The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1896-11-20
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and men, if they exceeded it not, and
they fired volley after volley as fast as
they could load their pieces, and raise
them again to their shoulders. Five
guns, moreover, played upon us with
out intermission, in a word, l can COM
pare the shower of balls of all sizes and
descrip ions, which whistled around
us, to nothing more aptly than the
pelting ola rain storm, which strong
north-easterly wind drives into your
face. The whole ground at our feet
was plowed up with them, and their
singing was like that of temptest
through the bare cordage of vessel
at anchor. Under this really tremen-
dous fire, Williams bore himself, as
his gallant conduct in the skirmishes
which had diversified our march, led
me to expect that he would bear him
self There was railing, similar to
that behind which the Americans were
drawn up, which cut off the copse
from the cultivated fields. He was one
of the first to. spring over it; and
shouting out to the men to follow, he
called to me by name, and said: "Now
who will be the first in the enemy's
line p Without once pansing to look
behind, he rushed on. kept my eye
upon him, indeed, we were near enough
to converse, had it been possible to
hear the sound of human voice in
such tumult, and | did what could,
rather to restrain his ardor, than to
give it encouragement. But at the
very moment when l was repeating
my entreaties, that he would look to
the men, instead of thus rushing on
ahead of them, a muskct ball struck
him on the neck, and he fell dead at
my feet. He never so much as moved.
The bullet passed through bis wind
pipe and spinal marrow, and he was a
corpse in an instant. Poor fellow !!
even in the heat of action, | looked at
him with a feeling of bitter agony, of
which words can convey no impression.
But | could not pause to pay the slight
est respect to his remains; l ran past
him, and soon found my attention so
completely occupied by other matters,
as to forget even that such a one
had lived and was dead. So over
whelmingly exciting is the interest Of
battle, and so perfectly engrossing
are the thoughts to which it gives
birth.
Notwithstanding the paucity of our
numbers, the American line began to
waver as soon as we arrived within
twenty or thirty PAGES of their front,
and the shouting preliminary to a
charge had hardly been uttered, when
they broke and fed Our men were
too much fatigued to follow with any
celerity, but we pursued as quickly as
we could, and bayonetting some sea-
men, who pertinaciously clung to their
guns, took possession of two, out of
the five pieces Of cannon, which had
so severely CALLED us. Our work was
however, but beginning. In five min
utes, we found ourselves in front of a
second line, more numerous and more
steady than that which we had defeat
ed 1t was composed wholly of regu-
lar troops, who received lis as we came
on. with a murderous fire, and instant
ly advanced to the charge. We could
not pretend to meet them. At the
first we hardly mustered hundred
men, we were now diminished to little
more than half the number; a whole
req iment bore down upon us, and we
gave ground. We fell back. however,
slowly and Indignantly, halting from
time to time, and firing with effect,
whilst the enemy, instead of deter
mined wish, which, if attempted, must
have destroyed us ut once, followed at
the very same pace, and with the same
precautions. But their fire was destruc-
tive; at least it would have been, had
there stood opposed to it men enough
to deserve it.
We had reached almost to the edge
of the thickct, when Col. Thornton,
with reinforcement of fresh troops,
coming up, restored to us our former
confidence, and we resumed the Often
sive. The enemy, in their turn, fell
back but we could not follow with
our accustomed rapidity. Our men
were scarce able to walk, far less to
run; so there was time for their line
also to receive reinforcements, before
we succeeded in weaking it. The bat
tie became now little else than an un-
remitting exchange of tremendous vol
leys. Neither party gained or loss
ground, but, for full half hour, stood
still, loading and firing as quickly as
these operations could be performed.
Whilst this was proceeding, Col. Thorn
ton received ball in the thigh, and
fell. The Americans, raising shout
at this event, pressed on; and our peo-