The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1891-09-25
WAR "REMINISCENCES.
A BATTLE WITHIN A BATTLE.

Tho chargers of Two Dead Soldiers Take VI
Their Masters Cause.
Orr battery had been doing splendid ser
Vice.
From our position on the right we coui'
see shells drop IN the woods and break up In
formation of the confederate cavalry ever.
time they left cover.
We knew where they were. Jeb Stuart
old troopers were there. Wade Hampton
draeoon were there. Fitz Lees hard hghter
were tbere-Imboden, Rosser, Mosby-ever!
confederate cavalry command we had tough
in Virginia was making ready In the shelter
of the woods to charge on our left flank.
| "Boom boom boom"
The gunners knew what was at stake. The
orders were to die at the guns II the position
could not be held. For half an hour theil
bursting shells kept the front clear, and we
of the cavalry cheered them.
"What's thatw
Ont from the cover of the forest at half a
dozen places gallop the gay troopers by hun.
dreds. They wheel to the right and left, form
In two lines, take their distance, close up with
a trembling motion, and now there will be a
grand charge. The shells burst In front of
them, over them, among them, but discipline
is stronger than the fear OF death.
Lets han three hundred OF us-all cavalry
to support the battery! II that mob Of gray
riders ever reaches the foot Of the slope we
shall be picked up and sent whirling like dry
leaves In hurricane. The fire of the Elk
guns becomes more rapid-it Is truly terrific;
but In their haste the gunners do less eXecu-
ton.
"Left wheel-forward-h, dress 7"
just two hundred and seventy-eight OF us
by actual count as we dress In two ranks.
What are we going to do?
''Drsw sabers = forward -trot- gallop-
charge!'
They are driving us down at that body Of
men-ten times our number-to break and
check the charge. II we can stop them for
infantry. We obque 10 the left as we go to
close up. We are living wedge, driving
down to enter living mass and split 1t In
twain.
Afraid? No! There is an exuItation-a
sort of drunkenness about 1t (which browns
all far. It's taking awful chances-odds OF
hundred to ene-but there comes species
of insane delight when one figures such des-
pc ate odds. They are coming at gallop-
we are charging at full speed. Every car
bne Is sIung to its owners back; the sabre Is
to settle this. They are yelling as they come:
we "Yi! vi! yl!' In reply.
Can the wedge enter? Is the impetus
strong enough to break way into the solid
wall of living men aud horses! look along
their line as the distance decreases with fear.
full rapidity, and l realize that the shock will
be tremendous.
Here II comes Brace for 1t Shut your
teeth hard-grip with your knees-mind your
stirrups! Crash - smash = whirl - dust
smoke!
The wedge enters! The wedge drives
ahead over fallen horses and dsmounted
slashing, cuttiDg-keeping Its
pace. A trooper slashes at me-a morse goes
lown In front of mine. feel myself railing
with my horse-and then am out of the
fight for moment.
The darkness which enshrouded things
passes away after bit, and find my horse
ytng across my feet, with the saddle flap so
holding them that his dead body must be
fitted to get me clear.
The charge of the gray troopers was Drok'
m. That wedge drove right through the
mass and turned to attack them In the rear.
,wirlng about In circles like the vultures OF
var, the mass of men edges away until the
ield around Inc fs clear of all but dead and
Pve got sabre cut on the shout
Ter. and can feel the warm blood bathing my
IL
ny feet clear. 1 am working to extricate
hem, when / hear hoof beats behind me, and
lext moment riderless horse dashes up and
comes to a halt.
All! but how the glory of battle excites a
Iorse! See how red his nostrils how high |
lis bead-the glare In his eyes-the tail held
ut like a pIume-the ears working and the
,gs dancingl He has net been bit, but be
as left bis rider dead back there In the stub
lea federal captain.
The horse stands paving and snorting,
hen out from the whirl of death, halt
lille away, breaks chestnut CHARGER, and
,mes galloping down upon US. There is
God on the neutrality-suspicious. OF blood on
Is shiny TANKS. 1t Is not his blood. but that
the confederate MAJOR who rode him. and
no has been cut down by the stroke of a
bre.
1t Is gray VS.. chestnut-feJeral VS.. cOnfed.
ate. The newcomer Is still hundred feet .
way, when the gray horse PUSHES at him
ith ears laid back and mouth open, and as
atch them forget that shells are screaming,
Illets whistling and the sabre doing bloody
ork within sound of my voice. As the two ,
rises come together they rear up, neigh de-
nee at each other, and fight begins-a Il
title within battle. Each seems imbued
IT'D deadly hatred for the other. and to be r
termined to destroy his antagonist.
Now they rear up and strike yicicusly at j
oh other, 4
Now they wheel az one and kick and utter +
rill screams. 4
Now they bear off to the left-now to the
yht-now crash together and strike and Q
tie as II possessed of the spirit of furies. u
OF a sudden / realize that they are close I
ION me. In their mad fury they see neither 4
lad nor wounded-hear not the shot and v
out of battle. The gray kicks dead man \
ide as he backs up for fresh effort; the v
lestnut tramples the life out Of wounded e
an rs he dances about. They will be over 9
e II l do not stop them The heels Of the b
ay are throwing dirt iHto my face as I'm. b
Ing my carbine and rest 1t across my dead \
,rse for shot. fire at the gray. as he Is 4
,arest and the greatest menace, but the G
llet misses the target. At that moment d
ey begin 10 work to the left, and IN the p
,Xt they are passing me, lesping over deal G
,rses and trampliag on dead men as they l
ream and bite and kick.
Above the roar of battle 1 hear rifle :
lell coming. II gives out growing, com- :
aiming sound which no man ever hears
ithout chill. The sound grows louder
,arer-crath! The horses were fifty feet
way, and II must have struck one OF them. s
here was cloud Of smokes whizztng of
gged fragments, and when could see again
,th horses were downtown and mangled
ID almost blotted of the face of the earth
the awful force Of the explosion.-GM. 4
lad, In N. Y. World. rs