Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1883-09-29
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condition. there Is childish treble to it !
/ wonder if
Fire -
How the cheers, pealing up in waves
Of sound, drowned the crash was listen
ing for Again the boyish voice calls,
Fire = AID again the shrill cheers fol-
low Trey hush as the bugle-nCtes
come pealing down the line again.
hear the wheels as battery is hurrying
forward. / hear drum beat. / hear
the tramp of hurrving feet. Some one
IS calling for "the flag" Once / heard
SO close the tide of battle swept 10 my
priscn--a saber spring from its scab-
bari with an angry sweep. And MI this
time I could only see the golden sun
shine-only the huttering leaves and the
playing shadows iengthening into the
waning day; and floating in at my WIN
dow came the mellow whistle of the
robin.
The cheers are fainter now, as the
shadows grow longer. The robin note
has ceased. Mellow, clear, and beauti-
fully imperious as ever, the bugie salls
again. A pail of silence falls upon the
clamor and din of the battle. / try the
door of my prison. It yields to my
touch. Down stairway, with a ticise
less tread, l hasten. 1 step through
curtained door. I stand on the field
where the waves OF contention have
thundeted and dashed. The level rays
of the setting s;tn Drift over the helpless
figures stretched about me like bless.
ing upon the dead.
| At tnt feet the overturned cannon lies.
There are its shattered wheels. Lying
across the brazen muzzle. "his back to
|. the field and his feet to the foe," is
stretched an artillery sergeant, still
grasping the broken saber in his nerve
less hand. Here is n group Of infantry
soldiers, they will never stand upon their
feet again. Here is trooper; heddless
he lies under the horse that, with two
legs torn away, hos fallen upon him.
rHE DEAD.
A little drt1mmer-bov-how cafi1e such
a child here where tie fierce ifiaelstfom
of war circled and eddied in fire ana car.
mage and fury ?-lies by his drum. I
bend above hin. aud In face and form
there is nothing human left. fed afe
| the stains about it, and the broken little
hand hangs stiff aud rigid Oh the edge
of the shattered drum: It is terrible.
Here, ghastl " and horrible, lies head.
tho blue cap with its scarlet and white
pompon still resting jauntily over the
brow; btit nbHhefe cain I see the SOL
dier's body. Here is saber bent and
twiste d in the fury OF hand TO- hand com
bat. 1 walk among the headless trunks,
arms and legs without bodies, crippled
horses lie prone on their sides, or stand
YEARLY, and with dumb patience, upon
three legs. tread carefully over and
arot,nd the broken, shattered bodies OF
the fallen men. Here is the flag, tat
tered and unfurled, just rs it dropped
from the hands of the sergeant here an
epaulet. glittering in crimson and gold;
here is the gilded belt of General; here;
marred, bent and dented, lies the bugle
whose silver voice called into play this
wreck and carnage. And here, away
off on the edge of the field, away where
lust the spray Of this angry sea Of strife
could have reached, my foot almost falls
Oh child lying prostrate, half turned
on her face. The dainty feet peep out
Of cloud Of silk and lace; the tangled
nair Of gold. skein Of sunshine, hall
uides the brow and cheek. Fhcre is nc
sign Of life in the beautiful face. Killed
hy the terror and fear born of the battle
bend to lift the little form, and the arm
upon which I thought the child was
wing is gone; horrible cash reaches
from the temple to the baseEof the brain
and the left eve is crushed in its socket
The child-the dear, sweet little girl
somebody's darling, fair sacrifice to tn,
hideous Moloch of war. how could
"Robbie!.' I hear the voice of her lit
tie serene highness. "Robbie, come
now, and pick up your tops, dear
You've left your dolly and all yoursoldier
scattered about over the floor, SO tha
papa can scarcely walk across the room
tAnd somebody has stepped on poor lit
tie Bessies head. I'm afraid she'll hav
to go to the surgical institute"
A patter of flying feet, and the blue
eyed commander OF the troops, aged G
comes charging into the room, and. re
solving himself into an ambulance corps
collects the dead and wounded with bot
hands, scoops them into q big box, ea
amines the fracture in the wounde
dolly's head for saw dust. and appear
surprised to find the skull lined with
hole.
. ''Papa,' he cries ''did you hear
battle zss appernoon 2
Yes. Major. heard II.
1--WE lighted awful, the Major says
''an' I fell down on my drum and broke
my cannon. but granpa will get II
anuzzer one. .'-RoBERT J. BvRDErTE.
I FoR DAr.-Mr. Justice MoeHle SCI