The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1898-10-05
A MODERN
BATTLE.
How The Artillery Is Hauled In
to Action.
Description Of an Up-To-Date Cavalry
Charge.

As the opposing forces approach the
pallop is given, and closer and closer
they come. The old Brigadier is in front
motionng back his men with his saber
30 as 10 keep them steady and together
Suddenly and simultaneously, on both
sides, the charge is sounded.
The two cavalries approach each other
like thunderbolts, each man pressed on
by those in the rear; the second line is
trying to force its way into the first, and
tben-they meet.
The bursting of the two waves renders
one mighty crash to heaven. The dust
thickens, and under this heavy pail Of
death all knowledge of events is lost.
The cloud sways backwards and forwards
for full five minutes, when the officer in
command OF our reserves spies an open
ing; then in he goes, and the enemy is
literally hurled back. The victors stag
ger forward, Keeling like a drunken man.
With marvellous rapidity the enemy
have recovered; our officers are literally
heating their men into some sort OF for
nation, shouting, absolutely shrieking
with excitement the while. The troop.
ers rise in their stirrups and swear-well,'
like troopers. Then at them again; this
time they make no mistake, but drive
the enemy entirely from the field
The result, they have opened out a
way to examine the enemy; a dozen
miles farther, and they will see the in
fantrv of his advanced guard, and know
to slight extent what he is doing. 1t
is as though they had torn a veil off a
woman's face, or unmarked villain.
Hullo! / thought 1 heard some one
say cavalry were OF no use nowadays;
we'll, perhaps was mistaken. In half
a day or less our General-in.chief will
know all about the enemy that we can
find out. That is to say, that he will be
fully conversant with his movements at
least twenty-four hours before he knows
anything worth knowing about us.
Suddenly we hear behind US a rum
bling sound which grows ever rapidly.
We turn our heads and there dashes past
us, ventre terre, part of the horse ar
tillery, each horse lashed by its driver
into fury, over logs, up knobs, taking
bitches at leap, with the heavy guns
bounding behind them. The obstacles
are such as would make the most dare
devil hunter approach with circumspec-
ton, however, this is no time for caution.
Now they burst through a stiff hedge,
gun after gun, the wagons behind them.
When they have passed, what was a
hedge is now a plowed and shattered
gap, a gap filled with weeds OF bramble
and blackthorn.
Oh PUSHES the whirlwind in its mad
career, toward low hill hundred yards
away AS they move a faint noise is
heard far away, as OF a person driving
nails into a wall. 1t is the enemy's ar
tillery.
Immediately following the discharge,
one of the leaders of gun bounds mad
ly forward. The gun gains fresh impe-
tus. One more mad bound and the horse
falls suddenly immovable. He is dead
His comrade is swung sharply round by
the jerk; the horses bshind unable to
pull up, crash over him; their drivers are
flung of. The gun smashes the mass,
hesitates one moment, and slowly cap
hat Azf.
team OF gallant horses, proudly drawing
at full swing their warlike load, has in a
second become a snorting and struggling
mass, fit only for the crows.
One horse is killed outright, the legs of
two are broken There is a moments
silence, then couple of sharp reports,
and three horses stand there trembling,
but alive. A fresh team must be OBJ.
tanned, and an hours work at repairs lies
before the gloomy gunners.