Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-05-22
Charging the Battle Line.

Detroit fryC frtsa.
We uf the cavalry had been fighting
since . o'clock IN the morning, ami now
at 3 ia the afternoon, the TIL gOt n
breathing spell. The enemy had been
determined on a flank movement, but
We held il in check.
over on the right our infantry were
falling back, and the cOntre could hard
Is hold It's ground. The enemy could
spare two brigadcs and still push our
night. They were now bringing them
up under cover Of the woods To huH
them at our left. All our troops we're
in action, and men died on the battle
line with the dogged determination not
To give an inch ul ground.
Now there is a lull,
No need To- tell a soldier what Il
means The enemy Is changing hlS bat
tle.linc ga a. To include the reinforce
mcnt, coming up. Murder takes a rest
Tor n few minutes.
Au aidr-dc.csmp dashes up and IN
qulrcs Tor the officer la command. lie
rides down the line To- the colonel. Our
regiment IL all alone here, and We are
less than 20 men IN the saddle.
Away goes the alde, aud ~ the
colonel turus ia his saddle Ia look over
the men We can all see that he wears a
pale lace. What VAS the order? Ii
was fur that long regiment To swing
around the corner ui the woods and
huTl itself against the enemy coming
up, Was II blundeT, OF Was the or
der born in the grim despair gnawlng
away AT the commanding generals heart
rs he ielt the battle going against HIM
Ii any man knows lac has never SPOKEN.
The colonel hrsitated Just moment.
lie had seen a hundred saddles emptled
that day, aud now 200 men were to he
matched against S,OOO!
Forward.
We in the line did not know where
until We turned the woods and halted
e. dress the lines Halt n mile away,
AMI coming ia battle line, were the two
prigades There were stumps here and
there ia the field, and the fruit VAS ripe
ON dozen scattering cherry trees,
This is my last tight!' ~hisPcred
bronzei,iaCe trooper behind me, as he
realized that We we're going 10 charge.
only one man cut OF twenty will
live 10 see the sun an hour lOwer'
growled another.
There was no order To unsling car
bints We we're going to fight with the
sahrr alone Faces grew pale, teeth
shut together hard, and then the silence
Of seath settled upon the little band.
Forward
"TrOtl'
"Gallop!
"ChaTge
Ave- We are not mutes after all. N!
Vi! Vi, comes the yell, and We all take 1t
up. Sahrrs are flashing, horses rush
ing. aud troopers shouting, aud there Is
an eNhilarItiOn IN the moment which
lifts men in their stirrups.
Will they form IN SQUARE
No They shout In derisiOn as 700
men ride down upon 5000! They halt,
and the front rank drops To its knees,
and the rear rank takes steady aim.
am IN the front rank Of our charging
line, aud | can see every movement l
wish il Was over. II does not seem pos
sible that one Of us will be alive after
their first volley. There will lie grand
crash, sheet OF fame, and the mael-
strom Of death will have drawn US TO
earth.
NsaTer-neareT, hear their ofio,T
commanding them to be cool. Nearer
here is the Crash-the hame-the
smoke-the cheers and the groans.
Nov Ne are upon theml Our horses
strike the line like a great wave that
cannot DC stayed nor turned aside.
SEE men under foot-they jsb at me
With bAyonets, they strike at me With
clubed muskets Bugles sound, officers
shout sabres ring-muskets crash, and
men live through il TO pass beyond out
OF the smoke, loud.
Rally! RAllyw call the bugles
1--WE have broken their lines and con-
fusei them. They are retreating, but
they are disorszniIed Tor . moment
We can hear the officers shouting orders,
and there is pop POpl pop! OF mus
kerry around us.
Rally on the eentrel"
Every horse knows and Obeys the
cali. Under the smoke xe reform. The
trooper at my left 10 leaning forward IN
his saddle, sabre gone AMI both hands
clutching his horses name There was
blood on mis- bare head and bronze lace,
and bayonet has given him horrible
wound on the Leg. The three horses be-
yond me on the right have empty
sA,ldles, YEA here they are, ready 10
charge back again.
Vii yil VI"
Here We are again Who leads Us
do notkROw. What We are changing
cannot zee. Ii Is only minute before |
zee bayOsets aud men In line, and then
comes theNshock. No man could tell
you What ukes place in that brisf mo-
msnl ID isS horrible nightmare Of
eams and ssnoAs and blood and death.
We are scaruay through one battle
J line hetoge vs xssel % the Left and
ssriks ano<hsr. Ne trooper who was
at my Let % missua There are three
riissiess Nos O. Oh. side and two on
the othef. fhey keep ,ace With mine.
Theysesraad sing .hsnssyes asainstt the
line. stslking vlsk their tesl snd scream
ing hte yild eeasts = III bsyoas,s
prek then. 80 -
Nov totks rigtl, <nd Ne a.saSAsoush
Il . 10y k-lx ~<~-l~ -E