The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1900-10-12

enemies. like men who were determined
not to be beaten. | thought, indeed,
that I could perceive little wavering
at one particular point. 1t was Il spot
towards their extreme left, which, III
the cours" OF the cannol'adr, had re-
ccivcd more than its due proportion OF
salutationS; but whether am correct
or not. it is impossible for me to say,
inasmuch as the vision became almost
instantly obscurcd by columns OF
smoke. The Americans had in their
line several pieces of cannon, from
which no discharges had as yet taken
place. What their object was in keep
ing them so long idle l know not; per-
haps they imagined that their fire,
when opened unexpectedly, would pro-
duce double effect, and, on that ac-
count. reserved 1t for the attack. Be
this as it may, our infantry had not
advanced ten PAGES, when volley OF
grape was poured upon them from
every gun in the field; and the plung-
ing of balls all along the grass, the
crashing of rails, trees and other OBJ
iects struck, as we'll as not few pros
trations among tho soldiers themselves,
gave proof ltat the >alu.a,i.n was not
, less serious than noisy.
As yet, it may he said, that | and
my immediate followers ranked moth
ing more than spectators OF the dispo-
sitions and movements of our comrades.
Occasionally, indeed, a cannon shot
passing through the windows of the
house, or lodging in one of the stacks,
bore testimony that the enemy were
not wholly unmindlul of MS; but we
were already so far in advance, that to
| push on till the Others overlook us,
would have been the height of absurd
ity. Now, however, we began to feel
' that state of quiescence was not ex-
actly that which became us. Having
! waited till few of the most forward
of the skirmishers began to seek shell
ter behind our barnyard, we likewise
assumed the offensive, and, dashing
from our lurking place, pressed on
: ward.
Immediately in front of the farm
house ran high railing, similar to
those of which have before had occa-
sion to speak, as intersecting almost
every field or spot in this quarter OF
America. We were in the act OF
springing over it when the enemy, di.
recting against us a couple OF six
Founders, swept down five or six men
out of the company. Among them
there was one poor fellow who received
from that fire as horrible a wound as
rccollect at any period to have SEEN
a round shot, striking him in the shoul
der, tore away the whole of the limb
and left his very lungs exposed to the
view of the by-stander. The man was
a bit of a favorite with his master. BY
birth a gypsy, he possessed not only
in high degree the qualities of con.
VITALITY and good humor, but he was
acknowledged to be by far the most
skilful maker of fires, and therefore one
of the most usefnl individuals in the
regiment. No rain, however heavy
hindered him from striking Il li4h,
and, from light once struck, he never
failed to produce blaze. The loss o.
such q parsonage could not but be
deeply and universally lamented. II
may not be amiss to add here, that in
spite of the severity of his wound: the
poor fellow fingered many days; he
was even removed to the ships before
he died. Might not the blowing out
of a mans brains, under such circum
stances, be not only justifiable, bu,
praiseworthy?
Up to this moment, not single mus
ket had been discharged on either side
and the most perfect silence prevailed
throughout the ranks of both armies
Tue British soldiers moved forward
with their accustomed fearlessness, anC
the Americans, with much apparent
GOODNESS, stood to receive them. Now
however, when a little more than s
hundred PAGES divided the one line
from the other, both parties made
ready to bring matters more decidedly
to personal struggle. The Ameri
cans were the first to use Their small
arms. Having rent the air with a
shout, they fired a volley, begun upor
the right, and carried away regularly
to the extreme left; kept up an unin
terrupted discharge, which soon, in {
great degree, concealed them from oul
observation Nor were we backward
in returning the salute. A hearty
British cheer gave notice of our will
ingness to meet them; and firing an(
running, we gradually closed upor
them, with the design of bringing the
bayonet into play.
| hardly know what language to EN-
ploy for the purpose Of conveying t.
the mind of a reader, who possesses NJ
practical acquaintance with the sub
/ ject, something like clear idea of :
battle, at that period in its progress a
which we have now arrived Eolley
, upon volley having been given, we were
now advanced within less than twenty
yards of the American line; yet sucl