Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-08-01
[Copyriohtsd, 1ss9.l
CHAPTER XVL-CoNTINUED.

CHAPTER ANL-COSTINUED.
Back, back, back their line was forced,
until their camp tents and several batteries
were in the hands of the enemy.
Driven beyond their camp the Union
troops halted moment, dressed up their
lines, aud prepared to meet the foe. Al
though there had been a lull in the at
tack, never for a moment had there been
an entire cessation of firing. Colonel
Mason did not try a fourth horse, but
seized musket and proceeded to command
his regiment and fire an occasional shot
himself As he was hurrying down the
line during the momentary lull encouraging
the men to make gallant stand, he heard
a well-lnown voice growing:
Why n thunder didn't they Civ feller
chance ter git bite ter eat afore they
driv US inter this fight"
"Oh, shet yer mouth, Max, ur gunner'l
think it's a cannon n ram Swab inter 1t, ;"
said a cheerful voice at his side. The
Colonel recognized the gray locks and
slouch hat as belonging to Arkansaw Tom.
Thank God the brave old fellow is still
alive" SAID the Colonel.
The enemy was determined to follow up
every advantage they had gained, and
again poured down upon the army they had
driven from its position. Hooting, yelling,
shouting and screaming like so many fiends
let loose from the internal regions, they
again struck the Union line of battle. The
roar of firearms and laundering crash of
artillery made the earth and heavens quake.
This was Shiloh all day long. 1t was as
if hell had suddenly been uncapped, and
fiends, fire and sulphur turned upon the
earth. Shot and shell few like rain among
H., ,,,-lN rr-oC iGNfn ~
hiring, but terrific, continuous roar, while
the whole horrible scene was at times
vailed by cloud of smoke. From out the
lines of white vapor there issued continu-
Gus Jets of flame which ran along from
line to line, never entirely dying away.
Ny GodI what a scenep' cried an officer
near Colonel Mason.
Well might he so exclaim. As a soldier
who was in the hornets nest once said to
the writer:
at toGS q day in heUP'
The incessant roar, the crash Of cannon,
falling of branches and even trees, cut
down by the artillery, the dying men and
horses, and rivulets so tinged by human
gore as to look like streams of blood, with
piles of slain in every direction, made
it seem like day in perdition- The half of
Shiloh never has been. and never can be
told. Ten thousand incidents escape the
minds of narrators every time they at
tempt its description. The narrator only
remembers that for hours the earth trem-
bled, and men fell like grass before the
scyths. Friend and foe were at times SO
intermingled that it was difficult to tell one
from the other. Blinded by smoke, deafened
by earthqualing g-reports and burning with
thirst they scarce were humans. The forest
was filed with small game, such as abound
in the woods. The poor little birds and ami.
mails paralyzed with fear, by that continu-
Gus roar and din, seemed incapable OF
flight.
Luke saw birds sitting on limbs from
which they refused TO stir until knocked OF
by the soldiers or hit by a stray shot
Hares were so frightened that they SAT
rrouched upon the ground until kicked over
by the soldiers, and then they would only
hop away short distance and crouch to the
earth again, too much terrified to leave the
held.
1t seemed to Luke the longest day OF his
life II seemed as if Joshua had again com
manded the sun TO stand still, and that II
would never go down. On, that night OF
Buell. would come was the prayer of both
officers and soldiers, for every body real
lieu buaI lIlS was = W alcEIOO 4OE OuS CI INT
armies in the field.
II was five O'Clock in the evening, and thC
Federals on the right and left of Genera
Prentiss' brigade had fallen back, and the
rebels taking the advantage they had ovel
the brigade, swung their lines arounc
TO the rear of it Luke discovered tha
their object was 20 flank them, and with
what remained Of his regiment succeeded
in cutting his way through to the rear, thus
escaping capture; for almost all the re
mainder of the brigade was taken-witl
them brave old General Prentiss
1t was nearly night when they finally fel
back under bluff on which Colonel J. D
Webster, of General Grants stan, had ar
ranged about twenty-five pieces of artillery
These cannon soon aided their thunder Z
the general din. Like was sure he ha,
never seen artillery handled so etectuall.
before. Their grap9 and canister moves
down the COnfederates, checked them, ant
saved the Union army.
Thus ended a day of carnage. Whel
night came the firing had almost ceased
A cold rain fell during the night, but mel
lay in their ranks on their arms, while al
over the field went up the most piieou
cries and groans of wounded that ever ca
heard.
CHAPTER XVII
AT TIE LONE CABIN.
We tr,e+ The reader will mt bIaua ia 70