The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1899-02-10


There are snowpeaks, In the Far West,
Sierras that cut the sky;
Like the white clouds Of the summer, that
But it's Oh! for the hills of Scotland, for
the mist, and glow, and gloom,
And t the far ,S cry of the curlew' and the
A. G. B. In the London Spectator.
HOLDING THE BRIDGE.
A knoll in a meadow, bit of forest a
stone wall, creek meandering through
the fields and across Il highway to enter
its waters into a river two or three miles
away-all these are points which may
bring victory Or defeat when 100000
men grapple in a struggle. The guns
rush for the hills and knobs when they
so into action; the cavalry must have
clear sweep of the fields if they are to
break lines of infantry; the marching
battle lines are broken and thrown into
confusion by ditch across which
farmers boy could spring with ease.
a mile and half above our right wing
is a simple wooden bridge spanning the
creek to connect the highway. Above
and below the bridge are steep banks
OvergroWn with bushes. 4 farmer or
hunter would plunge downward through
the bushes, bound over the babbling wa
ters without effort and be at the top of
the other bank in Il moment. Not so
with the bait e line. 1t halts, wavers and
marches by the right or left flank to find
another crossing above or below. The
guns change position at Il dead run; the
cavalry trot or gallop; the infantry move
slowly and grudgingly and waste
precious time. A battle is won or lost
of an hour in reaching the position as
signed to it. A division is turned aside
by wall, a regiment by a rail fence.
These are the orders to the captain of
Co. +:
You will march your company to the
bridge and take up such position as you
think best to prevent the army from
crossing. If attacked by 100 men, hold
it; if alta cked by 1000, do not fall back.
If the enemy forces the bridge, he viii
take our right wing and flank, you I'M
derstand.'
Il understand,'' replied the captain. Il
am ..,i to hold the bridge to the last
Co. F marched away by the right face,
and was soon lost to sight in the woods.
In an hour it was throwing up an earth
work at the north end of the bridge.
1t was a simple ridge of earth extending
east and west across the highway and
INTO the fields for distance of 100 feet
with it's center thicker and stronger than
Its wings. When that was finished the
men pulled down small trees and up
looted bushes. clogged the highway to
the south of the bridge, and heaped OBJ
sstructions on the bridge itself. Eax two
hours they. worked like farmers, each
man strengthening up now and then to
flrt the sweat from his temples, and
they then took up their musketS and
We're ready.
Did you ever try to imagine the sounds
created by great body of troops-a
division or corps-moving forward at
horses, a rumbling of wheels, the blow
ing OF bugles and the rattle of drums.
AL the various sounds go to make ,up one
general, aWeSOme sound, as if You cOuld
see through the forests and over tho
Nils and know the great tidal wave was
sweeping toward you from the shores of
the sea. The sounds come nearer and
nearer ana you seem to feel the tramp
OF 1he thousands of feet. You hear !,
mighty muttering as of men scoldins at
eacn other. Your ear catches fragments
Mhich speak of menace and peril and
make you look behind to see if the road
Is clear for flight. 1t is the march of the
specter OF death, and it's fleshless bones
rattie as 1t tramps forward over the high
ways aye, TO another feast of blood,
~, Ihere they come! Steady nowv
Inc enemy should have sent n forco
forward to seize the bridge three hours
ago, out of the hundred details of q hat
re some are overlooked or some one
plumbers: In front of the division march
ing at VIII over the dusty road is an adj
VA taace guard to clear the way; il front of
tnr a on ".!ee lew cavairymen. The lat
Yer are first. to make the turn Of The
nighway and note the Instructions and
the earthWorks at the north end. They
s SIM IN derisiOn. In front of them ara
~ dUO men,; behind them five brigades
nnere VIII be rush down the narrow
loau with its walls of clay. over tho
JaoI se' over the earthwork, a score of
th" LIN nnu wounded friends and foes, and
tne specter Of death will hardly have
oe ..l3 matted on it's march.
Ill, H set ana near 'em, Tom?" queries an
olu veteran of his right hand man ne ho
peers over the top of the earthwork.
AYE, Benz is the answer.
How manyY'
"A division at least"
ana what are we goin' to DOR
Dle mere, of course! Didn't the can
the last" "e' ~
But, - it, it amt fair show" nro.
tested Ben. Who's fghtin' fifty to one
and eXpectin' to come out on top?''
Nobody. We are comm out in tho
trenches with two feet of earth to cover
US up. Feel shaky, old man?''
Mum, but it amt fair show"
Better save your breath. We amt
iookln' for fair shows just now. Lordy,
put what chance to swipe it to 'cm::
1hey are formin' up around the bend,
M I L@L
minit!'
Around the bend of the road 200 in.
fantry formed up in lines of eight
abreast. The width of the road allowed
for no more. With bayonets fixed and
m1skets at the trail they waited for
minute and then made dash. From the
center of the earthwork leaped sheet of
flame a third of the way across the
brldge-from the right and left other
sheets of flame. Every musket had y
rest on top of the earthwork--every sight
Gov covered human target. The head of
the advancing column did not reach the
planks of the bridge. 1t melted away in
the midst Of the Instructions, and forty
men lay dead and wounded as the smoke
lazily drifted away down the stream.
Purity fair fur what time we was ut
it" said Ben. as he rose up for a look
after reloading.
I'VE ought to go at least twenty more
at such clus shootin'," growled Tom in
reply: ~. s,..2s...
They'll come again, Of course?"
''Don't be - fool, Ben. Dye think
the loss Of forty or fifty men would stop
one Of our divisions from gittin' some
whars? If you feel tired and sleepy.
you'd. better ask fur leave to go to til.
reaa lE; ,,. ,.
chm, old man,
"Qh;> you don't! WAL, you 9sst tend
70 fghtin fld dylH cpd don't worry