The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-01-06

In motion. Inc enemy at once open
ed a CALLING fire from several pieces of
artillery distributed admirably along
his front, but our troops pressed on.
No sign as yet from the enemy's in
fantry.
"Suddenly, when the leading men
of the Forty-fourth were about $50
yards from the nearest point on the
American line, single shot rang out
and the major of that regiment fell.
This was instantly followed by a
cracking volley along the front cover,
ed by our formation, and this volley
was quickly followed by another,
Great confusion ensued in our line
The Forty-tourth Regiment had been
practically annihilated and the next in
columns was the Twenty-first Royal
Scots Fusiliers was broken and de-
moralized.
MARKMANSHIP THAT FRIGHTENED EU-
ROPE.
every mounted officer was down.
All efforts to rally our first line failed.
Never before had British troops re-
colled in such manner. They were
deaf alike to orders, threats and en-
treaties. Meantime, the Americans
kept up a steady fire, not now by
volleys, but at will, and this was, if
possible, more deadly than the volleys.
No such execution by small arms had
eve, been seen. On every side men
reeled and fell with little jets of blood
squirting from their heads l doubt
If as many men were hit in the head
in any one of the great battle of the
Peninsula as here IN the first charge.
More than half of those who fell were
dead or dying when they struck the
ground. The American rifemen seem
ed able to hit any part of the body
they desired. Finding it utterly i'm
possible to rally our men or restore
order, and nearly al, the officers, foot
as we'll as mounted, having been killed
or disabled, the retreat was sounded
and the torn and bleeding remnants
of what had been the finest corps in
the British army recoiled to the bank
| of the little canal, confused disorgan-
lied and as nearly cowed as British
soldiers can be.
"No time was to be lost. The die
had been cast. We were in for it,
and nothing remained but to try it
again. General Pakenham in person
brought up the Ninety-third Suther-
land Highlanders formed to head a
new column. Colonel Mullen, who
had escaped the tragedy of the first
charge with nothing worse than flesh
wound on the side of the neck, said
as he looked at the splendid High
landers: "Vhat pity. Must they
be numbered too p
THE RoUT OF ENGLAND'S FINEST.
"Except struggling shots the Ameri-
can fire had ceased The marksman
behind the breastwork were simply
cleaning their rifles. 1t was their
habit at home when not pressed to
wipe their rifles after each shot, but
here most of them had fired from
three to half dozen rounds without
cleaning. Colonel Mullen, who knew
them we'll, said their silence was oml-
nous that it meant a new deluge of
death the moment our advance reach
ed their point blank range.
"The formation being completed
General Pakenham rode to the front
of the Ninety-third, waved his hat and
called to the Lieutenant Colonel,
Mackenzie Wallace, Come on with
the tartan,
"This time the advance was at
quickstep. For the hrst hundred
yards there was no sign from the
enemy neither cannon shot, nor
rifle fire. Then single shot as be-
fore, and General Pakenham leaned
forward in his saddle with bowed head
and grasping the name of his horse.
He was helped off, and found to be
mortally wounded by bullet through
the abdomen. Then the American
line blazed again. The Ninety-third,
as if by instinct, halted, standing fast
while the pitiless lead tore through
their unshaken ranks. They did not
break or tall back, but they couldn't
be induced to advance. They simply
stood stock still while the American
I rifemen murdered them in detail. At
last Generals Pakenhan, Gibbs and
Keane, dead or dying, and more than
half the entire command stretched on
the ground, Colonel Lambert himself
desperately wounded, ordered gen.
eral retreat, and the enemy at once
ceased firing"
A BATTLE OF MODEST DETAIL.