Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1891-01-29

ran in-IaH lh-to tne arms o.
death!'
A second staff officer had been sent
back to "hurry up the infantry" The
noble fellows were coming. You could
hear the deep, muhied hum Of theil
footsteps as the double quiclxing hur.
ried them onward. As they came up ]
heard the short, quick command: "Moyt
out by the right hankl Into line
Steady, men; steady ] expect every
man to do his duty now!s F
Move out, and move on, my dear com.
rades! Alasi many moved on into that
column which passed on, never to re
turn. Their first battle was their last
| There was lull in the firing in front,
but out to the leftward yolley after vol.
ley poured, out upon the morning air
the sun Just rising over the hills to our
right. Ihad followed at the eallop 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.
"What troops are those?" asked him
doubtfully, as 1 saw long line of in
fantry men double quicking behind a
high rail fence distant not 150 yards
away. Icould not distinguish the uni
form, and was not aware of the direc-
ton from which all our ri1smen were to
enter the battle.
"My Godp said the general, "that is
the enemyf' E&
We were upon them before we were
aware of their close proximity. They
discovered us, too, at once, and were
preparing for the greeting.
sect out of the roadf' shouted the
general. There was clump of trees on
either side Of the highway upon which
he had thus far advanced.
sect out of the roadl Don't you see
they are bringing the battery to bear
upon us from the hill yonder?"
I looked, and white puff of smoke
greeted my vision, and the same instant
whiz-z-whur-r-r - chee-ee-ee - went
shell right between the general and his
staff, and it bounded down the road, ex-
ploding in our rear.
The general addressed me again:
sect 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 the fly
ing fragments.
Then there was avolley Of rifles and
faint cheer near to our flanks-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 un-
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 I heard the shots rattling
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.
l heard the commanding general shout
as the long line came hurrying on Just
as the men emerged from the skirt of
woods, "Move on that line behind yon
fence" R6ss&S
A red and white and blue line of fire
answered from the enemy.
''Fall down and firer' / heard an off,
Ger shout.
Alas! many had already fallen fallen
to rise no more. a y
Half hundred men of a regiment
stood up, and their irregular fire ratified
mockingly along the fence.
1t was the work Of but 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 awful 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 wailing shrek of the wounded
and the moans of the dying. The hours
were passing, the musketry was roaring
with an unhroken note, the batteries
were believing at each other, when sud-
denly there was deep, dull thud-a
mighty force which at once shook the
whole battlefield. Two heavily laden
caissons were blown mp 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 and
groaning Thousands stood listening
amid the horrid hell!
Oh, it was the charge of the cavalry!
"Charge! charger shouted the throats
of dozen officers, and the bugle blasts,
ringing out family in the din, mingled
and died away in the fierce shouting Of
the squadrons.
Boom! boom! boom! went the artillery
bosses!
Clangi clang! clang! rang out the gilt
tering sabers as they leaped from the
scabbard. w4
1t was, however, but an instant Of aw-
full chorus when the wailing cry of Wat
erloo, sauve qui peut!- !-"save himself
who canr-went up before the onrushing
squadron Of furious horsemen, who broke
out in the wild shout Of victory that
deadened the guns along the whole line
land troops on the right--troops on the
left-troops in the center all caught the
notes, and there was one long and terrific
thunder note of victoryl The cheers of