Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-06-14
THE SURVEYORS SAIL IN.
How the Theodolyte Corps Charged =
B0touch

How the Theodolyte Corps Charged at
B0touch.
A correspondent of the Toronto Mail
tells how the surveyors fell into line on
the Saskatchewan. He writes:
Did you ever run race in top boots
and spurs, with a cartridge belt and heavy
revolver in it, and clad in a close leather
jacket and tight riding breeches2 Add To
these a hot day and you can imagine how
we were handicapped; but we managed to
get down and take our place in line with
the scouts on the slope Of the hill near the
church. Whether We were 70 support the
advance of the uniforms or not we were
not sure, but as the dense brush
prevented us from seeing our officers,
or what the infantry were doing in
the valley, We Just concluded that we'd
clear all the rebels out OF the slopes OF the
hills, and m extended lines we started i'm
10 do it. Keeping up heavy fire into the
thickets, as we advance atthe run, catch
ing our spurs and falling hcadlOng,
streaming with peTspiratiou, painting with
eXerti0n. and swearing with but scant
breath. we rush along the hllsides from
one rayine to another, our cheers dong
more TO disiOdge the enemy from their pits
than the accuracy OF our aim. Now and
again the boom OF field gun echoes above
T-r-r, Ike the rattle Of an alarm clock,
tells US that Capt. Howard is
turning the crank OF his "hurdy-
gurdy," and IN our minds eve
we can see him kneeling behind
the Calling doing two mems work in
managing il, and sending a hail Of rifle
balls over the field, so deadly that ones
soul is moved to pity for the unfortunate
enemy, and we pump the lever OF our
Winchester and take pot at a disappear
ing hali-breed or go, just 70 keep him from
coming within range Of tue Internal ma
chine that Is rafting out death sentences
in so rem0rseless "A style. Now shout Of
laughter as YOU take "A header into the
brush, and then you hear yell Of Don't
shoot that man, - your eyes, don't 5
shoot that man, he's one Of
our side" as some dozen rifles
cover a scout whose ardOr has
carried him In advance OF the rest, while
the rebel bullets whistle around US, and
dropping branches, cut by them, make US
wonder that 50 few OF us are hit. Blu
who is hit no one knows, for in this Wild
race a man could not find his own brother,
and So we press on, flushed with success,
past pit after pit, and the shots OF Opp0s-
ing rifles grow thicker, and then gradu-
ally slacken and die away; aud we lie on
the slopes grasping for breath, knowing
that our share OF the work is over, and
watch the uniformed men sweeping the
rebels before them across the nat at our
feet, aiding them as we best can by fire
on the rifle-pits that line its further edge
some 500 yards away. A great deal has
been said Of the unadvisabillty Of charg-
ing with raw recruits, but any one
who saw the advance Of our nen across
the open could not doubt their vim and
anxiety 70 get At the enemy. OF course
we were too busy and too we'll hidden
doing our own work 70 see the beginning
OF the attack, but we saw enough TO con-
Vince us that Midlauds' Grenadlers and
Ninetieth all struggled for first place in
the rush upon the rebels at Batouch, the
rush that drove them from their position,
and has struck blow at the insurrectlOn
from which Riel, with all his influence,
will never be able to recover.
And then the retire is sounded and we
stroll back TO camp, knowing that we can
sleep without hearing the now familiar
crack Of the rife or whiz of ball, for the
rebels are beaten from their stronghold
and Batouch is won.