Elizabeth daily monitor. [volume] (Elizabeth, N.J.) 1868-1880, 1869-03-09

place where the Cavalry Chief was sit
ting upon his horse, but thewhite horse
and his rider we're both on the ground,
and the horse was kicking and rolling
in frantic manner, crushing his rider
and preventing any assistance, until an
officer stepped quickly to his head and
relieved his misery by we'll directed
shot from his revolver then they pick.
ed the General up. His left hand was
clutching the breast of his coat, while
the right grasped the hilt of his sword.
His eyes were closed and his face was
deadly pale as they carried him to a
less exposed situation, but he was dead
almost as soon as they laid him down.
That was my first sight of death on the
battlefield, but [ soon became accus-
toned to it before the day was over.
Our regiment had gone to the front,
and on going little further I came to
a line OF men stretched along the entire
plain in the rear of the whole army /;
this was the provost guard, whose
duty it was to arrest all stragglers and
runaways from the front.
Isaw number of men come rushing
back with white faces, and begging to
be let through the lines, some of whom
claimed to be wounded, while others
asserted that the whole army was re-
treating, and would be down to the
river in few minutes. Those who
claimed to be wounded were hastily ex-
amined by the surgeon and ordered
back to their regiment, under guard.
Showing my certificate from the
hospital as evidence that I was not q
straggler, I was directed where to find
my regiment, and permitted to pass
without the honor of guard.
At almost every step met stretch
er bearing body covered with blood,
or a man with broken limb, support
ed by comrade, while EXPLANATIONS of
pain and scenes of anguish were con-
stantly mingling with the awful roar of
artillery that never ceased for mo-
ment.
Presently new sound was added to
the uproar at first it resembled the
swapping of fre-crackers so often
heard on fourth of July. This strange
sound ran along up the line for more
than a mile, when suddenly returned
and came down the line with greater
rapidity and increased noise. This
was musketry, and its close, crashing,
whining sound suddenly extinguished
all ardor and enthusiasm which roar OF
artillery had aroused within me. There
was something soul-inspiring in the
thunder of those great guns, and, if
one must be struck, it seemed more
heroic and sublime to be suddenly ex-
tinguished by one of those fiery shells
falling like meteor from heaven, but
to be struck down like brute by one
of these little unseen leaden balls which
were now. whistling by me, caused a
sudden revolution of sentiment and an
ardent desire for bullet proof uni
form, a good sized tree to rest against,
or some quiet occupation in the CEN
trail part of Minnesota.
I may as well confess that I was
somewhat excited just at this, point,
''scared like the d." said veteran
who was rushing frantically to the rear.
I would have run, too, had there been
any prospect of lettering my condi-
ton by SO doing, but behind us was
that terrible rear, memorable as death
himself, and there, too, the shells
were carrying death every minute SO
/ hurried on to the front where / found
our regiment formed in line Of battle,
and astonished the boys by my hero
ism in thus abandoning the hospital for
the battlefield. / said nothing of my
recent indecision, but found my old
place in the line and crept in beside
Tom.
There were seven lines of men, each
line three miles long, on the ground
side by side, and slightly protected
from the shells by an old road that run
the whole length of the plain. Upon
comparing notes with those around me
1 was much consoled to find that I was
not the only one who was excited by
surrounding circumstances. We had
scarcely exchanged a word, when we
were blinded by fierce, blazing light
thot flashed lilxa Eubtninu bafora oi1r