The National tribune., 1906-06-21

enemy to feel our lines were successive
ly repulsed: but about the middle Of
the afternoon storm Of appalling fury
burst upon the left. The majesty Of
great battle was in 1t. Disciplined hosts
eous momentum. TheS crash was like
the collision OF two planets-flre and
smoke visible, and crushing systems
frightfully audible-a spectacle Of
dreadful splendor. Each feature was
sharply traced and clearly defined.
casionally q shallow cloud scared away
softly over the convulsiOn below, but
the blazing sun glared through the va
pory smoke which expanded over the
shocking field like q thin gauxe. watt
ing lazily toward the south. The pomp
stern array would have compelled the
severe enthusiasm Of Napoleon. Long,
deep lines OF soldiers In blue uniforms,
ranks piled upon ranks In dense mass
es, PROSTATE upon the undulating field
and in the woods, intersected and
diversified the surface in martial mo-
sale Of matchless pageantry. From the
funereal cedars on the Right to the
swelling brink OF Stone River 1t seemed
as II the acres had been ruled out in
long blue parallels. The banner Of
beauty and glory marking the place Of
i IL,
waved proudly and defiantly above
them, not a star dimmed or q stripe
erased. Hardly had 1t scared 80 grand
ly before. and every great patriot heart
that throbbed under 1t was ever mind
full what 1t cost At intervals bold
seemed magnified to heroic proportions,
| stood grimly and silent at tactical DIS
tance in the rear Of their commando
| faithful guardians Of the soldiers-re-
sisting the shock unmoved. Shining
| targets, they, for the ruthless marks
men OF the foe! Q! vain. sad sacrifice!
1t thrills the soul with anguish to scan
| the record Of that CORY day. Garesche
and Sill. and Roberts, and Shaeffer,
Drake. and Williams, Forman, and Nc
kee. Harrington. Hawkins, Kell. Stem,
Wooster, Millikin Cotton, the two Car
penters, gallant Fred Jones, Terry, Pin
| ney. brave Richmond, and SO many
nameless heroes-where are they all?
The fallow fields and gloomy thickets
Of Stone River swallowed up their lives.
There shall weep for those who bled
Many loving heart and dear;
For every drop Of blood that's shed,
There shall fall Nations tear!'
Behind this magnificent panoply
our batteries. grouped in mass in the
Center upon the crest OF the knoll or
distributed over the field IN unstudied
picturesqueness, were enveloped in
wreaths of smoke and spouting flames
Here and there striking clusters of Gen.
erals and their stats stood steadily un-
der the withering battle blast. For a
Thomas and his staff, McCook and his
staff, Crittenden and his staf, met in
splendid grouping-the four command
ers together, their field escorts radiat-
ing In semicfrcle behind them-a
precious target for the enemy-upon n
Il t.. Qefl
men and shells. McCook discovered
the imprudence, and rather sharpl:
calculated. This is nice mark for
shells. They will come In here and XIII
half OF us. Can't you thin Gut, mem?
Directly a flight OF bullets and whiz-
zing shell, chirruping like 9 gigantic
cricket, impressed the admOnition Upon
them all. Thomas glanced upon either
side, and then turning to the front,
soliloquized, with a sort Of fine scorn,
/ guess it's about as safe one place as
another Thomas and his alter ego,
phlegmatic and soldierly Won ,hrader,
Flint, Mackay. Landrum. and others of
his staff; Crittenden. with veteran Lyme
Startling, Buford, Knox, Case. Brown
and Knifin, took post on the flow OF
the ridge to the right Of the. pike, OBJ
liquely to the rear OF the batteries OF
Guenther and Loomis. Mccook. with
Campbell. LAngdon. EOdine, Bates. Will
liams. Fisher and Blake. were in the
rear of the left flank OF the Right
Wing, behind Thomas and Crittenden-
Palmer and Wood careering over the
| field In the flame Of conflict---the latter
sick and wounded. but stefnly at his
post.
A Pageant Of Awful subInity.
1.-The hostile array in front impaired
awful sublimity to the pageant. But
for its tragedy, that CORY field would
have been wonderfully magnificent 1t
was wild, tumultuous tournaments
| spectacle OF martial art, as Of carnage.
whose lineaments were marvelously
| regular and perfect. as II 1t had been a
pageant prepared for the eyesof happy
beauty and chivalry. But II was fierce
delirium, which swept thousands Of hu-
man souls into eternity.
1.-The legions Of the enemy poured out
upon the plain In countless multitudes.
Arm. compact and powerful. They re-
sembled mass Of dense gray clouds
moving along the surface, as you may
see great banks Of mist rolling through
the valleys or upon mountain decliyi-
ties. Their polished musRets cleaned
like FURNISHED brass. and. their parti-
colored battle-fags futtered shau9htily
in the breeze. Their batteries wheeled
swiftly into position, and the gunners
piled their hellish art. It seemed as IL
wall OF iron could hardly resist those
somber columns. They marched to
slaughter with magnificent daring, and
met a wall OF brave hearts that iron
and lead and steel could not move.
"A hundred cannon now. belched
forth their thunder. The atmosphere
was tremulous with the terrific vibra-
ton. The roar Of artillery and the
treble rattle Of musketry. thrilling along
the lines as X innumerables keys of some
| harsh instrument trembled Under the
agency OF terrible power; crash OF solid
shot and shell. whiri Of grape and can
lister. thick volumes OF smoke which en-
veloped the cOmbatants and dispersed
In thin canopy OF blush yapor; dying
men and mangled horses, dlsmounted
cannon and shattered caissona disabled
In shocking diversity over the. field: the
frantic career Of rideriess s9eeds; the
splendid sweep OF Generals Ind their
staff officers over the fearful plaan. con-
spired to create a scene OF indescribab1e
and horrific sublimity. No human lam
guage Is fit to depict 1t. It was all un-
der the scope of vision-the marching
hosts. the magnificent tactical display.
the dreadful panoply, the appalling de-
struction OF human beings.
"The rattle OF musketry tearing along
= ina 10 ~