Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1880-09-11

Now we move and change front to
face the battery. The line in front of
us stalks grimly into the smoke, and
the line behind us makes its presence
known by steady tramp. tramp!
tramp! One cannot tell whether it is
a single regiment or a whole brigade
moving off TO charge the battery, for the
smoke has now drifted 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 clear of dip in the meadow,
and then it suddenly springs forward.
Men cheer. but in that awful roar the
voice of man could not be heard ten
feet away.
Men fall to the right and left. The
line stumbles over corpses rs it hurries
on. There are flashes in the smoke
cloud. terrible explosions in the air.
and men are stepped on or leaped over
as they throw up their arms and fall up
on 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 bent like a crawling serpent.
Bayonets are fixed. but we are right
upon the guns before we see our enemy.
No one has an ordertogive, and no order
could be heard. The line moves ahead
or falls back as if it were controlled by
lever, and yet no one can see how.
Each man acts for himself, and vet all
act together.
There is a struggle over the guns.
Men are shot and bayoneted as they
ram home the charges. The guns are
discharged upon struggling masses not
ten feet from the muzzles. Now our
lines retreat. Why so we cannot tell.
A dozen of us are fighting over field
piece-shooting. stabbing and clubbing
but we fall back and reform. Half of
the guns are silent, but the others are
pouring grape into us across space
not three hundred feet wide. No one
seems to give any orders, but all at
once our lines move forward again
with cheer. No one sees mis- right or
left-hand man. For the time each one
is alone. The line bends back--doubles
up-straightens out-surges ahead
falls back-springs forward, and again
We are among the field pieces. Bayo-
nets and sabers clash. Muskets are
dubbed to deal blows after bayonets
are broken. There is terrible roar
a thick smoke-a constant cheering,
and the horrible nightmare forces
single man to attack dozen.
All! what is this? All at once there
is a lull. Men look around in astonish-
ment. Wounds unfelt five minutes ago
begin to bring groans now. What has
happened? The smoke drifts away and
the explanation is At hand. We have
captured the guns and killed, captured
or routed the regiment of infantry in
support. 1t was a bayonet charge, re-
sisted by bayonets. and We have won.
There are ten acres of meadow covered
with dead and wounded-with KNAPP
sacks, haversacks, canteens, muskets
and swords. and yet it was only one
simple move on the chess-board of the
battlefield. The guns are turned on
the enemy, our lines reformed in rear,
and men ask if it is really so that we
stalked in the shadow of death for half
an hour. 1t seems like a dream; it
might be a dream but for the awful
sights all around us-but for the awful
cries coming up from the wounded as
thirst and pain do their work.-Detrou
Free Press.