The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1888-03-17
A FIELD BATTERY.
ONE OF WARS MOST AWE INSPIRING
SPECTACLES.

Light Artillery in Action-A irisis in
Battlc-.A Terrible Boom! Boom. of
Canm"n-t h.rgc of the Encmy-Iiorrurs
of War.
y battery is needed hero at this particular
point. Tic enemy sees the opportunity and
throws Il dense Mass of men against it, The
crisis is approaching. An aide galloi,s oil
TO give the order to he nearest artillery. 1t
is over there ON the adjacent knoll The
aide has reached it; he points with his hand
where it is needed. Before lie can turn his
horse around, guns and horses were all NOV
ing. Can they get here in time: We must
hold this knoll; it is the key point ol this
part of the BATTLE and sec. the enemy is ;,d-
vancins for Il grand assault. Quick! order
up another regiment to support the battery
when it gets here. There it comes. flashing
at intervals through smoke and dust like IL
meteor y long train of guns and ruis>ons-
SIX, eight guns, and six, eight cassos. and
SIN, eight horses to each gun and ca>sul,
With tremendous racket, they dash full
speed across fields never turning To right "r
left, heading, straight for this knoll. Driver,
all laShing their horses into II fury oi lo;m
officers pointing with their swords. and on
the gun chests sit the brave cannonccis cool
and Indifferent outwar,lly, but known. itil
well inwardly that in II few minutes NOR,
many of them will bite the dust. They hold
on to the chest handles for life, for as :, wheel
strikes Il log, the carriages jump two .crt in
tho air Now they turn slightly with the
greatest rapidity to oavoid that huge bowl,lcr
they cross bitches, ovcrturn hedges and
fences, all the horses galloping in IL cloud of
dust. Ha! one horse has fallel-ycs, struck
by Il bullet. The men jump down from the
carriage, the battery goes ou-in moncnt
the traces are cut, and the poor horse left n
die. The carriage, drawn now by five horses.
hnlries TO reioin the battery There, they
all go down Il hollow, and disappear from
view for Il monent-tho next instant they
are up again.
See! the captain gives u sign. What II
change! AS if instantly turned To marble
every horse and carriage stops dead short
Then for five seconds what incxtricablc con-
fusion! Horses, men, guns and caissoS to-
5ethcr in Il horrible jumblc-thcn all i, clear
again. There back in the hollow, sheltered
are the caissons--a little Inflow the hill
stands the line of limhcrs, and here on the
crest are the guns What mctaulorphosis!
The statuelile cannoneers are NOW full of
life and excitement! Now II cloud of white
S.:iol;n and rcd fame suddenly shoots out of
the black mouth nearest, Il terriur boom
i1!lss out, then another and another. Boom,
noom! boom, the great mouths, yell with
horrible delight, and at each boom goes down
Il wide Swath of men i'll the advancing col
/ umn Boom! boom boom! they roar in
joyful Glec, and yet at each boom they rccolI
IN horror at their own power. Beyond the
/ enemies lines, away off in the distance, trees
split and fall, and houses collapse at some mn
seen mysterious power Everything gives
way before the terrible storm of iron mis-
/ sics thrown out at each boom! ! rnm. boom.
The enemy for an instant hall, aud then
reform, OH again and charge up the hillside
Will nothing stop them. No, they are deter
mined to have the battery that causes such
terrible drstrurtionin their ranks, and though
with each discharge wide lanes ure opened in
them, they do not faltcr. The brave cnli-
lionccrs are falling fast. Quick, "Llm"r,
rear sounds the buglc, while the long :;,lp-
/ porting line OF infantry rises from the hot:
low, and poHls vollcy after vollcv int" tl"
determined foe. 1n! he hats--lc is checked
No. that is only temporary disorder S,r
I there he comes again, with II yell. OH how
terrible. Quick! spike the guns. Hand To
hand they fight. See, even ns tlut officer,
sword is upraiscd, the bullet strikes him, and
he reels from Off his horse. Down goes the
horse, kicking and screaming in death
agony. Men lighting with bnyoncts, cIuLbcd
niuskets fire their guns in each others f;,r,.s,
blow Off heads Of men close by. Blood!
( Blood! Blood!
What is that! Thank Cod The joyful
yell in our rear is from II reinforcement ar
rived just in time. The enemy sc"s it, he
gives way, there lie gors-wllat is left of him
That is right; pour volcy after v"llcy into
| him, rush after him: do not leave any ON.
alive. The guns are safc but what n scene.
| There are piles Of dead and wounded To.
| grihcr Pools Of blood on the ground and
everything marked with blood File, are
already settling on the dead. What terrible"
rroans and moaiis and prayers for water
| Broken mlsEc,s, torn clothes revealing white.
| skin stained with rcd blood. cantc"ns. haveI-
| sacks, guidons. cooking tins, canister cart
ridges. broken Wheels dead horses and mon
all together
Look at that mass. Horses with entrals
! scattered about; human legs and arms with
out bodies; bodies with jagged splillters and
bones pr"trnding through the flesh That
mans face is already swollen and this ON, 5 is
turned black. Oh. the despair, III" llntrrd
or courage depicted their countnna,cc,.
| And the strange positions They tax" eyes
protruding from sockc,s and tongues from
mouths. Oh! it is terrible On" can hut
shudd"r and sirken turn faint and ,id,lv
| Vet ii is war-tllc science tIlnt brings ont the
| npblest as well as The worst passions Di men,
and that is the great civilizs.r Of the World -
William Ii, Hamilton, L. s. ~, in Outing
I