Connecticut western news., 1880-08-18
THE NIGHTMARE OF WAR.
A Thrilling Description of the Open
 ing of a Fight.

As we formed in line, with the cool, green woods at our backs, the birds were singing, the butterflies futtering about on cratic wing, and COW stood under tree to our right and lazily chewed her cud and switched away the flies.
 It was midsummer, and the scene was so quiet and peaceful that our eyes would have grown sleepy had we not known that ten minutes more was to change it into raging hell. In the woods be- hind us we could hear the tramp of regi- ments and brigades-in the forest across the peaceful meadow regiments and brigades of the enemy were coming into position. One could have crossed the meadow and scarcely notice any of the preparations for the bloody struggle ready to begin.
 Now came that dreadful silence which always falls upon all army just before the flame of destruction is lighted. It is this silence that makes men turn pale and tremble. If it lasts only five minutes it seems whole day. There is no loud talk-no words of jest. The most reck- less man feels the weight of that ominous silence. If the line is to be dressed the order is given in low voice, and the men step softly. The horses feel the oppression as we'll as the men. Some move uneasily about-others stand per fectly quiet, ears pointed forward and eyes searching the woods beyond.
 "Crash Bang Roar p
 The opening of the battle comes as suddenly as thunder clap, and there is a movement of relief up and down the lines. The spell is broken in an instant, and men and horses are anxious to move. The songs of birds are replaced by the roar of guns, the sleepy haze in the air gives way to cloud of smoke, and peace stands aghast as the murder ous shells strike in solid line and scatter men or fragments of men over the grass and even among the limbs of the trees.
 We are ready to move, but we stand as if on parade. The brigade to the left swings out and the one to the right is slowly hidden by the smoke. Bullets are singing over our heads and throwing up the dirt in front, but we are held there until the curses of the men become loud and deep.
 All of sudden the roar is increased. The enemy has planted battery on 8 hill to our left, and is plunging shot and shell into the flank of all the troops on our right. Down our front sweeps an avalanche of destruction, clearing our own lines, but shattering others be- yond.
 Now we move and change front to face the battery. The line in front of us stalks grimly into the smoke, and the line behind us makes it's presence known by steady tramp! tramp tramp 1! One cannot tell whether it is single regiment or whole brigade moving off to charge the battery, for the smoke has now drifted down upon us until the tenth man to the right or left can barely be counted. We can hear no order, but the line goes straight ahead until clear of @ dip in the meadow, and then it suddenly springs forward. Men cheer, but in that awful roar the voice of man could not be heard ten feet away.
 Men fall to the right and left. The line stumbles over corpses as it hurries on. There are flashes in the smoke cloud, terrible explosions in the air, and men are stepped on or leaped over as they throw up their arms and fall upon the grass and scream out in agony of mortal wound. It is @ nightmare of death. The rank and file hear no orders, see no officers, and yet they push on, the line now dressed as if on parade again bent like crawling serpent. Bayonets are fixed, but we are right upon the guns before we see our enemy. No one has an order to give, and no order could be heard. The line moves ahead or falls back as if it were con- trolled by 8 lever, and yet no one can see how. Each man acts for himself, and yet all act together.
 There is struggle over the guns. Men are shot and bayoneted as they ram home the charges. The guns are dis charged upon struggling masses not ten feet from the muzzles. Now our lines retreat. Why so we cannot tell. A dozen of us are fighting over field piece shooting, stabbing and clubbing but we fall back and reform. Half o1 the guns are silent, but the others are | pouring grape into us across space not three hundred feet wide. No one seem9 to give any orders, but all at once oul lines move forward again with 8 cheer. No one sees his right or left-hand man For the time each one is alone. The line bends back-doubles up-straight' ems out-surges ahead-falls back springs forward, and again we are among the feld-pieces. Bayonets and sabres clash. Muskets are clubbed to deal blows after bayonets are broken. There is terrible roar-a thick smoke con. stant cheering, and the horrible night mare forces @ single man to attack a dozen.
 An what is this? All at once there is Hull. Men look around in astonish. ment. Wounds unfelt five minutes ago begin to bring groans now. What has happened? The smoke drifts away and the explanation is at hand. We have captured the guns and killed, captured or routed the regiment of infantry in support. It was bayonet charge, re. sisted by bayonets, and we have won.
 There are ten acres of meadow covered
 with dead and wounded-with knap.
 sacks, haversacks, canteens, muskets