The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1891-02-27

I9lh
A second staff officer had been sent
back to hurry up the infantry" The
noble fellows were coming. You could
hear the deep, mufled hum of their
footsteps as the double quicking hur-
ried them onward. As they came up l
heard the short, quick command: Move
out by the right flank! Into line!
Steady, men; steadyl l expect every
man to do his duty now!"
Move out, and move on, my dear COM
rades! Alas! many moved on into that
column which passed on, never to re-
turn. Their first battle was their last.
There was u lull in the firing in front,
but out to the leftward volley after vol
ley poured, out upon the morning air
the sun Just rising over the hills to our
right. / had followed at the gallop the
general, who was hurrying to the front.
He was more silent than l had ever
known him. Suddenly he halted and
turned to see who all were about him.
sWhat troops are those?' l asked him
doubtfully, as / saw II long line Of III
fantry men double quickinS behind a
high rail fence distant not $50 yards
away. l could not distinguish the uni
form, and l was not aware of the dlrec-
ton from which all u ri1emen were to
enter the battle.
MY God" said the general, "ti1at is
the enemy"
We were upon them before we were
aware of their close proximity. They
discovered us, too, at once, and were
preparing for the greeting.
Get out of the road!' shouted the
general. There was q clump of trees on
either side of the highway upon which
he had thus far advanced.
'sGet out of the road. Don't You see
they are bringing the battery to bear
upon us from the hill yonder:"
l looked, and a white puff of smoke
greeted my vision, and the Same instant
whiz-z-whur-r-r- chee-ee-ee event a
shell right between the general and his
staff, and it bounded down the road, ex-
ploding in our real.
The general addressed me again;
"Get out of the road, and gallop back
and have the cavalry moved on the flank
of that line yonder in the field"
Another shell came in the mean time,
and made the air resonant with tire ly-
ing fragments.
Then there was a volley of rifles and 4
faint cheer near to our fanks-for our
infantry were now moving out of the
skirt of the woods and opening the bat
tie in earnest.
Capt, Hart, too, had come, and he IN.
limbered his guns on the battery on the
hill in our front. though he soon turned
his aim to the infantry line that was
nearer, and l heard tho shots rafting
upon the rails behind which the enemy
had fallen.
THANK God, the infantry are here"
said one. They are the men whose
shoulders move the wheels on to victory.
heard the commanding general shout
as the long line Ncamo hurryinS IN just
as the men emerged from the skirt Of
woods, Move on that line behind yon
fence!"
A red and white and blue line of fire
answered from tho enemy.
Fall down and fret I heard an Off
Ger shout.
Alas! many had already fallen-fallen
to rise no moro.
Half a hundred men of 4 regiment
stood up, and their irregular fire ratified
m~ockingly along the fence.
1t was the work of but q moment, for
a whole brigade in our front answered
the fire of the little band. The battery
rained grape and canister and shrapnel
against the brigade. and now the battle
had joined in a vful earnestness all along
the line.
Battery replied to battery, hostile
brigade replied to hostile brigade, with
sheets of iron and leaden fire. There
were in the terrific din the hurting shot,
the screaming, screeching shell, and
whistling whirr of the deadly mimic.
Amid the roar were the shouts of com
mand, the wailins shrek of the wounded
and the oan of the dying. The hours
were passing, the musketry was roaring
with an unbroken note, the batteries
were believing at each other, when sud
denly there was a deep, dull thud-a
mighty force which at once shook the
whole battlefield. Two heavily lader
caissons were blown up simultaneously
Then there was another sound which
could not be mistaken. There was {
lull in the firing on our right, and the
whole earth seemed to be laboring anG
groaning. Thousands stood listening
amid the horrid hell!
Oh, it was the charge of the cavalry!
charge. charger shouted the throats
of a dozen officers, and the bugle blasts
ringing out family in the din, mingled
and died away in the fierce shouting oil
the %squadrons.
Boom. boom. boom! went the artillery
bosses!
Clang! clang! clang! rang out the gilt
tering sabers as they leaped from thu
scabbard.
1t was, however, but an instant Of aw
full chorus when the wailing cry of Wat
erloo, sauve qui peut!-''save himself
who cant-went up before the onrushins
squadron of furious horsemen, who broke
out III the wild shout Of victory tina
deadened the guns along the whole line
and troops on the right-troops on the
left-troops in the center-all caught the
notes, and there was one longand terrific
thunder note of victory! The cheers Of
infantry men greeted the shouts of a
airy meanwhile the little squad abou.
the artillery-brave fellows, with bands
of red upon their uniforms, cried out, Il!
the defeated were seen flying in stricken
masses in front:
"Hurra for our battery,"