The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-12-16
CLARENCE
BY Bret Harte.
Author 81 "Tbe Luck or Roarise Ca-p,-
Tive Mes sr saudv Rsr,r sc.
CopVrtohi, 1891, bv Bret Har,s

kTbAN HkhtO NNTs bNNh " tAClNtWtnL NnhL ln0
swept this portion OF the battleneld-only ,
small section OF q vaster area Of struggle-intc
which a brigade had marched, held it's own,
been beaten back, recovered It's ground, and,
pursuing. had passed out of IL forever. leaving
only It's dead behind. and knowing nothing more
Of that struggle, than its own impact and mo
this wild excitement had long
since evaporated with the singing smoke OF
gunpowder,, the acrid smell Of burning, rags
bursting shell. or the heated reek OF sweat and
leather. A COoi breath that seemed to. bring
back once more the odor Of the uptnrned earth,
10 move from The suggestive darkness beyond. .
But into that awful penetralia of death and
been no retreat. A few OF the wounded had
been brought out under fire, but the others had
and succor. For II was known that in that hor-
rible ObscurIty riderless horses. frantic with the
or, maddepcd 6y wounds, plunged f%uriousiy al
the intruder, that the wounded soldier, still
from foe or from the ghouis OF camp followers
who stripped, the dead in the darkness and
But with the first beams Of the morning sun.
Z the slowly moving !, relief detail, from the
s ssSi1Pii f iirpd. a THEN Eelrq il n %ns r tSSt the ioS 81 rnSs
Of sunlight, streaming many q mile beyond the
battle line, first pointed ont the harvest q the
Or bursting shells thai, had ieaped' the battle
yond. as the sun lifted higher it's beams fell
within the range of musketry NE. where the
killed outright with arms extended, aud feet at
all angles 10 the field. As 1t touched these dead
no expression Of pain nor anguish, but rather as
II death had arrested them only with surprise
had been MORALLY wounded. and had turned
upon their side, the relief which death had
a S'0a smile. '"''iM sunting higher. il 0't glanced
upon the, actual battle line, c%uriously c%urying
for the shelter OF walls, fences, and breRstworks
and here the dpnu law. even as when they had
Jain and fired, their faces prone In the. grass,
but their muske,s still resting across the breast
works. Exposed to grape and canister from the
battery on the ridge, death, had come to them
mercifully also-through the head and throat.
And now the whole field lay bare In the sun
light-broken. with grotesque shadows cast from
sitting, crouchlng, half ~recumbent, but always
their own monuments. One half-kneeling SOL
dier, with head bowed between his ~stifYened
grief at the feet OF his dead comrade.. A Cap
Jain shot through the brain in the act OF mount
ing "A wall lay sideways half across IL. his lips
parted with the word Of uni and sword
still pointing over the barrier the way that they
But IL was not until the sun had mounted
higher that IL struck. the central horror OF the
ne,d anu seemed 20 ldnger There In dakziins per
ling flashes, that It might be seen Of men and
those eh Nho brought h suG S., 4 tiny brook mad
that. the night before the battle friend and
foe had 6lled. their canteens. side by side with
etinct, purposely ignoring each others presence.
1t was here, that the. wounded had afterward
they. had pushed. wrangled, striven. and
, fGqsht v for a draSsh, Of that Pre,,Sds
wounds-or happily put them out of their
misery forever; here. overborne,, crushed.
blood into the Hood and tanbiiinr' after
It with their HELPLESS bodies. they damned the
s SaS:s Il. u bsnils sG snd aSsrs aSS and th sn cotton II d nid
The detail moved on slowly, doing their work
that saves emotion; Only once were they
p pocket W %sr snt sur gSsY inside nj sn OUT G,i'f Sa, w whose
sana w wsists sta., lightly as s ssasPSa q 9Re h ostr sSs,
that had been done while still In life. As the
slipped from the waistcoat to the ground. The
corporal picked it up and handed It to his officer.
with the carelessness which long experience OF
these pathetic missives from the dying to their
them" pocket eiiSt'S OF Lbs ns' ta anpS's With hnd the sFH Spslf dozen % IN
Others that he had picked up that morning. and
t mSysH hated 1T ain in the / u attitude Of f' Attention rafenes as On a
m1pnted officer appeared riding down the line.
Thero was something, more than the habitual
cam, forward. For Il was the General who had
commanded the brigade the day before.
the forward rank. OF military leaders. 1t
was his invincible spirit that had led
whelniing numbers, sustained the rally, i'm
pressed his subordinate officers with his own I'M
them an almost superstitious belief in his des-
tiny Of success, 1t was this man who had done
even at this time II was thought unwise and un-
strategic 10 do-who had held a weak position.
date Of nm nc a1 order i from m9 his
s~uperior-which at best asked only for a sacrifice
and was rewarded with a victory. He had ,eci-
had cheered him rs he passed, and the survivors
had pursued the enemy until the bugle called
too young and even effeminate, albeit his hand
some face was dark and serious and his manner
His quick eye had already caught sight of the
Tined body Of the officer and contracted, sthe
II thought the orders were to fire upon any
one Decorating the dead p"
us a chance; That's all yonder poor, fellow
saved from their claws" replied the officer, as
he held up the packet. 1T has no address,"
The General took it, m the envelope.
thrust 1t into his belt and said. =" will take
The sound Of horses hoofs came from the
rocky roadside behind r thS bush; Both men
tain in a lower voice. falling back.
They came slowly forward, a central figure on
a gray horse leading here. as in history. A short,
th1ck,set man with a grizzled beard closely
cropped around an inscrutable, mouth. and the
con in his aspect, which even the single star on
the shoulder strap OF his loose tunic, and his
obIiterslte, lie Nd sv fisatH perceived the Genys
eral of brigade and quickened his horse as the
latter drew up. The staff followed more lei
surely, but still with some curiosity To witness
the meeting the first General of the army with
the latest. The Division General saluted, hut,
almost Instantly Withdrew his leather gauntlet,
and offered his barred hand 10 the brigAdier. The
words OF the heroes are scant. The awn-u
detail, the waiting stan listened. This was all
they heard.
.Halloek tells me you're from California;"
YES. General"
All | lived there, too, in the early days.
my time, l suppose 4"
Yes. General
Great resources. Finest wheat growing
country In the world, sir, You don't happen 20
know what the actual crop was this yearI'
Hardly, General. but something enormous"
Yes, | always said It would be. Have a
He handed his cigar case 10 the Brigadier.
Then he took one himself. lighted il at the
smOulderinge end OF the one he had taken from his
mouth, was about to throw the stump cRrelessly
down, but, suddenly recollecting himself. leaned
over his horse. and dropped 1t carefully = few
inches away from the face OF a dead soldier.
Then Strengthening himself In the saddle he
ahOVRd his hOraa againal tha RriuadiAr nnUinn