Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1886-04-02


attack. The gallant fellows passed us,
full of ardor, with bands playing and
colors flying, and went down into the
fell valley below. For three hours the
demon of carnage reigned supreme in
that dire cockpit. The wounded came
limping and groaning back. and threw
themselves heavily down on the reverse
slope in the village of RadisoVo. i'm our
rear. The surgeons already had set up
their iield-hospitals, and were ready for
work.
Never shall forget the spectacle of
that assault made by Schahovskov's in
the valley below the ridge of RadiSovo.
on which we stood. The long ranks ON
which looked down tramped steadily
on to the assault. No skirmishing-line
was thrown out in advance. The fight
ing-hnc remained the formation till what
with Impotence and what with men fall
ing. it broke into a ragged spray of hui
manity. and surged on swiftly. loosely.
and with no close cohesion. The sup
ports ran up into the fighting array
independently and eagerly. Presently all
along the bristling line burst forth fam
ing volleyS of musketry-tire. The Jagged
line sprang forward through the maize
fields. gradually falling into conceive
shape. The crackle of the muSkctry-tirp
rose into sharp continuous peal The
clamOr of the hurrahS of the fighting
men came back to us on the breeze,
making the blood Jingle with the excite
ment of battle. The wounded began
to tricllle back down the gentle slope.
We could see the dead and the more
severely wounded lying where they had
fallen, on the stubble and amidst the
maize. The living wave of fighting men
was pouring over them. ever on and ON.
Suddenly the disconnected men drew
closely together. We could see the off
GERS signalling for the concentration bv
the waving of their swords. The dis
lance yet to be traversed was but Il hun
dred yards. There was Il wild rush
headed by the colonel of one of the
regiments. The Turks in the works
stood their ground, and fired with terri
BILE effect into the Whirlwind that was
rushing upon them. The colonel, horse
went down. but. the colonel was ON his
feet in moment, and waving his sword.
led his men forward ON foot But only
for a few PAGES. lie staggered and fell.
We could hear the tcmpest-gu>h of wrath
half howl. half ycll-vith which h>
men, bayonetS at the charge. rushed ON
to avengc him. They were over the
palapct and in among tn, Turks like AN
overwhelming avalanche. Not many
followers of the Prophet got the chance
to run away from the glca ming bayouct,
welded by muscular Russian arms.
But there were not mon enough for
the enterprise. 1t wa, cruel to watch
the brave Russian soldiers standing there
lcadcrlcs>.-for nearly al, their officers
had tallcn.->tcrnly waiting death for
want of officers either to lead them for
ward or to march them back. ~ the
sun set in lurid crimson. the Russian
| defeat became assured. The attacking
/ troops had been driven back or stricken
/ down. For three hours there had flowed
a constant current of wounded men up
| from the battlefield back to the reverse
slope of the ridge ON which we stood.
with the general. hi~ >tatl'aud escort. and
down into the village behind. into what
seemed comparative safety. All around
IL the air was heavy with the low NOAH
ing of the wounded. who had cast them
selves down To gain some relief from the
agony of motion.
The Turks spread gradually over the
battlefield below Us. Strengthening a.
they advanced: and the ridge ON which
we stood. thar had for brief space been
comparatively safe. was again swept by
heavy fire. Schahov>koy. who had
been silently tramping up and down. and
gloomily showing the bitterness of his
of the situation. He babe the buglc,
sound the "a,,cmbly." t. gather de-
tachmcnt to keep the forcro,t line ON the
ridge. and 50 cover the wounded lying
behind it. The bugler> blew Justify.
but only a few >tragglcrS could be got
together. "Gcutlrmcu." thcm said Ncha-
hov,koy To his stan. 1--WE and the escort
must keep the front; these poor wounded
must not he abandoned :" They were
words worthy of a general i'm the hour OF
disaster. We rNtcndcd along the ridge,
each man moving to and fro ON it'll,
beat of his own. To keep the Ba>hi-
BazoukS at bay. 1t was a forlorn hope
a mere sham of a cover; half regiment
could have brushed Us away; but it wa,
the only thing that could possibly afford
Il chance for those poor sufferers. lying
moaning there behind Us, To be packed
into the amhulances and carried away
into safety.
NillcrS had been i'll and weak all day