Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1880-05-26

I
will be the signal for such a panic
as only soldiers ever see. Men
will throw away everything that
impedes flight--they will brighten
each other with looks and words
they will forget their battles, their
scars, and their flag, and think on
" of a swifter pace. Who will he
/ the rear-guardi There comes an
order to settle the question.
"The general orders the Third
to form in the rear and fight and
fall back-fall back and fight
Leave your dead and wounded
where they fall Hold the enemy
in check at all hazards. On this
depends the salvation of the whole
army"
Fight and fall back First
fight. Where Begin right here
on the crest of this hill. The enc
my is coming mp the road at a gallop,
cheering and yelling and determin-
ed TO ride over us. Steady now I!
Here we are in battle line across
the highway, with a company on
each flank along the fences. The
road is full of the charging caval-
ry, and with grand yell they are
upon us. 1t lasts hut n minnie,
and as the wind whirls the smoke
away we see that the road is full
of men and horses-some dead as
the stones under their feet-some
writhing in the torture of CHASTITY
wounds. There is a cheer as we
see the remnant galloping back ont
of range, but it dies away as we
count thirty of our own dead and
wounded. In that one minute of
fierce fighting, more than one hun
bred men went to the dust.
Fall back? No! This is our
battle line for while yet. The
wounded are lifted from the dust
and laid upon the turf, and we are
vet at the work, serving friend and
foe alike, when the enemy comes
again. 1t is cavalry, as before, but
while they are massing as best as
the narrow limits will permit,
battery on the hill behind them
shells us as if it meant to leave no
one of us alive. Fence rails go
flying-dust and dirt are sent high
err than the tree tops-trees are cut
short off or splintered "a if light
ming had spent its fury there, but
no one moves. Our order was to
die on the line.
"Ready, men! Hold your fire
until every bullet will count. We
can hold this line until dark !"
Here they come Beyond us is
the last of the great wagon train,
followed by brigades which are
looking back at us as women do at
twilight shadows. If they only
break through us!
Not a word-not n whisper in
answer to those wild cheers. Not
movement in the line until the
nearest horses are burned with the
wave of flame which rolls out and
enwraps horse and rider with a
crimson robe of death. They press
on. Horses leap over the dead or
trampIe upon them. Sabres and
hayonets drink blood. and men
fight on after they have fallen.
1t is over again, and we have
beaten them back. The highway
is an awful sight to look upon as
the smoke floats sullenly away
There is no longer a path through
the dead. The road is packed with
the dead and womded-literally
packed.
Fall back! Yes. Their infant
ry has come mp and tlanking par
ties are being pushed forward. We
leave eighty-siX dead and wounded
to their care, and we trail arms and
withdraw at double-qnicll. One
company has been wiped out OF
existence-one man ont of every
eight in our ranks is left to mark
our battle line.
Fall back and fight. A quarter
of a mile down the road and we
form anew, our tanks protected by
swamps. They are coming after
Us, rendered more wary, but at the
same time more desperate and de-
termined. They cannot use caval
ry here, but they push forward linz
after line of infantry, to he check
ed, broken and hurled back agar
by a fire more hot and steady thar
has been seen on the front of
whole brigade.
Fall back! They are pushing
cavalry and infantry along a by
road to cut us off. "Leave you
dead and wonndedw How man,
this timer We have fought TWEEN
ty minutes and lost forty-two mer
Double-quick for half a mile an
we form in the bend of q roat
; They cannot flank us on the righ
but the left and front are open fo
both cavalry and infantry. Her
is their chance. They file to tn
20 right, and mass in the fields. Br
gade after brigade wheels int
place-batteries rush into position
e and we are sullen and silent, Will
k a whole division masses for bait
b against o mere handful!
d Here come there skirmishers
/