The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-08-02

tlopPs-tle lIolSlanlanS ana Texans.
Both fought well, both died
we'll. You know why I
passed the route Of the Tex
an charge-a charge as fatal 40 Bal
aklava. | walked slowly and looked
(may God spare all other brothers
from such Il feelingD carefully at
every gray corpse. Many were shock
ingly slaughtered. | could see none
like him. Hope again came to me,
and returned to our bivouac some
how elated, yet crushed in heart.
You have not yet caught the faint
est glimpse of themost disgusting hor-
ror OF battleiield-to me. You will
smile (as | would have done lang
syne) when | tell you that horror is
the smcll-thc smell Of blood. A man
"lcd corpse is diseovcrable in this
way DISTANCE of many yards. The
odor comes gradually yet surely. You
SIT down to rest hoping TO be out Of
1t FOR respite; but the same dead,
faughty, penetrating udor steals over
you, and You experience the over
powcring sense of blood, look around.
and there it is in the weeds there lust
at your feet. One third of his breast
may be shot away; but he stares as
you turn upon him, and -!
In the afternoon Of the same day
L walked partly over the same field.
Our dead had been buried, and only
our Toes lay there and fewer Of them.
The sevcrest fire we received was
on Monday evening in the fight at
NilliS'S Church. Here advanced
with the regiment us usual in the face
aS Il brisk fire, one that dropped our
men every few yards. This subsidcd
for while and darkness thickcned
around us. We were ordered TO lie
down. and remained thus for several
minutes; meanwhile the bullets reviv-
ed. Some Yankees advanced to the
front Of our regiment inquiring for
the colonel and Informing Colonel e.,
who was then on our right in confer
cnce with General G., that they want
ed hlm up there "to see about some
prisoners. Colonel E.asked. "Who
wants mr!'' and was diSreyar,lny the
summons and going on to carry out
General G'S. instructions. His order
was "T" your feet, by The right
Hank =. Here, just rs the order
Ito rise WAS heard over the field and
as the unknown individual had time
to gel out of range. there came into
our faces fire from the front
such Il fire as only Il full regiment
can pour upon one spot. 1t came lust
rs we rose-just aftcr-and some Law
down again TO rise no more. The fire
did not have our height perfectly,
else certainly half our number had
slept forever there. They calculated
for our rising and allowed too much,
few inches too much, and that few
inches saved hundred lives. Above
us flashed and popped the explosive
balls wherever they hit tree or skull
Or bone! These Internal balls ex-
plode whenever they hit any hard
substance; hence they rarely inflict
slight wound-it is miss or death.
In receiving fire in that way one
thinks Of death remotely in one sense,
because there are enough practical
things to do that absorb the atten-
ton; yet one remembers momently
that he may fall next step. This re-
membrance has nothing to do with
bravery; for when a man has made
up his mind to advance to do his duty
even to death, he never for once
dreams of changing his plans-hasn't
time. Under that most blastin"
breath Of lead our regiment moved as
c"olly rs the nature of the ground
and the darkness would permit. And
III the most trying charges of Fri
day, when universal Death seemed
swccpin" whole armies before him,
our lives were always good. I never
saw at any time three men waver in
the whole regiment in which T was.
They were never confused, and only
puzzled when they could not possibly
hear the words of command on ac-
count Of the mccssency of cannon fire
over head, the bursting of shells
anon" them. and the constant Zip
zip-zip Of the leadcn balls at their
feet or the low groan Of some com
rade who sinks upon his face to die,
the quick, spasmodic "O' of the
youth or the heavier go God" deep
~ gushing from the soul that feels