Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1894-09-20
The CAPTAIN SLEPT ON.
Not Even the Rude Alarm OF war
Awakened Him,


Not Even the Rude Alarm of War
Awakened Him.
1t was a hot summer day, with bees
and butterflies fitting about in the
woods and now and then the song of n
bird to greet the ear There had been
no piclket.1ring for three or four days,
and, although the enemy held the
ground right up to the fence on the
other side Of the old cotton field, and
two hundred and fifty thousand men
were almost within cannon shot grid
ing up their loins to do battle three
days later, it was so quiet and peace
full in the woods where our reserve
picket was stationed that men drowsed
and nodded with musket in hand.
The captain sat with his back to n
tree and his face to the enemy, smok-
ing his pipe and reading u book lay
on my blanket, smoking and watching
him. BY and by saw the book fall
from his hands, his chin sink down on
his breast, and | held up warning
finger to one of the men who was
whistling as he got out his housewife
to mend a rent in his jacket. BY and
by | looked away from the captain
across the field. Away over on the far
side, in the shadow of the green trees,
caught the flash of steel now and
then. 1t was the sun striking on gun
barrel or bayonet in the hands Of the
enemy. Between me and the edge OF
the field squirrel ran over the ground
and made his way up tree. While
he was yet barking, as if to call our
intention, chipmuns came out of his
hole in the ground and sat on the pile
of fresh earth and whislSed his tail and
chartered merrily.
Suddenly shot rang out from across
the field An accident, probably or
perhaps some soldier trying his aim on
smaller game than man. No one
minded it, thought heard the hum
OF the ball, but it might have been the
done of bee l turned on my back
and was looking at the branches over
head when second shot made my
pulses jump. This one was from a
cavalry carbine and was fred by one
Of our own men in the gully at the
edge of the field sprang up to look,
and for moment the sight dunn
founded me. Just breaking out Of the
woods on the far side, where they had
come up and formed SO quietly as to
create no alarm, was full brigade of
the eaemy They were marching
straight at us. 1t was not the begin
ming of battle, but a reconnaissance
"a feeler to find the weak spot in the
line a mile behind u.s.
Pop! pop! pop! from the pckets
March! march! march! The fifty men
of us on that front were too small
game for brigade to open on.
Captain, they are coming-a whole
brigade. Don't you hear the fringe
Thus to the sleeping officer, but he
slept on. There was no time to run
and lay hand on his shoulder.
Fall I'M Forward, march! Halt!
Fire at will Down on the ground,
boys, and give it to 'em hot! We've got
to hold 'em for a minute, anyhow
One lieutenant on detail-the other
back in camp-the captain asleep be-
hind us. Every instant expected to
hear his voice shouting orders rs he
passed along the short, weak line be-
hind us, but it did not come.
March,. march! march, l thought
of a great wave of water sweeping in
land as peered under the smoke and
saw the brigade coming forward at
common time and arms at right
shoulder shift Here and there one
fell out as our bullets found their bill
cts, but a full battery of artillery
playing grape and canister on that
moving mass could not have checked
its momentum.
what shall we do sergeant? Gun
or be gobbied?"
What shall we do, captain?'
So they asked of me, and SO asked
of the captain, though he was not