The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1894-07-07
THE SLEEP OF DEATH.
The Captain Did Not Know There Was q
Fight.

1t was a hot summer day, with bees and
butterflies fitting about in the woods and
now and then the son of a bird to greet
the ear. There had been 40 picket firing
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 $50, 600 men were almost within
cannon shot, girding up their loins to do
battle three days later, it was so quiet and
peaceful in the woods where our reserve
picket was stationed that men drowsed
and nodded with muskets in hand.
The captain sat with his back to a tree
and his face to the enemy smoking his
pipe and reading a book. l lay on my
blanket smoking and watching him. BY
and by I saw the book fall from his hands,,
his chin sink down on his breast, and l
held up a warning finger to one of the men
who was whistling as he got out his house
wife to mend a rent in his jacket. BY and
by I looked away from the captain across
the field. Away over on the far Slde, IN
the shadow of the green trees, l caught
the flash of steel now and then. 1t was
the sun striking on gun barrel or bayonet
in the hands of the enemy. me
and the edge of the field a squirrel ran
over the ground and made his way up "a
tree. While he was yet barking, as If to
call our attention, a chipmunk came out
of his hole in the ground and sat on the
pile of fresh earth and whisked his tall
and chartered merrily.
Suddenly a shot rang out from across
the field. An accident probably or perhaps
some soldier trying his aim on smaller
game than a man. No one minded it. |
thought l heard the hum of the ball, but
it might have been the drOne OF a bee l
turned on my back and was looking at the
branches VERNE when a 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. l sprang up to look, and Tor a
moment the sight dumfounded me. just
breaking out of the woods on the far side,
where they had come up and formed sc
quietly as to create no alarm, was a full
brigade of the enemy. They were march
ing straight at us. 1t was not the begin
ming of ii battle, but a reconnaissance a
feeler to find the weak spot in the line q
mile behind us.
Pop! pop! pop! from the piskets. March
march! march! The so men of us on thai
front were too small game fora brigade t.
open on.
Captain, they are coming-a whole bri
gade. Don't you hear the 1lrlng?
Thus to the sleeping officer, but he slep
on. There was no time to run and lay
hand on his shoulder.
Fall in! Forward, march! Halt! Fir
at will! Down on the ground, boys, an'
give it to EN- hot! We've got to hold EN-
for a minute anyhow
One lieutenant on detail-the other bacI
in camp-the captain asleep behind US
Every instant I expected to hear his volc'
> shouting orders as he passed along IN
short, weak line behind Us, but II did no
come.
March. march! march! l thought o
; q great wave of water sweeping INLAND a
l l peered under the smoke and saw tn
brigade coming forward at common TIM
; and arms at right shoulder shift. Her
/ and there one fell out as our bullets toun'
their billets. but a full battery OF artllier
PLAYING grape and canister on that NOV
r ing mass could not have checked its mc
mentum.
i What shall we do, sergeant Run c
be gobbled?'
What shall we do, ~captain?'
u g $50 arl Cn | asked {