The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-06-25
The Rear Gunrd.

A General in command may order retreaN
to secure stronger line. or because he fears
disaster. or for several othor reasons which
might be- termed good policy BIZ q court OF In.
quiry. but there is peril in any backward
movement. SO long as the lines are standing
firm SO long will men die bravely. Even II Z
wing is being beaten back and the fact 10
known in the centre men will still die with
their faces to the foe.
An army corps is an anomaly. It will charge
into the face OF death time and again. Every
man will obey like q machine. No man knows
what fear is. That is because 1t is at least
holding its ground II not gaining something.
Let the order run down the lines for Q
retrograde movement. and there is q
panicky feeling observed at once. Have
other corps been defeated3 Has the
enemy pierced the centre2 Has the battle
been lostP Men ask these questions Of each
other in cowardly whispers. and within ton
minutes four afths Of the command are ready
for flight. All veterans have experienced this
Be killed. He could fear death only in running
save his life. but from some menace which he
could feel and yet not understand. An army
Ing victory in the air will leave its dead 40
every wall and fence and creek and on every
fs
s sss hs " MSo & sirss will break the
1t is the rear guard a General looks to with
deepest concern when compelled to withdraw
for some one seeking death. It ia the place
OF all to try the nerves Of the oldest veterans.
defestsa one Is nervous " and AH fearful The
rear guard steps in between the wolf and its
ialls back. There will DO dead men. but they
snss Ths 6 S Sa sh sS
there viii be no time ler aentlenese
q, Here we swing into the main road up which
caussway between, Us and the enemy's ' ad-
tie Wagon train W. must give thsm hall 1 AZ
hour. First comes the enemy's cavalry. Our
road and never = man lives to get Within BIS.
tol shot Then he pushes forward a column Of
the swamp. where ooze and water are hip
deep We shell then M change to crepe
mon forming that living: moving wallIa
sntsr9 # hsy
tree to tree and from bush to bush, and We arc
driven. 1t is either treat or annihilati9n- We
The enemy cheers again as he advances. and
we turn and IRE and push on again Here are
at iuii length on the grass. some rise up and
hobble painfully along with US: others beg for
Surdsned d' We cannot sSen be We
to s M
%th shssi
of. a heap OF knapsacks and muskets thrown
s away Y, by weary and fearful men; hall way up
three dying horses: at Its crest a oaisson and
more H. sPo'l s Tor the The s enemy ;bo ,,,w
The guns are planted and the Infantry posi-
toned. and We can see that the highway clear
Thirty to one perhaps. but we must fight Is
is only when they overflow into the forest and
iimbered up and an we Tall back. We have given
them a1other heap OF dead to bury. more
to souD We dare nos
Across a plain for half a mile, past 2
f and dit. its barns ms and orchard. and
halt the turn ePh Is
time to draw long breath when tho head
down, the dusty highway. and minele blood
xiii. but the living wall is. not checked, Then
grape and canister whir and whistle and
and cracEs. but we cannot stem the tids
Even as we arc ready to tall back one Of our
guns is dismounted. and we must help tho
to starger back and look Tor another position:
eSs the asnw"k eASfi IN" @GS
wsned and ths Sun is HALF
up By hand, It is our, last stand. The
As We bpa up ~; each others hurts We can hear
tho foe cheering down tho road. Five minutes
later the last shell Is fired. There is no more
overturned into the ditch We hold the hill
for ten minutes with q IRE OF muskstry which
bonfire. and the there comes sudden silence.
We nave the order TO retreat. Leaving the
wounded to curse and Rroan and pray. leaving
the dead TO grow cold as the red sunset fades
away and the stars come out. we glide away
like shadows into the night. and ike shad.
SWHllOWeQ I'D anu lost to view.
We were nghting for night to come. 1t is here.
The pursuit Is ended.