The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1880-09-02
A Charge at Antietam.

On the baCtleheId OF Anuetam, sep
tember, 1862, John Gordon, of Geor-
gia, at the bunker church, saw a sight
memorable to him early that forenoon.
A regiment of Union infantry marched
in six columns, one after another, at
quickstep, directly upon his grim, ex-
perienced, lines. The strangers were
new troops, unscathed by any battle,
nOvices in the suferings of war, per-
haps never in their lives under fire,
and their clothing and accOutrements
were new, as if worn in militia parades
only. White, shining CATERS were
over their shoes, a zOuave jauntiness
were in their suits yas cut, their bay
Onents were as bright as household sill
yer, and they advanced without firing
a gun in all the intrepidity of school
boys bred on moral histories, conscious
Onl y of their good cause and the ami
nation of the charge. Coming for
ward they kept step, their eolors were
new from ladies' hands, the band played
glOriously, and every officer was at his
place; it was like the ideal war on
European open plains, not the war of
rugged country and rough volunteer
multitudes discovering tactics for
themselves.
"Save your fire men, till they close
on you," said Gordon; ''fresh as they
are, if they could break through us on
charge as cool as that We should rue
it." The gallant line came on, as beau
tiful as women, intrepid as children,
feeling the music and the holiday.
All! it was to be for the most of them
the holiday of eternity. AS the first
column was right up on the sullen
Southern line the command of Gordon
came to fire into them, taking aim.
A terrible earthquake of rifles poured
forth, renewed and renewed, as if a
devil had arisen and stamped and blew
his breath. The field and wood was
thick with those young boys piled up
like cOrdwood spilled, and another of
the doomed columns was coming un-
dauntedly on, colOrs, music, and glist-
ening belts and anklets as before, as if
the perished column had a second life,
and was renewed in the tramPled corn
and high, clean oak groves. "What
unaffected, unconscious bravery,
thought Gordon, as he gave command
to hold the fire until it would be deadly.
Again the demon burst through the
limestone mould and stamped and
danced and the bright pageant went
out in smoke, hailstOnes and sighs.
''Did you ever see such cOOlness?''
exclaimed Gordon, all black with pow
der aud sweat, as the third and fourth
columns of the same doomed regiment
came on again, parading above their
dead, and every officer in his place
waving his sword for the charge.
Again the woods exploded, the air was
ripped with lead, the pageant sank in
to the grave.
The remaining column and its gath,
erings wavered now. War had made
its paralyzing impression upon these
green natures like forest fire on bios
SONS. But there was one man left. an
officer who was seasoned through with
courage. Gordon saw him speak strong
words of courage to his shrinking com
mand, higher in tone than the howl Of
the fallen; he waved his sword il
their faces, pointed it to the enemy
and cried, advance" They would
not step; the ground before them wa.
too dreadful with dead. He took the
color in his hands and waved it anC
ran forward with it. They hesitated
Then wringing his hands above hi
head and throwing down his hat, h
adjured them by duty, manhood anC
country to come on. They dared no
go. Massacre had produced its i'm
preston.
"Then," says Gordon, who told
seventeen years after, when he was
senator, "that man whom ! ha