The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-03-30
THE LAST RALLY.
The Donsh in the HospitnI.-A Graphic
Picture.

Picture.
II will pass away before morning"
30 sald the doctor to the nurse as he
passed out of the room and down the
stairs, perhaps having u bit of sadness i'm
his hcart-pcrhaps disrnisSiny the matter
from his mind rs if the death of a human
oclng was OF no ~onSeuucnc to him or
inc world at large. Perhaps it was not.
why should one be startled when an old
soldlcr-am man of toilsomc marches and
many battles is about to pass away? He
must die, like the rest Of us.
Inc nurse was an old comrade.
hlie he dying nan beat the rally on
ms drum as Casey was hurled back ut
Fair Oaks. the nurse swung his hat and
shouted to the men hurting to the rear:
Come back, comradcs-comc back
Let us form n line here and beat them
back"
When the drummer beat the advance
OH the right at Antietam, and Joe Hook
cr's front pushed boldly in to meet
Stoncwall Jackson's men, the nurse was
III the foremost rank, his teeth hard
smut and his eyes blazing fire.
'R-r---r-a-t-tat! tat! !" sounded tho
drum III the streets Of quaint old Fred
crlcksburg, and the nurse was there to
lace the terrible Stoncwall and to be
urlven back by the murdcrous fire.
rat! tat. Tat! tat. R-r-r-tat! tat =,
sounded the drum ut Gettysburg, as
flckctts NlrginlanS nasscd on Han.
COCKS front; and the nurse was there to
hclp stem that mad torrent of war and
hurl the shattered legions back to he
cover of ridge and wood.
Shell and shot and bullet had passed
them by, but now there was to be a bat
tic with a grim and a silent enemy.
lis forces were hidden in the darkness,
There was no rattle Of small arms-no,
roar OF artillcrv-no shouts from lines of
infantry or cheers from charging c~avclry.
The drummer awokc from his stupor.
ana gaZcd around him. Something had
warmed him that a battle was imminent.
lie looked into the eyes Of his comrade
and there was the same fire he had seen
on a dozen battletields. He felt the old
excitement in his soul-thc wild cnthu-
slasm that comes from waving flags.
tramping columns and crash Of nm
He made a sign which was understood.
The nurse took down from the shelf the
some old drum, Scared by half a dozen
bullets, from the hook the uniform
which lad not been worn for twenty
long years.
"Ah comradc," whispered the drum
mcr rs strength came back to his limbs,
I'VE may have been driven, but we,
never surrendered. We will not nowl
Let us form the lines as Of old"
AYE! we wall battle again." cried
the nurse. and lie placed a faded blue
cap on his head, brought out the old
muskct and continues:
"Attcntion Right dress! Steady. now,
men! There's the battery before you'll
We will take it Or leave our bodies in
the meadow. Observation-Disclosures
-huirah!"
"R-r-r-r-rat! tat! tat !" went the drum,
and the old grey-hcadcd drummer
Strengthened himself up and made the
sticks fly
"Forward. mcn-forward,n shouted
the nurse as he waved his cap on
high.
Tat! tat! r %r-r-r-tati lat! tat"
sounded the drum, and the veteran who
handled the sticks breathcd rs though
the old enthusiasm of battle was upon
him again.
"Here we are-at them, mcn-the
guns are ours!" shouted the nurse.
"Hurrah! Hip! 'hip-r-r-r. tat! tatl
The drum fell to the floor, and the
fingers looscncd their clutch on the
sticks. Then the old mans hand crept
up to- remove his cap, a cheer died away
i'll his throat and he sank to the floor q.
corpse.
eve have been dcfcatcd ~ whispered
the nurse as he looked down upon the
dead, but it was by tIc army Of
death. M. QUAo.