The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1895-07-18
Tearing up the flooring.

was not recognized by the men-his
appearance was much changed by the
loss of his beard-and fell in with the
last files as though he belonged to the
| troop.
The squadron trotted up the road lead.
| ing through a gap in the ridge and
stood ON a summit overlooking the Pea
Vine valley. BY the light of day May
nard looked down upon the landscape
he had seen a few hours before; but, ah,
how changed! Ten thousand men in
gray were coming across the valley.
1t is a solemn sight at any time to
see an army moving to strike a foe
There was something in the silent
movement-too far for him to hear the
tramp of the men advancing over the
intervening space, still wearing it's sum-
mer robes Of green-to remind him of a
thundercloud rising in a clear sky
There were compact columns of infan-
try steadily marching, while on either
flank cavalry trotted forward, head up,
like troop of lions over jungle. Occa-
sionally there came a confusion of dis
tant sOunds-orders- murmurings
preceding the storm. The advancing
host seemed rather troop of specters,
moving with the wind, an army Of ma
licious spirits coming to scatter plague
from their still silent weapons
This fancy vanished with the first few
shots from the skirmishers. They were
too real, too spiteful, to attribute to
any but human agencies. Back goes the
thin line of blue before the scattered
Confederates in advance, supported by
thick columns Of dusty gray. No Skin
mish line would care to stand against
these columns coming silently, not yet
in presence of a foe worthy of a volley.
Suddenly there is a rumbling, shout
ing, a lashing Of horses in Maynard's
rear. Turning, he sees Union battery,
drawn by horses, galloping up the slope
from the bridge. Dashing into position,
the horses are swung around, pointing
the muZZles Of cannon toward the ad.
vancing host. The guns are unlimbered.
There is boom, followed by shrek
ing shell arching toward the heavens
and dropping with a sound like All ex-
ploding rocket over one of the advanc.
ing columns.
The shot produces change in the
disposition OF the closely packed Con-
federates as turn of Kaleidoscope
alters the combination Of colors. The
closed columns halt, quickly extend
wings Oh either side, joining tips, each
while deploying, resembling the con-
tinued line, from tip to tip, Of some
huge distant bird. Now they are in
line of battle and once more move for
ward, while the Union battery drops
shells in their extended and less vulner.
able ranks. Marching over open fields,
crossing gulleys, now lost in wood, to
appear upon it's other edge, bisecting
creek and road, a slowly drawing coil,
a line of the ''ribbed sea sand,'
streak of dust before a rising wind, the
southerners move steadily forward. Be
fore them the Union outposts give way,
retreating under cover of their guns.
What are those funereal looking wag-
ons driving up and being stationed at
different points, those men, with strip
of red flannel about their arms, scatter
ing themselves over the field: To the
young enthusiast for war in the dis
lance, who has been impatient to see a
battle, these wagons, these men marked
with red, composing the ambulance
corps, getting ready to take care of dead
who have not yet been killed, wounded
who have not yet been hit, bring the
first realization of what war means
There is none of the harsh music of bat
tie about these grim looking wagons,
these men waiting for victims, to bright
en- the eye and send the blood coursing
through the veins. They go about their
work in a methodical fashion that
dampens ardor as water quenches fire.
They mock soldiers ambition for glo-
~. There is something in the calcula
ton, the preparation, to remind him
that, after all, the gold lace, the feath-
ers, the martial music, are but to cause
him, like the pampered sacrifice, to for
get what he is for-to be shot.
But Mark Maynard was veteran
and had seen all this before. He gave
che ambulance corps single glance,
and then, looking toward a group Of
Union officers partly concealed from
him by the smoke of the battery, saw
one of them, with the stars of briga-
der general on his shoulder, peer north
ward through fieldglass. Turning his
eyes in the same direction, he could see
a light cloud rising west of Ringold.
He watched it and observed that one
end Of it was trending toward ford.
north Of Reeds ridge The officer soon
shut up his glass, and in another mo-
ment aids were galloping away to give
orders to retreat A column of Confed.
crates, extending for miles, were march.
ing to the ford to turn the Union left,
and no time was to be lost in getting
the little force back to the bridge.
There is quick limbering Of guns,
and skirmishers, cavalry, gunners, all
hurry back over the ridge. At the bridge
they find two regiments ready for any
duty to which they may be assigned.
They are directed to hold the ford tt
which tho column Of dust is moving.