The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-07-22
Charging the Battle Line

enemy could spare two brigades and
still push our right They were now
bringing them up under cover of the
woods to hurl them at our LETT. ALI our
troops were in action, and men died on
the battle line with the dogged deter
mination not to give an inch Of ground.
Now there is lull.
No need to tell soldier what it
means. The enemy is changing his bat
tie lines SO as to include the reinforce
ments coming up. Murder takes a rest
tor few minutes.
An aide-de-camp dashes up and in
auires for the officer in command. He
rides down the line to the colonel. Our
regiment is all alone here, and less than
700 men in the saddle.
Away goes the aide, and as the colonel
turns in the saddle to look over the
men we can oil see that he wears pale
face. What was the order! 1t was for
that lone regiment to swing around the
corner of the woods and hurl itself
against the enemy coming up. Was it
q blunder, or was the order born in the
grim despair gnawing away at the COM
manding generals heart as he felt the
battle going against hint If any man
knows he has never spoken.
The colonel hesitated Just moment.
He had seen hundred saddles emptied
that day, and now 700 men were to be
matched against 5000.
Forward u
We did not know where until we
turned the woods and halted to dress the
lines. Half mile away, and coming
forward in battle line, were the two
brigades. There were stumps here and
there in the field, and the fruit was ripe
on a dozen or more scattering cherry
trees,
There was no order to unsling car
bines. We were going to fight with the
sabre alone Faces grew pale, teeth
shut together hard, and then the silence
of death settled down upon the little
band.
Forward -
"Trot ="
"Callop"
Charge =
Ave we were not mutes after all. vi!
vi vi comes the yell, and we all take
: it UP. Sabres arc flashing, horses rush
ing, and troopers shouting, and there is
an exhiliration in the moment which
lift men in their stirups
Will they form in square
No They shout in dersion as 700
men ride1 down upon 5000; they halt,
and the front rank drops to its knees,
and the rear rank takes steady aim. l
am in the front rank of our charging
line, and can see every movement l
wish it was over. 1t does not seem pos
sible that any one Of us will be alive
after their first volley. There will be
grand clash, sheet of flame, and the
malestrom of death will have drawn us
to the earth.
Nearer-nearer l hear their Off
GERS commanding them to be cool.
Nearer-here is the crash-the flame
the smoke-the cheers and groans
Now we are upon them Our horses
strike the line like q great wave that
cannot be stayed or turned aside. l
see men under foot-they jab at me
with bayonets, they strike at me with
dubbed muskets. Bugles sound, Off
GERS shout-sabres ring-muskets crash,
and men live through it to pass beyond
out of the smoke cloud.
We have broken their line and con.
fused them. They are not retreating,
but they are disorganized for moment.
We can hear their officers shouting or
ders, and there is pop! pop pop of
musketry around us.
Orally on the centre"
Every horse knows and obeys the
call. Under the smoke we reform. The
trooper at my left is leaning forward in
the saddle, sabre gone and both hands
clutching his horses name. There is
blood on mis- hare head and bronze face,
and bayonet has gwen him horrible
wound in the leg. The three horses
beyond me ON the right have empty
saddles, yet hers they are, ready to
charge back again.
"Yil vi vi"
Here we 90 again. What We are
charging l cannot see 1t is only
minute before see bayonets and men
in line, and then comes the shock. No
man could tell you what taxes place in
that brief moment of fame and smoke