Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1894-02-10


senting the appearance of huge mon
ster clothed in folds of flashing steel
On comes the enemy in its grand, full
pride sure of crushing the beaten,
broken army of the Tennessee, in per-
feet step with arms at right shoulder
shift, seeming conscious of its might.
With blare of band and buglc the line
advances; we see it coming and Won
der if some one will raise the white
flag. l load my gun and lie fat on the
ground head downward; with teeth
tightly closed i await what seems our
sure defeat Behind the front line
comes another andestill another. The
woods are alive with them. On they
come; soon their lines begin to unfold
and develop; these movements are exc
cuted with exact step and with arms
still at right shoulder-shift
/ live an age in moment. We are
startled by u cannon shot above us-a
signal for more. 1t is answered by a
binding flash-a mighty roar. The
earth trcmbles; something strikes me;
darkness falls about me; smoke and
leaves and twiSs and gravel and earth
fill the air, ! start up affrighted, Won
dering if the heavens and earth are
coming together. 1t is the good even
ing" of Webstcrs great guns above us
to the bold, defiant confederate host
Artillery alonr the line opens, and the
final struggle mas begun.
No white flag there! Our Gannoneers
are planting their shrapnel where it
will do the most harm, and it falls
amid the crowded mass of the enemy as
true as if it had been carried by hand.
The smoke before us lifts, and we see
beneath it the lines of the enemy, with
great gaps torn in them, closing up
and still advancing. We open upon
them line fire, the guns behind us arc
still throwing case shot, the roar deaf
ems and the smoke blinds for time
Again it lifts and we see the gray line
staggering un' cr the awful fire it faces
The gunboats take up the fight, but on
comes that determined line until only
a corporais guard remain. We look
again. 1t has vauished-gouel An
other pushes on, to disappear like the
first Our line is blaze of fret is a
volcano. 1t hurls defiance with its
shots ut the proud, splendid bravery of
the enemy, who die but refuse to re-
treat.
The fight becomes fiendish; the cne-
my concentrates its fire and brings into
action every available man and gun.
Arms are no longer at the right shoul-
der, but are being used by experienced
men. The stubborn resistance of the
seemingly beaten federal army is sur
prise to the legions of Beauregard, who
can neither crush or dislodge the blue
The gray Vine trembIes almost as il
halts, wavers for moment and ther
suddenly falls back, the few that ar,
left firing as they go until the support
ing line is reached. Then we sec rea
discipline in battle. The. retreatinG
line halts, closes up, reforms on its sup
port See how deliberate and full o
action it becomes, maddened at the re
pulse and burning to avenge thu
fallen comrades! The fiery sons of thu
south are again in perfect form, read!
to hurl themselves with their angr1
impetuosity against their SEED but un
daunted foe. For moment the gra,
line is motionless; then all at once i
leaps forward with u mighty yell ant
sweeps across the bloody space separat
ing the blue from the gray. Following
the yell comes a storm of leaden hal
full into our faces, 1t is u battle, of tn
giants. A wild cheer from our line
hurled back upon them, and shot an
swers shot. The roar of artillery is in
cessant. The crash of musketry
deafening, and the earth tremble
from the conclusion and shock. Watc
the play on the faces of the men Th
eye fushes the face grows wild an
grand, the form rounds out to It's full
est limit and the plain, dull soldier bo
rises into the grandeur and glory c
Homeric god as he springs to hi
feet. with no thought of white flag O
defeat, full of u desire to meet ana d,
stroy the coming enemy. All individ