Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1892-11-10
WAR "REMINISCENCES.
EFFECTS or a CHARGE.
a cavalryman's Sensations while

Action.
regiment, brigade or division Of in
fantry may charge at a run, but the
movement is ,as often made at steady
step, so the alignment can be maintain
ed nearly perfect With cavalry it is
always gallop-charge There
is therefore an excitement about it that
puts the fear of death away Cavalry
in waiting may exhibit signs of nerv-
BUSINESS, and the faces of men will grow
pale and fingers clineh more tightly,
bN vwhen the advance begins those
saE pale faces flush with excitement,
anf every man feels like cheering and
do4s cheer
II matters not what you are charging
agahst-lines of infantry, a battery or
masses Of cavalry-there is no mental
figuring on the result. You feel your
self part of living wave, which is
bound to roll on and on and overwhelm
everything before it. This result does
not always follow, but you forget that
A charge of cavalry has been complete
ly checked by two or three murderous
volleys, but no such instance occurs to
your mind as you grip yonr saber and
feel your horse strong and steady under
the saddle.
What are the thoughts of cavalry
man as he charges? 1t would be hard
for him to answer. He does not always
know what he is riding at The lines
may have been facing the west, where
the enemy was visible at the edge of
wood or behind fences long way off.
A danger threatens which even his Off
GERS with their glasses have not seen.
An aide rides up, delivers an order and
the lines wheel to the south and go
rushing away as if the fate of the battle
depended on the few hundred men.
The smoke may float about so as to OBJ
scure the vision, or the field in that di-
rection may be perfectly clear-it's all
the same to the riders He is listening
for the further notes of the bugle; per-
haps having some trouble with his over
exerted horse; looking at the earth inn
mediately in front to guard against
ditch or log or stump.
He can not tell whether he has gal
loped eighty rods or full mile. Bull
lets are whizzing about his ears, but
there is no ducking and lodging.
The scream of a shell comes to his ears
above the din of the charge, but he does
not wonder if it is in line with him 1t
may explode to his right or left and
blot out three or four men and horses,
but he simply hears the explosion and
does not turn his head to ascertain
what attended.
OF sudden mass of cavalry appears
before him. They were quietly moving
around for charge on the flank, and
this movement is to check them They
We're marching by tours, but have
wheeled into line, and there is some
confusion among them He has only
observed this and heard the shouts of
their officers when the shock takes
place. After that no man can say what
really happens. The horses meet head
on. Scores of them are knocked down
If you are in the front rank you may be
tumbled out of your saddle by shot
from revolver, your horse dropped I'M
der you by bullet in his brain, or you
may strike your enemy and roll him
over and then go down after him. If
you are in the rear rank the horse
ahead may stumble over some obstruc-
ton or become one himself, and it is
nine chances to one that you are I'M
horsed
5 1t is a melee, riot free fight after
the collision. The smoke speedily OBJ
scures, all formation is lost and friend
and foe are sounding bugle calls at the
same time. You are there to stril1e-to
wound and to kill. The entire mass of
cavalry seems to be circling to the right
or left. 1t is sometimes so, but you
would have the same idea if advancing
or retreating. You fire your revolver
at the half-hidden figures before you
you may fling it at some of them when
it is empty. You may be thoroughly
up in saber exercise, but you will use
only the down cut in the melee.
How long has it lasted? You have
no idea. What has happened? The
enemy has reiterated, overpowered and
defeated, and all at once you recognize
the rally" call of your familiar bugle
The troopers rally, horsed or endorsed,
lines are reformed in confused way,
and presently the smoke thins out until
you can see the field over which you
have fought. Wounded men limping
/, and crawling about-horses galloping
wild and furious, or dead or wounded
on the earth-dead men here and there
until the number is over one hundred
The lines move back at walk to-
ward our original position. Horses are
painting and men inclined to be hys-
terical Within ten minutes you can
not find face which does not show
pallor-a trooper who is not trembling.
That's reaction of charge into the
laws of deaths.-M Quad. in n. Y
World.