The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1890-03-26
CONFEDERATE TIMES
HOW 4 MAN FEELS WHEN
THE WORO "CHARGE'
COMES--THE FIGHTAT
FAIRFIELD.


A Veteran Tells OF His Experi-
ences During and After a
Charge of Rebel Horses.
w. Detfo.. y 90 p ess.
We had been held in reserve OF
The second day at Gettysburg so
long that men aad horses became
reryops ard afraid, writes an ex-
Confederate. My horse was an old
veteran, who would drop fis head
and pick at the green grass with a
battery fir 'ngon eithec side Of us, but
as The nome 1ts dragged away oa
this occasion be evinced a woran's
nervousness. | looLed down the
lines and saw that the alignment
was constantly being brokea by the
horses backing up or forging ahead.
They could see the fighting to the
night aud iu front, and the smoke
from the Union battery to the left
and in front of us drove back and
oyer US, aud the horses breathed it
IN aid blew it out Of Their nostrils
in gasps.
A tremor Of excitement-ass-t Of
shiyer-laa dowh the line.
The wicd bad shifted a Bit to blow
the smoke to op- left, and down
ACROSS the meadows we saw the Con-
federate cavalry forniag, with the
glee1 woods for background. Jeb
Ssualt's men were there-Ashby's
nen-men from Hanption's Legion
Virginians-Resser's
Eaugers-guer:illas from Mosby's
eommaad. There wete fragments
feEl everv cavalry con- nand we had
Liet on the tp:np;kes Of old V;r-
gaia, and there wasn't q squad on
.kas world stapd for a cha'ge The
battery began firing more rapidly,
and there wasn't a man of US who
did not realize what was coming
long before we got the word. Some
Of the horses knew 1t, too. Yeu
could feel them filing their lungs
a ID stripging up their nerves for
hard wo.F.
The troopers ia gray wheeled in.o
liue uldef a fine which must have
: led the nerves Of the brayest, end
then the compact mass got the word
to adya.ce. They were coming for
our battery, which was without in
fait' Y supports. There we stood.
two thin, short lines, representing
oje thoUsand dragons, but not
numbering half that figure, and a
body of Ave TO one was moving
down upon us. | saw several of the
gu i1e-s lock back. They saw the
odds aid wondered, perhaps, why
we did not run away.
Attention.!
We had obeyed the order before
il was given.
slight dress!"
We were a minute ahead Of the
command.
"Forward-drsw ssbrss-guide
All! Weave of! Thegray moves
north and the blue moves south.
We are GO ng 70 meet IN the meaaow
below. We must hold them back
until infantry supports can be
brought up. Every man knows
that he is moving down into a nael-
st. on Of death, but no one lags. A
strarge exultatioI creeps ints the
hear. II is as IL you had heard
some g-and, good news aud wanted
to scout over il and tell everybody
OF your good luck.
"Gallop-charge!''
DEATH Why, if one could die q
score Of times instead Of on'y once,
there would be no fear. | sit so
lightly in the saddle that my horse
seems 70 have no weight to carrv.
He skins over the grotsd as if be
had wigs, and I begin chee,i1g and
ye'l;ng ia cherus with my con- rades,
IL Is q aliv.og missile Of FIVE hundred
nen thrown at the front Of three
thousand. What o crash there viii
bel How horses will 90 down and
nea pitch f.om their saddlesl
Ata;d? No! Why, man, | would
not miss the sceae for q years life!
NY hand clutches the sabre with a
strength | did not know possessed.
I feel q hunger for blood such as |
never felt before.
"Yii vi Whoop-rah!' and we
ss..iLe them fair in The centre. The
Eve hundred have the greatest mo.
mentum, and we drive through tie
three thousand as o wedge ispound.
ed mo soft wood. Men strike al
me, There Ia a fash, and q pop