Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-24
CHAPTER xxII-continued.


AS he spoke it seemed as though the
sharp firing upon both sides suddenly
ceased by mutual consent. The terrible
roar of small arms. which had mingled with
the continuous thunder of great guns. died
away into an intermittent rafting of
musketry. and as the heavy smoke slowly
drifted upward In a great white cloud we
could plainly distinguish the advancing
federal lines. three ranks deep. stretching
to left and right in one vast. impenetrable
blue wall, sweeping toward US upon q run.
Where but brief moment before the plain
appeared deserted, 1t was now fairly alive
with soldiery. the sun cleaning on fixed
bayonets, and faces aglow with the ardor
of surprise. Some one had blundered! The
thin, unsupported line of gray infantry d.
rectly in our front closed up their shattered
ranks hastily in desperate effort to stay the
rush. We could see them jamming their
muskets for volley fire, and then, with
clash and clatter that drowned all other
sounds battery of six black guns came
flying madly past us. every horse on the
run, lashed into frenzy by his wild rider.
With carriage and caisson leaping at every
jump. the half-naked, smoke-begrimed cam
noneers clinging to their seats like mon
keys, they dashed recklessly forward,
swung about into position, and almost be-
fore the muzzles had been well pointed.
were hurting canister into that blue, vic
torious advance. How those gallant fellows
worked! their guns leaping into air at each
discharge. their movements clockwork!
Tense, eager, expectant, every hand among
US hard gripped on saber hilt, we waited
that word which surely could not be de-
layed, while from end to end down the full
length of our straining line, rang out the
yell Of exultant pride.
STEADY. men; steady there. lads!' called
the old colonel Starplv his fllad
with tears. Our turn will come"
Torn. rent. shattered, bleeding. treading
upon the dead and mangled in rows, those
iron men In blue came on. They were as
demons laughing at death. No rain
certainty of destruction could check
now the fierce impetus of that forward
rush. God knows 1t was magnificent the
supreme effort of men intoxica ted with the
enthusiasm of war! Even where we were
we could see and feel the giant power in
those grim ranks of steel-the tattered
flags, the stern set faces, the deep-toned
chorus of GLORY. glory. hallelujah," that
echoed to their tread. Those men meant
to win or die. and they rolled on as Crom-
wells Ironsides at Marston Moor. Twice
they staggered when the mad volleys
ploughed ragged red lanes through them,
but only to rally and press sternly on.
They struck that crouching gray line of in
fantry. fairly buried it within their dense
blue folds, and, with one fierce hurrah of
triumph, closed down upon the guns. Even
as they blotted them from sight, an aid,
hatless and bleeding, his horse wounded
and staggering from weakness, tore down
toward us along the crest. A hundred feet
away his mount fell headlong but on foot
and dying he reached our front.
"Col. Carter" he painted, pressing one
hand upon his breast to keep ba,-s the
yelling blood, ''charge. and hold that bat
terry until we can bring infantry to your
support"
No man among us doubted the full mean
ing of tive were to save the army! The
very. horses seemed to feel sense of re-
lief. hands clinched more tightly on taut
reins to hold them in check; under the old
battered hats the eyes of the troopers
cleaned hungrfly.
''Virginiansr' and the old colonels voice
rang like a clarion down the breathless
line. there is where you die! Follow mel"
Slowly, like some mighty mountain tor
walk. each trooper Ahed to precision Of re-
view, yet instinctly taking distance for
sword-play. Halfway down the slight slope
our line broke into a sharp trot. then, as
the thrilling notes of the charge sounded
above US. we swept forward in wild, i'm
petuous tumult.
Who can tell the story Of those seconds
that so swiftly followed? Surely not one
who saw but the vivid flash of steel, the
agonized faces, the fame Of belching fire
recall the frenzied leap Of my horse as
We struck the line ere dt could form into
square; the blows dealt savageiy to right
and left; the blaze of q vol1ey scorching
our faces; the look of the big infantrymen
rode down; the sudden thrust that saved me
from leveled gun; the quick swerving of
our horses as they came in contact with the
cannon; the shouts Of rage; the blows; the
screams of pain; the white face of Colgate
as he reeled and fell. These are all in my
memory, blurred, commingled, indistinct
yet distressful as any nightmare. In some
way, how 1 know not. realized that we
had hurled them back shattered them by
our first fierce blow; that the guns were
once again ours; that fifty dismounted
troopers were Juggling desperately at their
wheels. Then that dense blue mass surged
forward once again, engulfed us in it's dead
ly folds, and with steel and bullet sword
and dubbed musket. ploughed through our
broken ranks, rending us in twain. fairly
smothering US by sheer force of numbers
saw the old colone, plunge headdown into
the ruck beneath the horses feet; the ma
jor riding stone dead in his saddle, ghast-
ly red stain in the center of his forehead !;
then Hunter of E went down screaming
and l knew l was the senior captain left
About me scarce hundred men battled like
demons for their lives in the midst of the
guns. Even as 1 glanced aside at them,
shielding my head with uplifted saber from
the blows rained upon me, the color SER
geant flung up his hand and grasped his
saddle pommel to keep from falling. Out
of his opening fingers l snatched the splin-
tered staff, lifted it high up, until the rent
folds of the old flag caught the dull glow
of the sunlight.
"-th Virginia" shouted Rally on the
colorsw
I could see them coming--all that was left
of Thanksgiving their way through the
press. cleaving the mass with their blows
as the PROV of ship cuts the sea. With
one vicious jab Of the spur 1 led them a
thin wedge of tempered gray steel, bat
tering, gouging. rending a passage into
that solid blue wall. Inch by inch. foot by
foot, yard by yard, slashing madly with
our broken sabres, battling men crazed
with lust of blood, our very horses fighting
for us with teeth and hoofs, we ploughed
a lane of death through dozen files. Then
the vast mass closed in upon u.s. rolled COM
pletsly over us. There was fash vision
of frenzied faces, and knew no more.