Wilmington daily gazette., 1874-04-01
BATTLE BY MOONLIGHT.
VIVID DESCRIPTION OF A NIGHT SCENE AT
CHANCELLoKsvILLE

IN
CHANCEJLoKsV1LLE.
From the Columbia pa Sny.
Al tho Camp Fire IN Odd Fellows Han,
OH the 2l Il ult Mai. Norris deilvereu wna'
we will pronounce the most WV" uosT,'P
ton OF night attack we ever nearu. Tu .'.,
bers OF our brave boys VIII recall .nn'
moon-lit Nav night, 30 richly ana truth,
fully pictnred NV tno eloquent Norris. and
we are happv thai we can now redeem our
n, omises made last week to giveit 10 our
readers. 1t will rank high among inc
poetry and literature of our clVil war.
Many of you, fellow soldiers. reihehoe'
those terrible nights when Hooker was con-
,and;nv win ee in the vilis of Chance-
lorsyilie. How full of peril anu slauSn.er
ware those nights, and how beautiui, 100,
they werei Even yet can 500 'ho '.o.n
ulous shimmeTing beams OF the moon s'ea'
ING down through the boughs oil Tue Trees
afiord,nr, here and there, n glimpse OF the
on lions expectant faces gathered Deneatn
their shadows and peering into Tue h'eh.
for a sight Of the foe, while out upon 'no
omen field in front, where the hooh P"io
lixht laws in silvery silence, It's rays R'anco
from tue glistening arms OF tha' 100 keepink
lie same quiet watch. Our MAJOR Is al my
aIhow and asks If observe how peacoiui
it is. Living side by side, We commune
together in whispers. AFRAID 10 near Tue
sou nd of our voices-noW pointing ~ 'uo
delicious light as Ii tremDies on .ne ioa'os'
now startled by the shrill cry OF tne Wuip
noorwill as 1t breaks upon the deatn-hhe
/ ss,;i,naso. and now watching the shadows as
thew wisrdly dance over the grounu 10 the
mnsic of the breeze signing In the trees
overhead, tits a lovely. peaceful scene,
where all nature seems IN sweet Iepose,aho
vet here are gathered two mighty aIuies;
with ali their cruel euginery OF war shottsu
and ready. standing like two suge mastiiis,
| with nsryes strung .eetn sol, and Inc eyes
o,arinp into the uncertain light, waiting ior
3 chance 10 yrappls with each other In u
death struggle. Suddenly the sha'p Iopoi'
| of a muske ct awakens me echoes aIousu' N
str ange quiver thrills our iiame' .no puo, -
| caase their play, and the winds TO be hush-
adj. and then bursts on the night wllu,
denoniac veil, hi! hil hi! until It deepens
| into a monotonous reirsin' heaNens, ~"
| know what that il" almost misses the MIA
| or into our ears, "the enemy a,e
the earth seems to have oponed to let lorth
| a legion of fiends, SO unearthly ~ tnat cry
| and IN actompany 1t with nttlng chorus
! a score OF cannon join the tumult anu s"oil
| the awful din. Shouting ana yeihns, we
near them coming. while the ear'n sh"Ae'
beneath their hurried tramp. ,.ao.. -
A. this instant the moon peeps from beneath a
nassino cloud and food Of light reveals the grey
lines sweeping madly over the hsid, theH eyes
ablaze. their bayonets poised, and Their hanus on
| tina fatal trigger. "Steady, meni ieuuy, out &c
| serve vour ire" shouts the little MAJOR, as we
sprnr 10 our eet; and the sharp chck, chcH OF ths
| rnuIock is the quick responce. 'LIe low, rings
| from behind and, us we hug the earth again.
hnd blozs lights up the woods and held, anu IRON
six iron throats Is hurled, Kissing and scIeeehhf
| over our heads, storm of shot and sheii ina
punsing, ploughing along open glea'' D'VI T.;
pashes in the coming columns otiii lne Il. ~
| bil rings unbroken and dehant' upon the hsn'
but then the raised muskets are leVeleu' eie'h
of light flashes along our PROSTATE nhes 'ne sieS
| ranks melt before the whitening hre' anu, wiz
| loud cheers, regiment after regiment leaps Hoil
lts cover and fngs itself, in solid hnes' upon Tut
Zoe. There is short, shard bloody struggle, ant
the veil ia heard no more, and all Is sun again
| The moonbeams fat about us 1t naughI iiau uls
turbed their play, while the meiahcno,y s,suaut
| of the wind sounds more sadly still as Inc mus''
OF its plant mingles with the groahs ana iuei'lns
| cries of the wounded and dying.
| Three times in one night did that dreaului yel
herald The coming of the foe; three Times uiu .heN
| sweep over that field; and three times IKE al
phantoms at the approach OF day ana th'y WASH
| away before the scathing, consuming hre oil oul
| guns, How many young dead heroes were s'remi
IN that field and woods on that fatal ngh'' 'yint
thick together with the moons cold hght tehaeIi\
kissing their pale, ghastly faces, upturhed 10 'h'
| skv. and as each succeeding May moon uails IL
| pene,rannp rays through the thick foliage oil I'M
| wllds and summons the shadows 10 iheH eins'
sport, they mold their midnight reveis over IN
strait green graves OF scores OF those ueao heroes
| who unkonwn and forgotten, quietly Sleep a"ai'
| ina I ha nnl mn