Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1880-10-23
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The Nightmare OF War.

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
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
flame of destruction is lighted. 1t is
this silence that makes men turn pale
and tremble. If il lasts only five min
, utes it seems whole day. There is no
! loud taIk-no words ofjest. The most
reckless 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 rs well as the
men. Some move uneasily about
Others stand perfectly quiet, ears pointed
forward and eyes searching the woods
beyond.
Crash! Bang! Roar!"
The opening of the battle comes as
suddenly as q 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 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 u sudden the roar is increased.
The enemy has planted battery on
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 shattcring 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 steady tramp! tramp! tramp!
One cannot tell whether it is single
regiment OF n whole brigade moving OIL
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 q
man could not be heard ten feet away.
Men fall to the right and left. The line
stumbles over corpse3 ~ 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.
1t is Il 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 controlled by II lever, and yet no
one can see how. Elch man acts for
himself, and yet all aat together.
There is struggle over the guns.
Men are shot and bayoneted as they ram
home the charges. The guns ore 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 of
the guns are silent. but the others are
pouring grape into US across a space not
three hundred feet wide. No one seems
to give any orders, but all NJ once our
lines move forward again with a cheer.
No one sees his right or lefL-hand man.
For the time each ore is alone. The line
bends back--doubles up straightens
out-surges ahead-tulls back-springs
forward, and again we are among the
feld-pieces. BayoLots and sabers clash.
Muskets are dubbed TO deal blows after
bayonets are broken There is terri
BILE roar--a thick smOke-a constant
cheering, and the horrible nightmare
forces u single man to attack dozen.
All! what is this? All at once there
is lull 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 ut hand. We have
captured the guns and killed, captured
or routed the regiment of infantry in
support. ILwas u bayonet charge, re-
sisted by bayonets, and we have won.
There are ten acres of meadow covered
with dead and wounded-with KNAPP
sacks, haversacks, canteens, muskets
and swords, and yet it was only one
simple move on the chess-board of the
battlefield. The gums are turned on the