St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-06-01
INTO A MAELsTRoM OF DEATH
The Strange Exuitation Attending
a Cavalry Charge.

Detroit Free PreSS.
We had been held in reserve on the
second day at Gettysberg so long that
men and bosses became nervous and
afraid. My horse was an old veteran
who would drop his head and pick at the
green grass with a battery firing on
either side of us, but as the moments
dragged away Oh this occasion he
evinced a woman's nervousness. l
looked down the lines and saw that
the alignment was constantly being
broken by the horses backing up or
forging ahead. They could see the
fighting to the right and in front, and
the smoke from the Union battery to
the left and in, front of us drove back
and over us, and the horses breathed it
III and blew it out of their noStrilS in
gasps.
A tremor of eXcitement-a sort of
shiver-ran down the line.
The wind had shifted bit to blow
the smoke to our left. and down across
the meadow we saw the Confederate
cavalry forming with the green woods
for a background. Jeb Stuart's men
were there-Ashby's men-men from
Hampton's legion-Imboden's Virgin
ianS-Rosser's rangers guerillaS from
Mosby's command. There were frag
ments from every cavalry command we
had met on the turnpikes of old Vir-
ginia, and there wasn't a squadron
which wouldn't stand for charge. The
battery began firing more rapidly, and
there wasn't man of us who did not
realize what was coming long enough
before we got the word. Some of the
horses knew it, too. You could feel
them filling their lungs and Stringing
up their nerves for hard work.
The troopers in gray wheeled into
line under fire which must have tried
the nerves of the bravest, and then the
compact mass got the word to advance.
They were coming for our battery,
which was without infantry supports.
There we stood, two thin, short lines,
representing a thousand dragons, but
not numbering one-half that figure, and
a body of five to one was moving down
upon us. l saw several of the gunners
look back. They saw the odds and Won
dered, perhaps, why we did not run
away.
Attention."
We had obeyed the order before it was
given.
Fright dress"
We were minute ahead of the COM
mand.
''Forward-draw sabers-guide right
-trotr
Ahl We are off! The gray moves
north and the blue moves south. We
are going to meet in the meadow below.
We must hold them back until infantry
supports can be brought up. Every man
knows that he is moving down into a
maelstrom of death. but no one lags.
A strange exultation creeps into the
heart. 1t is as if you had heard some
grand, good news, and wanted to shout
over it and tell everybody of your good
luck.
.Gallop-chargeW
Death! Why, if one could die score
of times instead of only once there
would be no fear. i sit so lightly in my
saddle that my horse seems to have no
weight to carry. He Skins over the
ground as if he had wings, and | begin
cheering and yelling in chorus with my
comrades. 1t is a living missile of 500
men thrown at the front of 5000. What
crash there will bel How horses will
go down and men pitch from their sad
dies! Afraid? No! Why, man, would
not miss this scene for years life! My
hand clutches the saber with strength
| did not know possessed. l feel a
hunger for blood such as never felt be-
fore.
"Yi! vi! Whoop-rail!" and we
strike them fair in the center. The SOC
have the greatest momentum, and we
drive through the 5000 as wedge is
pounded into soft wood. Men strike at
me. There is flash, flash, and pop!
pop! of pistols. [ strike back. feel
the desire of the tiger to Stay.
"RallyW
We have driven through the mass,
and the bugles sound the call to gather
for the return. The horses obey il
without touch of the rein. 1T seems
that the whole living mass is riding in a
circle, and that there is blood Oh
every man and horse. All of a
sudden we shoot out from under
the smoke-cloud into the sun
shine-not the 500, but the 300-and the
battery opens again. We are to the
right of it, and it sends grape shot into
a wild mob to drive it back into the Gov
er of the woods. 1t is a sight to look
down over that field. Five hundred
dead and wounded men and horses are
lying there. 1t is only as l sit ON my
horse and look over the field that be-
gin to feel weak and grow frightened
MY head begins to swin--things grow
| dark, and some one helps me to the
| ground. / have pistol ball in my
| shoulder, and the blood is running
| down my back from Saber cut on the
| head