Osage Valley banner. (Tuscumbia, Miller County, Mo.) 1879-1881, 1880-07-15
DYINa wIfh FHE REAR eUARp

" T. NNlH .GNiilN " iNtA btNhf
No one but soldier realizes the
meaning of an order to fall back in the
fHoe of u foe flushed with yictnric.
gained on right, left aud center. Ii i,
next tuR panic. One false move will
make il a panic aud roGt.
The army will fail back 20 q NOR
favorable position" were the words OF
the General 10 the various cumrahd-
ters, 4h .a
That meant defeat. It rsant that
.plr dead aud Wounded wss 70 De leit
IN the hands 81 tue ene'y lt meant
that wg had been o,yegeheraled' and
thai tho only bnne 10 was To withdraw
and re.forn, IN new position. The
WAGON trajn IA been moving for two
hoiIrs and Nv, within three hours of
snndown ar b6ttle-line melted away
"a reg;.anis and brigades were called
m "a divisions went marching down
tShighway, s "a
There were pale faces and timorous
z plances among tie old fighters. They
had lalghed and loked each other on
tic baiue-liue but There were no
smiles SOW. Pit a soldier with bis
l',i,is,.,, buck e the foe # you want tosee a
The epomy are pressing forward.
They areeNnltant and reckless. There
IS nuly tlt one uusty' SIuvAtd hlghgav
sfor hInis,l nud h,,nier One charge OF
q cavalry down tippn our rear---a dozen
"a snrearninp sbeHsfrOm q battery planted
on this b,ll WI be the signal for such
apahic as ong soldiers ever see. Men
will throw away everything that inn
pcles niglti they. VIII frighten each
other wtl looks and. words they will
f6rrtttfeir battles, their scars aud their
fiteeapd think only Of q. swifler pace.
NtD VIII be the rear guardR There
canes an orlrr to settle the question
u "Tbe General oricrs tIe Third to
<foTmih rear audiight and fail back
fail back and fght. Leave your dead
and w0uhded where they fall Hold
the enemy i'm check AZ all hazards. On
this depends tho salvation of the whole
armyip
sFigbt and fsil back First fight
Whore? Begin right here on the crestof
tliis hin. The enemy is coming up the
road Al gallop, cheering and yelling
and determined 10 ride over u.s. Steady
snowt Here wo are in battle-line across
the highway, WITH company.on each
flank along the fences. The road is
full of the charging cavalry, and with
a grand yell they are upon us, 1t lasls
bnt minute, andIas the NiBf whirls
the smoke away we see that the road Is
fun of men and horses some dead as
the stones under their feet-some
Wrfthiug in the torture of ghastly
wounds, There is a cheer as we see
the remnant galloping baek out Of
range, but it dies. away as we count
thirty of our own dead and wounded.
In that one minute OF fierce fighting
more than one hundred men went TO
tho dust.
Fall backP Mol This is our battle
line for while yet The wounded are
lifted from the dust and laid upon the
tdrE and we are yet at the work, sery-
ing friend aud foe alike, when the enc.
my comes again IL Is cavairy, as be-
fore. but twhile they4ire missing rs best
the narrow limits viii permit, abattery
ON the bul behind theni shellsus as if u
meant TO leave no one alive. Fence
Iail8go living dust and dirt are sent
higher than She tree tops tees are cut
ssfort on rsplintered ash lightning had
spent its furydhere, buc no'une moves.
.tOm' order was TO die on the line
"Ready menl Hold your lire uhtils
every bullet will count. yWe can hold
this line until darlSp'
~ Her6ah6y d6inel Beyond us Is thelas
oftlre great w9gon tEelnt followed By
bfigades which arc. lpoking back at us
ay.wonen do ats twilight shadows II
I they eau only break through usl
+ Not alyond--not a whisper iasapswer
4 To those wild cheers. Not masement
in the liReuhtil the nearest horses are
burned with the wave Of tiame (which
rolls out and enwraps horse and rider
with a crimson robe Of death. They
/ press on. Horses leap over the dead Or
Itrample upon them Sabeis and bayo-
nets drink blood, and men tighr on after
they nave fallen.
II is over again, and we have beaten
theml back The highway is an awftl