The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1905-06-21
A BLIND MANS BATTLE.

not heard the old familiar sounds l
should believe that it was yet night
and | was dreaming again. That's
it-that's 1.-THE battle has opened at
last, and every red fash is the breath
Of Death!'
"You must hear--you must seer'
shouted her father, pulling at her
arm, as If he knew the situation.
"Curses upon the bullet which blind
ed me and the man who fred it! saw
and heard hundred guns at work at
the Chickahominy-more than TWO
hundred at Malvern Hill--two hun
dred again at Antietam, God! but how
they roared and crashed and thunder
ed! How round-shot moaned and shell
screamed through the smoke-cloud
and made mangled corpses. Of brave
men. Hear it, Mary--hear it!'
II am afraid, father--terribly
afraidl" she sobbed, as she olung to
his arm.
! Afraid Aye, you are but girl,
and fear a harmless snake in the road.
If l had my sight-heavens, but If
these were my eyes of old!-I'd rush
down there into the smoke and help
them to kill-kill-kill! Now scent
the owder-smoke-now I hear the
1 screams Of wounded horses-now-
noW-but am blind-blind!"
"Be quiet, father-be quiet! There
1.-The Doise is dying away. What are
they going to do now?"
''That was the prelude, girl-the
music that opens the ball. There is o
menace in the roar Of cannon and the
scream Of missiles, but Death does
not reap his harvest until the musket
comes into play. The smoke must
| be lifting now-tell me what you
see"
There is movement among the
cavalry down on the left of the blue
lines-the same on the right Of the
gray. The masses of men separate
the lines break and reform again. Ahl
| see the futter Of flags and catch the
flash of sabers. Are they going to
charge, father?'
eyes, girl, that's ;.! Cod pity me-
a charge Of cavalry, and / cannot even
tell daylight from darkness Look
watch-don't miss novel The I1en
are breathing hard down there in their
saddles-muttering, cursing, impa-
: tient for the bugles. I saw cavalry
charge when Ashby was killed, and it
was glorious. For hours afterwards
my blood tingled and felt like cheer
ing. It is level ground down there,
and the squadrons will ride at full
gallop, every horse with his teeth on
the bit, his ears laid back and his
eyes aaame. And the troopers will
cheer and cheer, and the sabers will
fash and whirl, and--and- Are
they moving, girl2 Yes, there go
I the bugles-they have got the order,
and I cant see-I can't seel''
Hush, fatherl am afraid, and
. yet it is glorious sight. The lines
in blue are moving: out--the lines in
gray are moving out. Now they
walk. Now they trot. Now they gal
lop. Now-don't you hear the cheers,
fatherl'' .5 .....
!. ''Ayel God in heaven, but I dol
dol Yes, they cheer and shout and
yell, and the thunder Of the thous.
ands Of hoofs makes the earth culver
under my feet. If my eye-lids were
only shut thatI might tear them open
4 with my fngsrsl Lookl Look! Look
4 is the grandest thing in war---a
cavaly charge Where will the shock
take placer Isl
4 On the green meadow, where tie
Il school children used to chase the
lambs about at MONDAY and search for
four-ieafed clovers. Hear them cheer,
father-hear them cheeri''
& hear themI hear theml Hip
-hip-hurrahl Word Of Godl but
thsy have come togetherl That crash
7 rolled over . thousand horses. Nov
], they ont and slast end shoot and have
]: q fend'' . desite TO kill Now they
], thrust lr and cut and have hell q passion
q in their curses. God, but what q
ismiie on the face Of ID Death as he looks
|, that waYl There are no iongsr;;com-
q panies and regiments; il is B q mob Of
thouaands, Hhirling round and round,
and filling the Jaws of Death to glut-
J, tony ! am blind, but I want TO go----
n Imuat go. ri aam an2old soldier with
\ wounds which blister and burni'' 4.
s Hush father be quistl Now the