The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1901-04-26

near the deep, mufiled hum of their foot.
steps as the double quicking hurried
tneii onward. As they came up l heard
the snort, quick command: Move ont nv
the right flank. Into line! Steady. mon /.
steady. | expect every man 10 do bis
| duty now" MS
Move out and move on. my dear com
rau"S' Alas, many moved on into that
S0iui"l ~, winch passed on never to return +,
Their first battle was their last.
1here was lull in the firing in front
Out out to the leftward volley after yoIlev
poured out upon the morning air-tbe SIM
just rising over the hills to our right 7
mad followed at a gallop the general who
was hurrying to the front. He was moro
silent than | had ever known him Sud-
denly he halted and turned TO see who all
were about him.
w hat troops are those?" l asked him
doubtfully as | saw long line of infan-
tfymeh double quicking behind a high
raii renee distant not $50 yards away. I
could not distinguish the uniform. and 7
was not aware of the direction from
winch all our ritiemen were to enter tbe
battle. '''V
My God" said the general, chat is
the enemy"
We were upon them before we worn
aware Of their close proximity. They
discovered us, too. at once and were pre-
parinS for the greeting.
Get out of the roadrAshouted the gen.
eral There wasn't clump of trees on
either side of the highway upon which he
mad thus far advanced.
det out of the road. Don't You see
they are bringing the battery to bear
upon US from the hill yonder?"
looked. and a white puff of smoke
greeted my vision, and the same Instant
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. n shell
right between the general and his staff.
and it bounded down the road. eyplodino
in our rear.
The general addressed me again:
let out Of the road, and gallop back
and have the cavalry moved on the flank
of that line in yondcr field"
Another shell came in the meantime
and made the air resonant with the dving
fragments.
Then there were a vollcy of rifles and n
FAINT cheer near our lanks-for our in
fantry was now moving out of the skirt
of the woods and opening the battle in
earnest.
Captain Hart, too, had come. and he
unlimbered his guns on the battery on the
hill in our front though he soon turned
his aim to the infantry line that was
nearer, and l heard the shots rattlinr
upon the rails behind which the enemy
had fallen.
Thank God the infantry are here"
said one. "They are the men whose shoul-
dcrs move the wheels on to victory. |
heard the commanding general shout as
the long line came hurryn" on Just as the
men emerged from the skirt of woods.
Move on that line behind yon fence"
red and white and blue line of fire
answered from the enemy.
"Fall down and fire. heard an officer
shout.
Alas, many had already fallen-fallen
to rise no more,
Half Il hundred men of regiment
stood up, and their irregular fire ratified
moclingly along the fence.
1t was the work of but moment. for
a whole brigade in our front answered the
fire of the little band. The battery
rained grape and canister and shrapn
against the brigade, and now the bait,
had joined in awful earnestness all alons
the line.
Battery replied to battery, hostile br-
gade replied to hostile brigade with sheets
of iron and lcadcn fire There were in
the terrific din the hurtling shot, the
screaming, scrcaching shell and whistling
whir of the deadly mimic. Amid the roar
We're the shouts of command the wailing
shrieks of the wounded and the means of
the dying. The hours were passing, the
musketry was roaring with an unbroken
note, the batteries were believing at each
other when suddenly there was a deep
dull thud-a mighty force which at once
shook the whole battlefield Two heavily
laden caisSons were blown up simutane-
ously Then there was another sound
which could not be mistaken. There was
a lul in the firing on our right, and the
whole earth seemed to he laboring and
groaning. Thousands stood listening
amid the horrid hell
Oh it was the charge Of the cavalry!
"Chargc charge" shouted the throats
of Il dozen officers, and the hugle blasts.
ringing ont family in the din. mingled
and died away in the fierce shouting Of
the squadrons.
Boom, boom. boom. went the artillery
bosses.
Clang, clang, clang. rang ont the gilt
tering sabers as they lcaped from the
scabbard.
1t was. however but an instant Of aw
full chorus when the waiing cry of Wa
tcrloo "Sauve qui peut" c'Save yourself
who cam, went up before the onrushing
squadron of furious horscmcn. who broke
out in the wild shout of victory that dead
ened the guns along the whole line. And
troops on the right, troops on the left,
troops in the center, all caught the notes,
and there was one long and terrific thun-
der note of victory The cheers Of the in
fantrymen greeted the shouts Of the cav
alrymen, while the little squad about the
artlery-bravc fellows, with bands of red
upon their unforms-clicd out as the de-
feated were seen flying in stricken masses
in front:
"Hurrah for our battery"
And well might the living yctOrs shout!
"
And well may the dead rcst-frieni and
foe in "one red burial bent."-Atlanta
Constitution.
IF YOU COULD KNOW.
fs ,,o oo,,11 lno,v that half of all | yearn to be