Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1881-05-05
WITH THE REAR GUARD,

meaning of an order to fall back i'll the |
face of a foe flushed with victories gained |
on right, left and center. 1t is next to |
panic. One false move will make it a |
panic and route.
''The army will fall back to more
favorable position, Were the words OF the
General to the various commanders.
That meant defeat. 1t meant that our
dead and wounded We're to be left in the
hands of the enemy. 1t meant that We
had been out-generaled, and that the
only hope left was to withdraw and
reform in the new position. The wagon
train had been moving for two hours,
and now, within three hours of shutdown,
our battle line melted away as regiments
and brigades were called in and divisions
went marching down the highway.
There were pale faces and timorous
glances among the old fighters. They had
laughed and joked each other ON the
battle-line but there were no smiles now.
Put soldier with his back to the foe ii
you want to see coward.
The enemy are pressing forward. They
are exultant and, reckless. There is only
the one dusty crooked highway for hunted
and hunter. One charge of cavalry down
upon our rear--a dozen screaming shells
from battery planted on this hill-will
be the signal for such panic Is only
soldiers ever see. Men will throw away
everything that impedes tiight-they will
frighten each other with looks and words
they will forget their battles, their
scars and their flag, and think only of
swifter pace. Who will be the rear guard
There comes an order to settle the
question.
''The General orders the Third to form
in rear and fight and fall back-tall back
and fight. Leave your dead and wounded
where they fall. Hold the enemy i'll
check at all hazards. On this Deepen DIS
the salvation of the whole army ~
Fight and fall back First fight.
Where Begin right here on the crest Of
this hill. The enemy is coming up the
road at a gallop, cheering and yelling and
determined to ride over us. Steady now
Here we are in battle-line across the high
way, with a company on each flank along
the fences. The road is full of the
charging cavalry, and with a grand yell
they are upon US. 1t lasts but a moment
and as the wind whirls the smoke away
we see that the road is full OF men ant
horses-some dead as the stones unde
their feet some writhing in the torture o
CHASTITY wounds. There is cheer a
We see the remnant galloping back out o
range, but it dies away rs We coun
thirty of our own dead and wounded upOl
the field. In that one minute Of iierc
lighting more than 100 men went to tn
dust.
Fall back MOI This is our battle
field for a while yet. The wounded ar
lifted from the dust and laid upon tn
turf, and We are yet at the work, servn
friend and foe alike, when the enem
comes again. 1t is cavalry rs before, hu
while they are massing as best the narro
limits will permit, battery on the hi
behind them shells Us as if it meant
leave no one alive. Fencerails 20 flying
dust and dirt are sent higher than ii
tree tops-trees are cut short off All
splintered as if lightning had spent /
fury there, but no one moves Our ord
was to die on the line.
Ready, men! Hold your fire unit
every bullet will count We can hold tn
line until dark -
Here they come Beyond us is the la
of the great wagon train, followed
brigades which are looking back at
as women do at twilight shadows,
they can only break through us
Not word-uot whisper in answ
to those wild cheers. Not movement
the line until the nearest horses 2
burned with the wave of the flame viii
rolls out and enwraps horse and rio
with crimson robe of death. They pr,
on. Horses leap over the dead or tram
upon them. Sabres and bayonets dri
blood, and men fight on after they ha
fallen.
1t is over again and we have beat
them back. The highway is an aw
sight to look upon as the smoke 10
sullenly away. There is no Longer
path through the dead. The road
packed with the dead and wounde,
literally packed.
Fall back Yes. Their infantry
come up and thanking parties are be
pushed forward. We leave ST dead
wounded in their care, and We trail al
and withdraw at double quick.
company has been wiped out of existe
one man out of every eight in our r;
is left to mark our battle-line.
Fall back and fight A quarter O
mile down the road and We form an
our Hanks protected by swamps. 7
are coming after us, rendered more wi
but at the same time more desperate
determined. They cannot use eavI
here, but they push forward line a
line of infantry to be checked bro
and hurled back by fire more hot
steady than has been seen on the iron
whole brigade.
Fall back They are pushing cav
and infantry along by-road to cut us
''Leave your dead and wounded ~
many this time We have fough
minutes and lost AZ men. Double q
for half mile and We form again in
bend of road They cannot flank
on the right, but the left and front
open to both cavalry and infantry.
il their chance. They file to the
and mass in the fields Brigade
brigade wheels into place-batterie
into position, and we are sulen
silent, while a whole division MAST
battle against mere handful
Here come their skirmishers
are feeling our position. They skull
creep and crawl and dodge, and EN-
ened by our silence battle-line IL
after them. The creek below is our
line. Every man says so to himself,
not a gun is fired until the pu
waters wet the enemy feet Then
is crash-a Keeling to and fru-an
waters of the creek are damned bac
bloody corpses
Fall back for a new line Who In
with us as we move away twenty
of the handful mark the point wher
enemy came nearest. Eighty-six
two-twenty-f One hundred
ffty-two men gone from our handful
yet darkness is long way off Fall
fght-fght and fall back Every hi
line is marked so that it cannot be
gotten. Every hill and every ben
the highway exacted toll in wounds
death. We are fighting as the sun
down---we are lighting as the ha
moon sails peacefully above the tree
is only as we see division in line a
our path that we forget our orders to
with the rear guard, and pass throuJ
find the army in position to beat
whatever dares attack. Three hun
and ninety eight men will answer
call no more in our regiment 39S
scarce $50 leaves 452 Was it glol
was it murder