The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1880-09-24
The Nightmare OF War.


green woods at our backs the birds were
singing, the butterflies fluttering about
on erratic wing, and a COW stood under
a tree to our right and lazily chewed
her cud and switched away the flies.
1t was midsummer, and the scene
was so quiet and peaceful that our eyes
would have grown sleepy had we not
known hat ten minutes more was to
changeit into a raging hell. In the woods
behind us we could hear the tramp Of
regiments 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 on an army just before the
fame of destruction is lighted. 1t Is
this silence that makes men turn pale
and tremble. If it lasts only five min
utes it seems a whole day. There is no
loud talk-no words of jest. The most
reckless man feels the weight OF that
ominous silence. If the line is to be
dressed the order is given In a low
voice, and the men step softly. The
horses feel the oppression as well as the
men. Some move uneasily about
Others stand perfectly quiet, ears pointed
forward and eyes searching the woods
beyond.
"Crashl Bang! Rosr!"
The opening of the battle comes as
suddenly as a 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 q cloud of smoke,
and peace stands aghast rs the murder
Gus shells strike in solid lines and scat
ter 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 a sudden the roar Is increased.
The enemy has planted a battery on a
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 SCATTERING 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 its presence known
by a steady tramp! tramp! tramp!
One cannot tell whether it is a single
regiment of a whole brigade moving of
to charge the battery, for the smoke has
now drifted down upon us until the
tenth man to the right or left can barely
he counted. We can hear no order, but
the line goes straight ahead until clear
of a dip in the meadow, and then 1t
suddenly springs forward. Men cheer,
but in that awful roar the voice Of q
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 all, 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.
1t is a 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 paradc-again bent like
a crawling serpent. Bayonets are fixed,
but We are right upon the guns before
we seeour enemy. No M has an order
to give, and no order could be heard.
The line moves ahead or falls back as IL
it were controlled by a lever, aud yet no
one can see how. Each man acts for
himself, and yet all act together.
There is a 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 SC we cannot tellgaA
dozen of us are fighting over a field
piece-shooting, stabbing and clubbing
but we fall back and reform. Halfof
the guns are silent. but the others are
pouring grapeinto us across a'space not
three hundred feet wide. No one seems
to give any orders, but all at once our
lines move forward again with a cheer.
No one sees his right or left-hand man.
For the time each one is alone. The line
bends back-doubles up straightens
.out-surges ahead-falls back-springs
forward, and again we are among the
ield-pieces. Bayonets and sabers clash.
Muskets are dubbed to deal blows after
bayonets are broken. There Is a terri.
BILE roar-a thick smoke-a constant
cheering, and the horrible nightmare
forces a single man to attack a dozen.
All! what is thisP All at once there
Is a lull. Men look around in astonish-
ment. Wounds unfelt five minutes ago
begin to bring groans now. What has
happenedP 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. II was a bayonet charge, re-
sisted by bayonets, and we have won.
There are ton acres Of meadow covered