Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-04-27
BEHIND THE EARTHwoRKs.
How the Octopus was Driven Back
u. Quad IN pstroit Erse Ptess.


How the Octopus was Driven Back
N. Quad in Detroit Free Press.
All. it was one of the prettiest jun
1 days even Virginia ever saw. There wa
1 such mellow sunshine that every flowei
/ and blossom turned its face to be kissed
1 and there was such a happy, peaceful
/ look down across the fields towards tn,
! James river that men forgot for q mOmen
/ that war existed. In the trees overhead
/ the robins called to each other, and once
/ hlue-bird alIghted on the wheel of {
! tield-piece which had its shining brass
muZZle thrust through the embrasure
I ready to send its shrieking shell whenever
I hand pulled the lock string.
There were thousand of us down be
hind the earthwOrks, and we were sc
/ quiet that the voice of the Colonel reached
/ the last men on the TANKS as he caution
ed us: my lads, we are going to hold
/ this position against whole ARMY"
Seel A thin line Of men-skirmishers
I to the number of 50-suddenly break
1 cover from the woods half a mile away
/ and advance upon us. They skulk-they
dOdge-they drop down and suddenly
rise again and advance as stealthily as
Indians intent upon surprising hamlet
BAIL Fifty men against 1,000i No, it is
not that. The octopus is in the woods
these skirmisbers are the long arms he is
reaching out to feel us-to uncover our
posItion-to ascertain our strength.
Puff! Puff
1t is the fire of the skirmishers. You
know where the watch dog is by his
growl. They are trying to provoke the
beast to betray his retreat Zip! Zip!
HOW the bullets sing as they fly over our
heads! There is dead silence behind the
works. We breathe faster and harder
we clutch our guns with tighter grip, but
we are silent. To kill an octopus you
must strike at the body Sever his arms
and they will grow again.
Pop! pop! pop. Zipl zipI zipw
STEADY, lads, and wait for the word ?"
says the Colonel.
There Is no excitement among US.
hear the man on my right shut mis- teeth
with gritting sound, and the one on my
lett IS breathing like weary man in pro-
found slumber. If l should look up and
down the line l might see pale faces, but
l am looking down across the fields and
over the heads of the skIrmishers. The
grandest sight Of the world is to see the
Octopus of War leave his lair and come
forth thirsting for human blood.
All! here he cOmesl His feelers have
failed to uncover us, but he can Judge for
himself that such a short line of works
cannot conceal more than full regiment.
He does not know that our right flauk
rests on a swamp, and our left on an i'm
passable ravine, while our front offers no
shelter even for a rabbit. Look! the sight
is worth ten years of your life! A full
brigade pOurs out of the woods and forms
for the charge. Regiments and compa-
MES swing into position as if on parade.
The sk-rmishers redOub.e their fire, and a
General gallOps along the front of the
brigade, as if to see that every foot is on
line with It's neighbOr.
Now they get the word to advance, and
at the same instant our field-pieees open
fire. The cruel shell are striking plump
into the front rank and tearing men to
pieces by the half-doZen, but as the smoke
lifts We find the Octopus marching on
with steady movement. He wants blood
He will demand drop for drop-and mOrel
Ha! The shrek Of shell has changed to
the whistle Of grape and canister, and the
men at the guns are working as if the
fate of nations depended upon them. The
smoke drops down in great cloud. and
one cannot see beyond his bayOnet. Now
1t IS rent and shattered, and II lifts and
floats away in great pieces and frag-
ments.
NOW lads-and fire Iowl"
The Octopus has been staggered
wOunded-balted-but here he comes
again. Right in front Of me | see a face
and form which l select as a target. /
could Kill him now, but / grimiy wait for
him to come nearer. He is pale with ex-
element, and as the man at his left is
struck DON, -cy target loses the steady
step Of the line. But only for an
instant. Now he is not over forty
feet away, and the fire OF
muskctry has checked the advance. Ny
weapon points straight at him. | am
looking right into his eyes. / note his
brown curls, his high forehead-the white
teeth shut tight together in his excite
ment. He is not over twenty years old
lie has mother whose poor, old heart
will almost break tomorrow. He has
sisters who will refuse to be cOmforted
for long months. And such a fair-faced
boy must have a sweetheart whose very
soul will cry out in anguish at the news
of his death.
l am going to kill him! The excitement
of the check has confused him. He looks
to the right and the left, and then into my
eyes. He is standing almost alone. As
our eyes meet he sees murder in mine, I
and l read an appeal for mercy in his.
The result Of battle does not hinge upon
the life OF a corporal. The war will not
be over the sooner for his death. But l
take deliberate aim at his breast and
press the trigger, and even before l feel
the shock of discharge | see the red blood I
spray out frem the horrible wound, and
he falls back with shrek upon his lips. |
The Octopus is beaten back. ] 90 over |
the works and find my target. Those |
brown curls are damp with death-the |
fair face as white as snOw-the ground /
soaked with blood so precious that every /
drop will call for a hundred tears from |
eyes. The blue eyes are wide /
open, the lips are parted, and as 1 bend {
over him it seems as if his voice came
back for an instant to whisper the eX-
clamatiOn: Murderer!
And that was war! That was one OF
the acts which helped to make a victory
for thousands to shout Oyer-fOr flags to
rockets to ascend-fOr children
to cheer and women to bless high Heaven!