San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-02-12


the direction Of the sound. They We're
the dismOunted skirmishers who were
being driven back by the strong advance
in front. The men rallied with our col
umn.
Fall i'll, men," cried a sergeant near
me. Fall in, men! fall in promptly.
Fall in here"
On, this terrible tongue of war!
Fall in here! Fall in! This is the
most awful appeal that greets the sol
dier's ears. Fall in. 1t is tocsin that
dies away only with the funeral kneIl of
many-for to them it says:
Fall in-fall into the arms of
DEATH
A second staff officer had been sent
back to hurry up the infantry" The
noble fellows were coming. You could
hear the deep, mu.fled hum of their
footsteps as the double quicl1ing hur-
ried them onward. AS they came up l
heard the short, quick commando: Move
out by the right flank! Into linel
Steady, men; steady! l expect every
man to do his duty now!"
Move out, and move on, my dear CON-
rades! Alas! many moved on into that
column which passed on, never to re-
turn. TheirlfirSt battle was their last.
There was lull in the firing in front,
but out to the leftward yolley after vol
ley poured, ont upon the morning air
the sun Just rising over the hills to our
right. l had followed at the gallop the
general, who was hurrying to the front.
He was more silent than had ever
known him. Suddenly he halted and
turned to see who all were about him.
what troops are those?' I asked him
doubtfully, as l saw a long line of in
fantry men double Quicking behind a
high rail fence distant not $50 yards
away. could not distinguish the uni
form, and was not aware of the direc-
ton fromwhich all our rifemen were to
enter the battle.
my God" said the general, chat 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 roadp shouted the
general. There was clump Of trees on
either side of the highway upon which
he had thus far advanced.
Get 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 went a
shell right between the general and his
staff, and it bounded down the road, ex-
ploding in cur rear.
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 the fly
ing fragments.
Then there was volley of rifles and a
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 I'M
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 1 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
cbnrld dave ,noxya tho 1ubnalo On RI VI otOry
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!"
A red and white and blue line Of fire
answered from the enemy.
Fall down and fire." heard an Off
Ger shout.
Alas! many had already fallen-fallen
to rise no more.
Half a hundred men of n regiment
stood up. and their irregular fire ratified
mockingly along the fence.
1t was the work of but moment, for
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 joinedin 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 hurtling shot,
the screaming, Gcreeching shell, and
whistling whirr of the deadly mimic.
Amid the roar were the shouts of conf
mand, the wailing shrek of the wounded
and the means of the dying. The hours
were passing, the musketry was roaring
18th ~, ,,,bra1yan po4a A. Lox+or;oa