The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1900-12-20
THE GENERALS
FORGIVENESS

We looked before lls and then to
left and right, and everywhere we saw
the smoke of the .nemy's mnsketry cx-
tending like fire in field of dry grass,
while the little bullets sang like a
swarm " bees, cutting down our ranks
and driving the survivors into hud-
died mass. 1t is one thing to fight the
Toe III an open plain, where you can
sec his face and the chances are even.
1t is another thing to charge him in
his chosen position, with the flag way-
ing over you, the drum beating YOU |
on and the hot blood singing IN your
veins, but it ls very different thing
TO nave hlm rise up from the woods |
and thickcts all around you when you
dltl not know of his presence and en-
Velop you in 4 fire that burns and
blinds you.
The torrent of the British muskery
grew alike in sweep and volume. Our
surprise was CO mplcte, overwhelming
and terrible. We had marched INTO
the ambush as if that were the only
road IN the world, and our shattered
lines rccolcd farther and farther. We
were shouting to each other, firing
random shots at the enemy whom we
could not SO and bending to the hail
OF bullets which reduced our number
80 fast. Our colonel Was swearing at
the men and striking some with the
HAT OF his sw0lH III vain ATTEMPT to re-
store order, and then saw grayish
color ovcrSprcad his face. He stoppcd
quite still Il + moment, as if he had
I been stricken with sudden paralysis, the
sword dropped from his outstrc,ched
hanu, and he pitched forward on his
tace.
"Our col0ncl's killed Our cOloncl's
killed ran wailing cry through the
regiment. We loved Colonel Carruthcrs
and well he deserved our love. He
had led us through Il, zen battles,
sometimes in victory and sometimes
N defeat, but always he had been the
same brave, patient, kindly man, watch
ing over US like Il father. When the
bullet struck him down, we felt as If
we had received the load in our own
bottles, and the "ailing cry was follow
ca ny one great groan, coming from
us all together.
But the fire that convcrgcd upon us
grew hotter anh hotter aud dcadler
anh dcadiicr. The bushes seemed to
speut death, innumerable little flashes
ol liamc appeared among them, mark
ing the activity Of the hitling sharp.
shooters, and the shrill hiss of the bull
lets never ceased. Our numbers melt
. cd rapidly, although some tried to re-
store order and reform the ranks they
wasted both threat and appeals. We
were veterans, but we had been thrown
lnlo panic. 1t was not the fire Of the
enemy, 1t was the surprise, the am
huah, and our routed regiment, mob of
iugltivcs, slrcamcd backward, leaving
behind 1t the trail Of It's dead and
wounded.
"Go"d God, Gordon, did think that
| would ever see such a sight ! And
We boastcd that ours was the finest
regiment in the army tool" g,oancd
Captain Uuntcrt to me. There wcrclears
on hls face, and he struck fugitive
across The head with the fiat of his
sword. But the man paying no attcn-
ton to him, ran on.
| looked back and saw the British
pressing forward in a swarm, their red
coats cleaning in the dazzling sunlight
and their sharpshOOtcrs showing the
same deadly activity that had marked
lhcm IN the beginning. But rank and
lie and sharpshOOtcrs alike no longer
sought conctalmcnt. There was no
need of it now. They saw that we
were beaten, panic stricken, and they
crowded upon us, pouring into us fire
that added to our confusion and the
desire TO run faster.
We were firing, too, but in a wild
and scattered way, and | fancy that
few OF the bullets found British mark,
| The smoke of the muskctry hung over
us and at times obscured our siyht, but
always we beheld through It the red
aud hostile uniforms pressing down
upon us in closer and heavier columns.
l knocked suddenly against some one,
ami then when the smoke cleared away
Il little l saw it was Captain Hunter
again.
"Can'tyou do somcthing2 Can't YOU
do something, Gordon?' he cried IN de-
spain. "Oh, that such thing should
| happen to this of all regiments -
lie raised his sword again to strike
man, but the arm dropped back to his
side, shot through by musket ball.
to hO'd them back AMI form line of !
| resistance. | will confess that I had |
suffered from the panic terror at first |
when the volleys lcapcd from the mus
kcts of the hidden sharpshooters in the |
bushes, feeling that sudden impulse TO
run away, to escape the bullets that
were cutting us down, the animal IN
stinct, think, but now my pride be-
gan to take control Of my feelings.
turned my face more than once toward
the enemy, and 1 found that it cmbold-
cned me. The danger that saw was
less terrible then the danger at nv
back. Then | used both cntrcatics
ard thrcats to make the men turn, but
they did not hear or if bearing they
did not heed. The rOnt went on and
and the smoke cloud and our disgrace
alike infolded us.
"To the hills yondcr! TO the hillsr'