Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-07-25
CHAPTER XVI
CHAPIER XVI
A DAY OF DEATH AND CARNAGE.

CHAPTER XVI
DAY OF DEATH AND CARNAGE.
"Fall in! fall inr' officers were crying
all along the line, and IN response men were
everywhere springing into ranks.
as it an attack or a skirmish!" Luke,
who was still somewhat bewildered at his
sudden awakening, asked of some of his
staff.
"It's Beauregard and Johnston's whole
armies" replied the Major, who at this
moment was hurrying by.
The forest where Luke was quartered
was almost devoid of underbrush. The
spring was little backward and the leaves
we're not much larger than squirrels ears,
| while on many Of the trees the
| buds were either only swollen or
| Just bursted, so that there was little to OBJ
| struct their view. The trees were turned a
| faint green by the young leaves and tender
| buds, and the earth had also received a
| light coat of ermine from the pa,nt-brush of
| spring. a fourth of a pile in their front
was what had once been a field, though
every remnant of fence had disappeared. A
few white denuded snags and trees reared
their pale forms into the air and extended
a ghost-like arm to the sky.
The first thing Luke saw after coming out
of his tent was a body of Union soldiers
running toward them across the old held
He also noted that the sun was just rising,
| for the bare arms of the old snags were
| here and there tipped with fire. Beyond
the retreating soldiers was the roar of fire
arms and the yell of the enemy, which every
moment drew nearer.
Colonel Mason found his horse ready sad
| died, and mounting had started along his
line to give his regiment a hasty inspec-
ton. when he met General Prentiss.
rs every man in line, Colonelr' the Gen
eral cried.
II think so.''
''We'll need them"
Its general attack, then?'
Yes"
A shell thrown by the enemy came
whizzing and shrieking through the air,
clipping off great branches of trees as If
they had been tender twigs. 1t exploded in
the air few rods to the rear of General
! Prentiss and his staff.
Its no sham," said the General, coolly
| ''If it was intended as ruse they wouldn't
be sending such metal as that among u.s.
Loud shouts were heard on the left, fol-
| lowed by the gallOping of horses and thun-
! der of wheels. and turning his eyes IN that
| direction Luke saw three batteries comm g
up and unlmberng.
General Prentiss gallOped away to give
| personal directions to the gunners, leaving
Luke alone with his regiment.
| ''Be brave; the day depends on you. Re
member your homes, your country, and let
! every soldier do his duty" shouted Colonel
Mason, galloping along his line
The mass of fleeing soldiers proved to be
/ e THo11 IL
which General Prentlss had sent out early
in the morning to reconnoiter. They had
| gone until they struck the maiE line of the
enemy, and were hurled backward like
chaff before whirlwind, bringing their
wounded Colonel with them. Several thou
sand skirmishers had been hastily deployed
to cover their retreat. These were forced
back, reinforced, and still driven back,
until they struck the MAN line of battle and
threw it into momentary confusion. Off
GERS were now seen gallOping up and down
their lines encouraging their men by words
and acts.
But down upon them like an avalanche.
or some tremendous oncoming thunder
storm, the resistless horde of rebels
poured.
STEADY! steady steady boysl Re
member the old fiagr' cried Colonel Mason.
Whiz, whiz, zip, zip! come the bullets all
about him, and now and then the branches
and young foliage from the trees, cut by the
speeding shots, fell on the heads of the sol
/. diers. One poor fellow who was standing
IN his ranks suddenly clasped his hand over
his heart and wilted down like a suddenly
clipped flower, Another seized his leg in
his hands and hoped away to the rear.
1t was one of the most trying times of the
entire day; but the line still presented an
almost unbroken front. Two regiments had
fled entirely, and there were thousands of
skuIkers from others fastening to the nv
er, but still the rebels found solid front
when they came.
Colonel Mason urged upon his men the
necessity of holding their fire until the enc
my were near enough to make it effective,
but when the bullets fell like hail among
them most of them began to return it. The
Coloners horse reared, plunged into the air
and fell dead. The rider was in a moment
on mis- feet.
The whole line was now sheet of flame
and column of smoke. Some one brought
him another horse, which he mounted and.
| took up his position at the rear of his regi-
ment a few rods away to watch their
maneuvers. Men were falling, and the en-
smoke, while the rebel horde was pressing
on with resistless fury. A shell exploded
at the feet Of the Coloners horse, and the
poor beast sank dying TO the earth He
sprang from the saddle, and one Of his staff
brought him another steed.
While galloping down the line sword in
hand grape shot struck the blade, break.
ing it of close to the hilt. Crash upon crash
of cannon was added to the continuous roar
of small arms, and the air became thick
with smoke. The ground was literally COW
cred with dead and dying. For awhile
they tried to carry the dead and wounded
| to the rear, but so closely were they
pressed that they were forced to give up
the plan. Again was Luke's horse killed
under him.
The rebels charged His men were fall
| ing back, and he dashed forward to make
stand if possible A shell exploded but
few PAGES away and FIVE or six of his men
fell from it His Lieutentant-C Colonel lay
mortally wounded on the field and the
Major was killed, so their duties devolved
upon himself and staff
ITo BE CONTINUED