The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-04-18
CHAPTER XVII.

HN tAoht may pt thltts lOuI. lNt tlA
miles long. The lines of battle run
across open fields, through the woods,
over hills, across highways, through
orchards. As soon as the firing begins
the smoke shuts in the vision to the
right and left. Troops may stand or lie
down, have the cover of breastwork
or none at all. They may charge or be
chafged, gain ground or be driven back
to a new line. However the battle goes,
the soldier secs only what takes place
in his immediate front.
And how the opening of battle
changes the nature Of man! While
he is waiting for it to begin every nerve
is strung to its utmost. He may be a
brave man, but in that hour of waiting
he denies it to himself He trembles.
He doubts himself. He turns pale, and
his knees grow weak, He would run
away but for his pride. 1t is pride and
not courage that holds him i'll his place.
He may be a man who has never uttered
an oath in the hearing of his comrades
man of Christian principles. A minute
after the firing begins all tho wicked
neas born in his soul begins to betray
itself. He shouts and raves and curses
His facial expression is so changed that
his own brother could not identify him.
For the time being he is madman-a
devil. He cries: xiii! Kill! Killr'
even though in his excitement he fires
among the tree tops or at the clouds.
This is the excitement which numbs
all feeling in some men when wounded
and they fight on until they happen to
catch sight of their own blood and then
sink helplessly down. 1t is a sort of
nightmare in which no man can be held
responsible for his words, and in which
no ono notes the flight of time To
some an hour seems a day. To others
the sun passes from the MONDAY mark
to the edge of the horizon SO swiftly
that they are amazed.
For half day Lee % whole army had
hurled itself against the Federal lines.
Every foot of ground on that long front
had drunk blood. The line was broken
only at one place, but that was fatal
There the fight continued to rage until
long after nightfall, but at last it grad
ually died away, and solemn hush fell
upon the bloody field. One may con-
quer and yet ha so near vanquished that
he has no strength FOL another blow. So
it was with Jackson. He had broken
the Federal line, hut he could not fol-
low up his advantage. Even if night
had not come he must reorganize his
shattered commands, replenish his am
munition and permit the wornout men
food and sleep. ".."
A battle does not cease at once. 1t is
nm hour or more IN dying away. There
is spnttering and growing here and
there, and men give up their work of
death grudgingly. At last hush comes.
1t is absolute to the men who have been
deafeued by the roar for hours and
hours. 1t is blessed relief, hut they
look at each other III alarm. The very
stiffness frightens them. They have
seen dead and wounded men before
them, to the right or left, in rear, Tor
hours, but have scarcely given them
thought Now when the hush comes
the frenzy gradually gees away, and
they stand appalled, at the slaughter.
The hush does not last long. Ii is bro
ken by the cries OF the wounded men
who have suffered pain and thirst and
fear for long hours. There is nothing
known tOliying man which can be com
pared to these cries rising from field
OF slaughter rs night comes down. Mon
who have suffered and made no ontcry
while daylight lasted now seem to he
seized with Il fear OF the darkness. Men
who seemed TO have been struck dead
are revived by the falling dew to plea!
for life. Some call out in quayering
voices like children when in the dark
ness. Some curse; some pray; some re-
vile. Here and there one, realizing that
ho is wounded unto death and that help
will come too late, maintains silence.
With an effort which starts the red blood
afresh, he carries his hand to the pocket
i'll which lies a photograph Of sweet
heart or last letter from the wife at
home, and the burial party finds his
dead fingers cntrhing the relic and his
glazed eyes fastened upon this last
glimpse of things mortal.
The full horror Of battlefield is re-
allied only at night. While darkness
shuts out thousand horrible sights, it
get adds to the horrors. Here and there
parties searching for some Officer, dead
OF wounded, move about with lantern
or torch TO guide them. They step over
the dead. They tread upon hands and
arms ontstretehea. They slip and stag
ger on the spots of earth wet with blood.
The wounded hear and see them moving
about, aud they call out with renewed
strength fer fueGor. a wounded horse
who has been lying down in pool of
blood secs the light approaching, and
there is something human in his whim-
pGrings. He pleads and cOaSes. With
a great effort lie guins his feet and hob
bles along and uttcrs his pleadings and
reproaches.
On this battlefield OF Cold Harbor are
nino or ten thousand dead men. ten or
twelve thousand wounded. The living
and unhurt are exhausted with the day
struggle, and the wounded must lie
through tho night. There are no search-
ing parties abroad, no details TO give
succor. From forest and thicket and
field the cries of the stricken continue
hour after hour, but they cry in vain. In
the swamp over which Hood charged
wounded men lap the water thick with
mud and slime. They struggle as they
sink slowly into the onze, struggle and
shout and pray, but dig their own
graves, as it were, and some of their
blackencd bones are there today Here,
where the hrisadts of Hill moved over
the open sroGnd to charge the troops of
Seymour ard Reynolds, the dead lie
thicker than they will in the streets at
Fredericksburg or on the slopes at Get.
tysEurg There ara no woanded--at
least NO voices cry out 10 us through the
darkness. Here the Federals had 80
pieces of artillery posted to command
the approach, and as the Confederates