Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1880-10-07
The Nightmare Of War.

OiTuS were Singing, tire cIHics
: fiuttering about on erratic wing
and COW stood under tree te
our right and lazily chewed hel
cud and switched away the flies.
1t was midsummer, and tho
scene was 30 quiet and peaceful
that our eyes would have grown
sleepy had we not known that ten
minutes more was to change it into
a ringing hell. In the woods be-
hind 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 conld have crossed the mead
ow and scarcely notice any of the
preparations for the bloody strng-
gle ready to begin.
Now came the 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 ard trcmble.
1t it lasts only i've minutes it seems
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 addressed the order is
given in low voice, and the men
step softly. The horses teel the
oppression as well as the men,
Some move uneasiiy 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 thnnGer-clap, and
there is movement of relief up
and down the lines. The spell is
broken in an instant, and men and
horses are anxious to move. The
sonys of birds are replaced by the
roar of guns, the sleepy haze in the
air gives way to a cloud OF smoke,
and peace stands aghast as the
murderous shells strike in solid
lines and scatter mcu 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 onparade. The brigade
to the left swings out and the one
to tie 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 IN
til the curses Of the men become
loud and deep.
All of sudden the roar is in
creased. The enemy has planted
battery on hill to our left, and is
plugging shot and shell into the
flank Of all the troops on our right.
Down onr front sweeps an
avalanche Of destruction, clearing
our own lines, but shattering
Others beyond.
Now we move and change front
t. face the battery. The line in
front of us stalks griinly into the
smoke, and the line behind us
make its presence known by a
steady tramp tramp! tramp
One cannot tell whether it is a
single regiment Of whole brigade
moving .f to charge the battery,
for the smoke has now dritted
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 Gear of n dip in the meadow,
and then it suddenly springs for
ward. Men cheer, but IN that
awful roar the voice of a man
could not be heard ten feet away.
Men fall to the right and left.
The line stumbles over corpses as
it hurrics on. There are flashes IL
the smoke-cloud, terrible explos-
ions 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 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
parade--again hent like a crawling
serpent. Bayonets are fixed, but
we arc right upon the guns before
We see onr 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
ty lever, and 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 bayonet-
ed as they ram home the charges.
The guns are DISCHARGED uno,,