The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-11-06

| W lOuF QOOUls JOnUHys lie CTlcQ III =
voice Of derision.
But arms behind him seized the up
raised rife, and sinewy arms behind him
grasped his arms and encrcled his waist
and clutched him on all sides like ten
tacles.
The great soldier lay bound and silent
| on his wooden platform. while dim fig
ures fitted past him and sunk from sight.
Now arose the half-hourly cries OF the
sentries that all was well. and above the
] PROSTATE sentinel his cry rose from
another throat. A form bent above the
| Pomeranian, a face peered into his-a
face that Humboldt knew too well. Two
hands tore open his coat and searched
| in the recesses OF his bosom.
| i've got your letter now. Yank," Wills
pered the Butternut. Tho letter that
came from the sky What's to save you
from rebel bullet now?'
Il could Kill you where you are but
well meet again down in the Southern
swamps I'll save you for a bitterer
death--a crueier DEATH
"A bitterer death, crueler death"
muttered the voice; and the cold wind
rushed shrilly through the palisades.
On either side of the road ley lines
| OF men in stained and ragged uniforms.
Many were groaning and weeping, others
lay on their backs with pallid faces
turned toward the clouds; and still others
crept about on their knees, searching In
the knapsacks of dead comrades for the
food for which their starving bodies
yearned.
Now from the distance sounded the
music from the regimental bands. Col
umns OF soldiers drew into view, with
bright flags and shining arms. Fresh,
newly-clothed troops were these from
Eastttn barracks And from thousand
throars there rang a cheering song that
frightened the faces OF the soldiers and
made them eager for the night, for they
smelled the powder-burned air Of the
battlefield before them.
But the suffering men by the roadside
laughed at these sentried warriors and
derided them. They barred their gaping
wounds and pointed TO the dead beside
them, and prophesied the fearful fate
they would encounter in the woods be-
yond.
And as the troops drew past this mock
ing line the faces OF the men grew grave,
and as they reached the solemn forest
trees their song was slowly hushed.
Here about us in the woods hollow
eyed men were lying on heaps Of forest
leaves. Great clouds OF vapor drifted
toward US from the south in changing
nUtS from Dlue ~ Wllllt. DtlOIc uS
through the trees we saw the haze Of
the battlefield, and all about arose the
roll of drums and the cheers OF eager
men. Far above in the rosy sky sailed
the great warrior, goddess or the Greeks,
with golden shield and silver spear
Now the trees thinned and we saw the
ragged line of our enemies before US,
gray figures running past enveloped in
shifting mist. And from hidden pit and
treetop the bullets of sharpshooters spat
and sang among the trees.
Rangers came up, men with long black
hair and yellow faces They stood and
shot at US. and their eyes glowed fercely
through the biting smoke. We ran for
ward and we moved them down; and
still we ran ahead. Men with great
slouched hats leaped into view; they sank
from sight and then leaped up again,
and all about us rose the screaming
Southern battle cry.
Corpses lay about our feet, dead figures
clothed in gray. i'll clad, with ancient
fashioned weapons in their hands. Then
we fell back, and here beneath our feet
lay our own dead clothed in blue. Then
forward again, where the dead were
mixed and friend and foe were heaped to-
gether. Grim voices shrieked about US
that we were fanked, that we were lost,
but still we ran forward, drunk with the !
steam of battle, the fury OF hell among |
u.s. the Shrek Of death and the blood of |
wounds. Pallas had fed, and now through |
the darkening heaven rolled the stern /
and terrible god of the Romans in rat |
Ting chariot Of iron, with clanking arms. |
on our right doomed q great breast |
work, shattered and riven and settling |
and slowly sinking into its great grave
OF glowing ashes and black browed |
heaven and the black clouded earth
echoed with the roaring. bowling voices
Of the ornaments OF terrific man. Great |
flames leaped up from fired forest trees,
burning alike the wounded and the dead.
out Of the woods now we ran, over
the moist banks Of sand TO the river
Rowing by We flung ourselves down be-
side 1t and buried our powder-burned
faces in the waters Of the Paladine.
The battle was over and earth and air
and heaven were scorched with bitter
smoke. And over the blaclIened field,
where dismantled cannon lay and the
sroans OF men rose family, there fioated
he three weird sisters. linked arm in
lrm. with streaming hair and cries that
nocked our mourning.
Where | lay beside the Paladine. thrust
ng my face and hands into the rivers
iood, there lay trenches dug In the sand
~ skirmishers. And In trench beside
ne there crouched two figures with bayo-
letted guns. The bayonet Of each man
,ierced the other. and the right hands
# the two soldiers lay together, each
'rasping still a wrinkled half OF the
leaven-born letter that shielded from
eath and injury. With a look on their
aces of horror and rage, the fire OF
uperstitiOn quenched now in their cold,
hearts, leaning over the sides
I the sandy treLch in stiff post-mortcm
onflict. lay Humboldt and the Butternut.
md the water ripping over and through
he ford Of the Paladine. sang shrilly,
nd out of the breast OF the river rose
nd peered white faces with unseeing
yes-faces of morfals floating and sink
X down to distant graves.