Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1895-04-09

disposition OF the closely packed Con.
federates as a 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 tho 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 its other edge, bisecting
creek and road, a slowly drawing coil.
line Of the ribbed sea sand"
streak Of dust before rising wind, the
southerners move steadily forward. Be
I fore them the Union outposts give way.
retreating under cover Of their guns.
What arc 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.
tance, who has been impatient TO see
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 coursiDg
through the veins. They go about their
work in q methodical fashion that
dampens ardor as water quencbes fir'
They mock q 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, for
get what he is for-to be shot.
But Mark Maynard was n veteran
and had seen all this before. He gave
the 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 brIg!-
dief general on his shoulder, peer EOrfi
ward through iieldRlaSs. Tuning L.
eyes in the same direction, nc could see
light cloud rising west OF ItilSu-d
He watched il and observed thar en-
end of il was trending toward id'i.
north Of Reeds ridge The oEic P sal.'
shut up his glass, and in another i-o
ment aids were galloping away to give
orders to retreat A column Of Confea-
crates, extending for miles, were march
| ing to the ford 10 turn the Union iefe
| and no time was to be lost in getting
the little force back to the bridge.
There is q 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 10 hold the ford 10
which the column Of dust Is moving.
| Protected in that direction, the force at
| the bridge awaits more confidently the
coming Of the advancing Confedorates.
They have not long to wait. The skir-
mishers, thin line OF gray, are soon seen
,curying over the ridge like light scat
| tered clouds before white squail y
The main line Of gray is still tramping
| over the Pea Vine valley, keeping Tn"
slow pace Of their heavy guns. The IN
ion men do not wait for the stronger
force. They turn upon these skirmishers
and drive them back through the gal
to their more slowly moving comrades.
Mark Maynard, following with the
rest. soon again found himself on the
ridge. There, in the valley below, was
| the line Of battle he had seen, but near
| or. crescent shaped line extending
FROM the bank Of the creek above 'Ae
ford across the northern end Of the ridge
| into tho Pa Vine valley. Battlctags
| appeared above the line at regular inter
| walls Each one Of 10 flags Maynard
counted, indicating regiment. He
know that the little Union force east OF
the Chickamauga could not : stand
against what appeared to be at least
| division of infantry, with very strong
force Of cavalry. Nor was he wrong.
The scythe swung round as If moved
by the arms Of Titan, moving with
its sharp edge the opposing Unionists.
They were sent flying back to the bridge
and hurriedly put themselves into po-
| sition 20 defend il.
They are ready for the storm when 1t
breaks, meeting it with artillery and
charges Of cavalry. The Confederates
are driven, but by this time their artil-
lery has been got forward and posted at
| q point north Of the bridge, where IT can
SWEEP the valley of the creek, the bridge
and those whose purpose it is to defend
it.
Now there Is imminent danger. Will
the little force on the east bank get
over, or will it be cut of and captured
by these overwhelming Confederates:
It can only be saved by one portion
charging the enemy while the others
are moving by twos (the bridge will
stand no more) across the structure.
Among those who charged and re-
charged to keep of the gray coats swarm
ing upon them on that eventful morn
ing, always in the advance, in the spit
ting line Of foam that precedes the bill
low rolling upon the sand, Mark May
nard was ever present As each wave
rolled from the margin Of the Chicka.
manga broke upon the southerners and
receded Q number Of the Union troops
had passed the bridge
Maynard waited till every man was
over. Then, stepping on the bridge, ne
Joined q party who were tearing up the
flooring to prevent the enemy from fol-
lowing. At last these left for the shore,
and he remained alone. As board after
board came up the Confederates pushed
nearer, but still he worked on. Bullets
sang to each other as they passed from
east to west and from west to east,
while the air was thick with intermin'
able explosions. At last all was done
that could be done Whether his action
had 90 excited the admiration Of his ene-
mics that they had no heart to shoot
him or whether an overruling power
would not let him die, he at last turned
unhurt and joined his comrades.
He had been exposed as never before,
as he might never be again. but he had
not met death.
no Be Continued
H;Ohest Of all in IIeayenino Pc