Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-01-06
PINK BLOSSOMS.

How They Were Showered ArouaA tie
Bodies Of innocent Victims.
A body Of cavalry sent out on q recon-
noissance, to pass over the neutral ground
between the two armies, to develop any re-
cent earthworks thrown up, to locate the
enemy's vedettes. to see il he is repairing
the roads ard tri6ges in his front, to OBJ
serve everything which may have a posi-
bic bearing on the events Of q week to
come; more than that, TO drive of horses
and cAttlc, to load q score of wagons with.
provisions and forage, TO add to the desti-
tuition and terror OF helpless old men as
they sit Mt their doors and Of the women
and children as they work in the barren
fields.
War n always sacrifice-never mercy.
War demands death and wounds and de
struction. He who can kill and wound and
destroy most Is the greatest hero. War re-
spects nothing, vcnerates nothing, blackens
everything. 1t moves in trails across coun-
try as vcnomOus serpent winds through
the grass. You follow the trails and look
in vain for one single spot where mercy and
pity staid the hand of destruction. Black
ness, dcsolation. death and new made graves
are the milcstoaes on the trails Of war.
1t was a May day, with the peach trees
the smoke and flame Of destruction; ahead,
the old farmhouses which sheltered no one
who could march in the ranks and fight
against us. The fragrant blossoms, tho
green hills, the sunny skics-eyerything
told OF peace, and yet war was mt hand as
the flaxen haired children came running to
the doors. Just below a farmhouse we halt
to water or thirsty horses at n brook flow
ing lczily across the road. \ few men ride
on Ia the house. We can hear children
crying in alright. We can hear the voice
Of n woman raised in fearful protestation.
We can see IN old gray haired man with a
child in his arms at the door, and though
his voice is too weak to reach us we can see
by his gestures that he rcscrts the lawlcss
invasion Of the pr,mises
Some of us ride To the right to reach the
barns. where the wagons AR. already drawn
up; some to the left. where horses are at
nastr-c. Tho rem,;pd.r STRAIGHT ON M, the
road Sudarnlv the huplc, sound the
alarm and then van us Ia rally ON the cen
tcr IN one miami. ,he sr..at. is changed
from dreamy pcacc TO active war. A boiy
Of the ,,n.,nv. having the same object in
viev .s ourselves has come nm from ;be
eou,h ,,d ,,,,c,.a 80 n, s;,y,. u,pv +,
.,ddI, o., o,r "a. :. sr,,ieJ bef,r,. ,v,.
cr.cI. .b.;r ,;src. cb,r,,c and npsh them
h,cl IN orc b.v. roo.,, "a form E,ch lido
b,. :, Itch. h,,,.-r Jh. ,,,,,,a ,.., r., ,,orl-
alnos, ns 500, ,s tb. earnings The. old
.,rmborsc ;s ~. lev of the b,,,Ietield A,
oIa ,n,n and u herupd four children arr
In ,he~. h,,. v.,<e Of IL, This il war. M
onc ,-;vr. them n Thought shot and she'll
plow through the ancient s,rurture-bul-
les sc,r-,, on, every nook and corner. Now
our RICH. wing drives the enemy hack with
n cbrer-now the enemy presses hack our
left and shouts in exultation. It is "A hot
fight for 20 minu,es-,ime enough for the
dcad and wounded to number 1N The
revcrbern,ion of the guns brings down a
shower of blossoms at every discharge, and
the black powder smoke floats up through
the branches and smirches and disco,ors
and leaves its CRIME.
.Rally on the center. Forward-trpt-
Callop-charge-'
We have broken the enemy and sent him
flying. We follow him for a mile or more,
shooting and hacking, and then the buclcs
blow the recall. and we cease the pursuit.
Tnert nr,. dead men On the dusty highway
:, ,bc bitches a,oopy TN. May weeds and
Inc tbistlcs. and dead horses almost block
he wav ut certain points. Yes, a hot little
iiyht. and we are proud of our victory us
we return To the Old farmhouse. We have
our dead to bury and our wounded to look
after. and il is only when an officer starts
10 enter the house to say that it must he
turned into "A slt,mbles that the inmates
are remembered. The officer cries out and
starts back in horror. Under the beach
free growing close to the back door lies the
l,s,y of the old gray haired nan-fathe-
end grandfather To the woman and the
children. He must have been in fight
when struck by = solid sho: which cut him
almost in two mt the hips. lie was carry
in- n child not n,u-e than . Years old
| bnyy.,, TO his bre:s,. Her little arms were
o-nupd his neck. and her face WIS hidden
| in his boson We unclasped the old mans
,r,,. AMI tool. nor m, Sb. vr,s de,,,-,l,,d
| without n wound. She had died of terror
ms he sank down with her, perhaps kissing
her in his last breath.
! And ns we stood with uncovered heads
| ,b, woman CAM. my. Great bcuv.p., b.,.
| how wife her fuce-hoyy r,bn,tly the eo,or
| n. her lips-how rel the blood which drir,-
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