Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1895-04-12


march in rear of another division, leav-
ing its place in the line a defenseless,
yawning gap.
"Great heavensl Some one has blum
dered."
"Halt! Go back! Great God, what
are you doing?"
Who could hear him at such distance?
Who would obey him if heard? Oh, the
agony of sight like that! To see men
marching not only to their own destruc-
tion, but the destruction Of their com-
rades, doubtless of the whole army, and
without the power to prevent them. Oh,
for battery with which to fire smoke
over that deathtrap-to conceal it'll Oh,
for a cyclone to blow dust in the eyes of
those Confederates! God grant that the
stupidity which prevails in war may
seize those southern generals now; that
they may not reap this offered advan-
tage. May they be blinded! God, this is
terrible!
"Therel They see it. They are pre-
pairing to march through it. There they
90. Hear those cheers-that rebel yell.
They're near it, They re in it. Our men
are breaking on the right Of the gap.
There goes regiment, whole brigade
on the left Heavens, how those gray
coats leap forward! lisa splendid sight
if they are Confederates. They know
it's all up With us. The whole right of
the army is giving way, broken, scat
tering pell:nell over the field, chased
by the southerners pouring volley upon
volley after them.
'Stop and rallyl Mol No one could
rally troops on the breast Of Niagara.
But there's a crumb Of comfort-those
men nearest this way are bending back
like wrought iron. They are not break
ing. Good. There's faint hope for the
left. But, o Lord, what's the left with
the right and center gomez"
And now comes spectacle, a contrast
which must always stand out splendid
monument of heroic endurance in the
great cemetery of war-the spectacle OF
an army, one half routed, gone, driven
like dry leaves before the wind, tie re-
manning half holding in check for more
than half a day force against which
the whole had found it difficult to con-
tend. Standing in the center Of the
Horseshoe, the fortifcation Of which
his wisdom has constructed during the
night, General Thomas, intent upon
guiding the troops of his own corps.
with no word from his commander in
chief, for time not knowing, or at
least not admitting, that the army is by
all the rules that govern the science OF
war defeated, goes on fighting as if
there is but one Army of the Cumber-
land, and that composed Of the troops
under his command.
The right put to fight, the Confed-
crates prepare to crush the remainder OF
the army. All around the horseshoe"
they gather their forces and hurl them
against the blue coats. The first onset
fails. There must be another. A second
waves goes rolling on and dashes against
the logs behind which the one armed
Army Of the Cumberland is fixed. 1t
recedes without making a breach. 1t
will need more such waves-a constant
ly beating surf Surely that curve, with
fanks bent almost in circle, almost
touching, cannot be called line of bat
tie. 1t may be curve of battle, but how
can such curve stand against the
whole Army of the Tennessee?
But this curved array Of bayonets
is too tough to be broken in front. 1t
must be taken in flank. There is q ridge
just beyond the right heel of the
Horseshoe. 1t has been abandoned by
the Unionists No one seems to know
why. Climb up, Confederates; seize this
ridge. 1t commands the Union right.
Once firmly lodged there you can ham,
mer them numerically.
And the gray coats do climb the ridge
and drag artillery with them.
The Union commander sees them and
at glance discerns that without force
to drive them from it his army is lost.
There is no such force. Every man is
engaged and needed where he is. The
generals brow is knit, and his square
mouth sets even more firmly than before.
"There is cloud Of dust rising over
there to the north, general, and men
marching under it," said an aid. II
wonder who they are"
It makes a great difference to the
bounded general whether they are
friends or enemies. He looks anxiously
in the direction pointed out by his aid
and orders him to reconnoiter the un-
certain column. The officer rides for
ward to a point where he can get a good
view, draws rein, dismounts, and climb
ing fence brings fieldglass to bear
on the advancing troops. They are far
from him. They are covered with dust,
and their flags are furled, so that he
cannot tell whether they are blue or
gray. If they are gray, that means de-
struction for the troops defending them
selves in the horseshoe. If they are blue,
they may serve as forlorn hope on the
ridge commanding the Union right
The aid not only sees these troops,
but the troops see the aid. They, too,
wonder if he is blue or gray. Neither
can tell, but from his position they sus-
pect him to wear blue. At any rate,
they assume that he does
o.,o,,-. Co.. g, dir