Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1893-07-15

Each one was there to die. To stay was
to be killed. He could fear death only
in running away. 1t wasn't that he
was running away to save his life, but
from some menace which he could feel
and not yet understand. An army of
forty thousand men bravely pushing
ahead and feeling victory in the air will
leave its dead at every wall, and fence,
and creek, and on every slope, and
cheer and cheer as it pushes on. The
same army, if withdrawn for any rea-
son. will be so worked up inside of half
an hour that the bursting of a shell
will break the formation of whole
brigade.
1t is the rear guard a general looks to
with deepest concern when compelled
to withdraw in the face of the foe. 1t
is the post of honor for some one seek
ing death. 1t is the place of all to try
the nerves of the oldest veterans. A
victorious army is jubilant and aggres-
sive. A defeated one is nervous and
fearful. The rear guard steps in be-
tween the wolf and its prey. 1t must
retreat, but it must fight as it falls
back. There will be dead men, but
Luty Will uog CNCH DC i1lONSu sl'SidS "
escape the wheels. The wounded may
be placed in the fence corners or
dropped into the bitches, but there will
be no time for gentleness.
Here we swing into the main road, up
which the last hurrying, struggling
company has disappeared. There are
a swamp and long causeway between
US and the enemy's advance. Up the
road they are trying to save the wagon
train. We must give them half an hour.
Our two guns are planted to sweep the
narrow road, and never n man lives to
get within pistol shot. Then he push
es forward column of infantry. They
fill the road and overflow into the
swamp, where oozc and water are hip
deep. We shell them-we change to
grape and cannister-we ill the black
waters of the swamp with dead men.
But there are Eve thousand men form
ing that living, moving wall-one thou
sand of us. They push forward their
artillery. Their infantry creep for
ward from tree to tree and from bush
to bush, and we are driven. It's either
retreat or annihilation. We leave our
dead and wounded and fall back. The
enemy cheers again as he advances,
aad we turn and fire and push on again.
Here are wounded men sitting by the
roadside or lying at full length on the
grass. Some rise up and hobble pain
fully along with us: others beg fol
water and fall to weeping. We cannot
be burdened. We cannot even be mer
ciful. We are the rear guard-not here
to save hundred but thousands. A
the foot of the hill are two broker
wagons, an ambulance with wheel off
heap of knapsacks and musiet
thrown away by weary and fearfu
men; half way up the hill more aban
doned wagons and two or three dyinl
horses; at it's crest caisson and NOR
spoils for the enemy.
Halt! Here we check them again!
The guns are planted and the infan
try positioned and we can see that tn
highway clear back to the swamp is
mass of moving men. Thirty to one
perhaps, but we must fight. 1t is onl.
when they overflow into the forest an
and field and are on our fianks that tn
guns are limbered up and we fall back
Across q plain for half mile, pas
q farmhouse and its barns and orchard
and the highway turns to the left an
enters the forest. We halt at the turr
There is just time to draw long breat
when thefhead of the wild beast Scent
ing our bloody footprints comes int
view. Our shells scream down tn
dusty highway and mingle blood wit
dust. They rend and tear and mair
and kill, but the living wall is nc
checked. Then grape and caniste
whir anu whistle and scream, and tn
muskets of our infantry blaze an
crackle, but we cannot stem the tid'
Even as we are ready to fall back on
of our guns is dismounted, and we MUS
help the horses draw away the othe
There are more dead and wounded-
only skeleton command to staggs
back and look for another position.
Here the highway leaves the WOOD
and ascends a strong hill The afte