. over it; and here
began long, long, weary stand. For
want Of something better to do, I got
watching French gun, exactly opposite
me. The flash came in very regular time,
and then the shot would whiz right over my
head, and drop in the bottom of the valley
behind, among our allies. I was trying for
an epithet, but the less said the better.
Time after time, savage screams of "Viye
Napoleon!' would break out, announcing q
fresh attack. Very fierce they were, long,
destructive, and only not successful. They
took the name of their God of battle in
vain. A cannon shot struck the ensign
who carried one of the colors, smashed his
raised arm. and the color-staf, and went
through his heart. Without word, he fell
forward ON the color. A sergeant stepped
up in his place down he went instantly.
Another succeeded, only to share the same
fate. There was a moments hesitation be-
fore the next for duty took the deadly post;
but the storm was over, and all through it
the other ensign stood unframed beside the
dead.
Looking round to watch the fight of one
of the shots going to the rear, I was aware
of "the Duke quite close to me, and en-
tirely alone, walking his horse slowly along
in the rear Of the regiment, shot falling all
around him; his expression of countenance
was, if you please, immovable determine
ton, but am bound to confess 1t was the
opposite of pleasing.
I had asked my brother-subalten rather
early in the. day: 'sIs this what you call
much of fight?"
3"No," he said; "nothing very extra.
ordinary"
Some time after I repeated the question,
and got a similar answer but rather,
fancied, in short tone; so thought / had
not better ask any more. But now he came
up, and whispered in my ear: "Well,
never did see anything like this" So
felt satisfied Presently, sergeant came
round to him, four post was in rear of the
ranks, and said: "Please, Mr., come
and take command of the company. Your
brothers down, sir ~ Without a word
Without a change Of feature-the young
tote went and did it.
The persecution our poor captain under.
went was singular A grazed shot on the
head knocked him down, stunned. Trying
to get up on his knees, his back towards the
enemy, musket-ball struck the sole of his
foot, and made bad wound. Staggering
off as best he could, he leaned, for mo
ment's rest, against an abandoned gun: .
cannon shot instantly shattered the carriage
of it, throwing him down with no further
hurt.
AS soon as the fighting was over, his two
brothers, both officers in the regiment
started in search of him; for the greater
part of that night they rambled over thu
ground we had been working on, but il