The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1896-05-22
CHAPTER ".

Oh grove. Inc IneH crOucneQ among
the trees and pointed their restless
guns out at the fields. They tried to
look beyond the smoke.
Out of this haze they could see run
ming men. Some shouted information
and gestured as they hurried.
The men of the new regiment watched
and listened eagerly, while their
tongues ran on in the gossip of the
battle. They mouthed rumors that
had flown like birds out of the un-
known.
They say Percy has been driven in
with great loss"
Yes, Garrett went to the hospital.
He said he was sick. That smart lieu
tenant is commanding q company
The boys say they won't be under Car
rott no more if they all have to de-
sert. They always knew he was "a"
"Dern this being in reserve, anyhow.
l didn't come here to be in reserve.
/"
''Hannises' batt'ry is taken"
1T amt, either. l saw Hannises'
batt'ry off on the left not more than
fifteen minutes ago"
"Well-"
THE general he says he is going to
take the whole command of tn Three
Hundred and Fourth when we GO into
action, and then he says we'll do such
fighting as never another one regiment
done"
'Bil wasn't scared, either. No, sir.
1t wasn't that. Bill amt a Citing
scared easy. He was just mad, that's
what he was. When that fellow trod
on his hand he up and said he was
willing to give his hand to his country,
but he be dumbed if he was going to
have every dumb bushwhacher in the
country walking around on it. So he
went to the hospital Discrepancies of
the fight Three fingers was crunched.
The dern doctor wanted to amputate
EN-, and Bill he raised heluva row,
hear. He's funny Teller"
Hear thatwhat the old colonel says,
boys. He says he'll shoot the first man
that will turn an run"
He'd better try it I'd like to see
him shoot at me-"
He wants to look out for his own
self. He don't want to go round talk
ing big"
The din in front swelled to tremen-
dous chorus The youth and his fel-
lows were frozen to silence. They
could see a flag that tossed in the
smoke angrily. Near it were the
blurred and agitated forms of troops.
There came turbulent stream of men
across the fields. a battery changing
position at a frantic galiop scattered
the stragglers right and left.
\ shell screaming like storm-ban-
shee went over the huddled heads of
the reserves. 1t landed in the grove
and. exploding rSdly, flung the brown
earth. There was little shower of
pine needles.
Bullets began to whistle among the
branches and nip at the tree-trunks.
Twigs and leaves came sailing down.
1t was as if thousand axes, wee and
invisible, were being welded. Many
of the men were constantly lodging
and ducking their heads
The lieutenant of the youths COM
pany was shot in the hand. He began
to swear so wondrously that nervous
laugh went along the regimental line.
The officers profanity sounded conven-
tional 1t relieved the frightened senses
of the new men. 1t was as if he had
hit his fingers with tack hammer at
home.
He held the wounded member care
mlly away from his side so that the
blood would not drip upon his trousers.
The battlefag IN the distance jerked
about madly. 1t seemed to be strug
Cling to free itself from an agony. The
billowing smoke was filed with hori-
zontal flashes.
Men running swiftly emerged from
it They grew in numbers until it was
seen that the whole command was fee
ing. The flag suddenly sank down as
if dying. Its motion as it fell was
gesture of despair.
Wild yells came from behind the
walls of smoke A sketch in gray and
red dissolved into a mobilize body of
men who galloped like wild horses.
The veteran regiments on the right
and left of the Three Hundred and
Fourth Immediately began to jeer.
With the passionate song of the bullets
and the banshee shrieks of shells were
mingled loud cat-calls and bits of
Factions advice concerning places of
safety. But the new regiment was
breathless with horror. ''Gawd, Saun-
ders got crushed" whispered the man
at the youths elbow. They shrank
back and crouched as If compelled to
await food.
The youth shot swift glance along
the blue ranks of the regiment The
profiles were motionless, carven- And
afterwards he remembered that the
color sergeant was standing with his
legs braeed apart as If he expected to
be pushed to the ground
The believing throng went whirling
around the flank. Here and there,
were officers carried along on the
stream like exasperated chips They
were striking about them with their
swords, and, with their left fists, punch
ing every head they could reach. They
cursed like highwaymen.
A mounted officer displayed the fu-
rious anger of spoiled child He ragged
with his head, his arms and his legs.
The hoofs of his horse often threat