Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1912-05-01

OF that forward rush. God Knows q
was magnificent; the supreme effort
OF men intoxicated with the enthusi
asm Of war; Even where We we're
We could see and feel the giant power
In those grim ranks Of steel-the tat
tered flags. the stern. set faces. the
deeptoned chorus OF GLORY. glory,
halleluIah," that echoed to their tread
Those men meant 20 win or die. and
they rolled on as Cromwelrs Iron.
0des az Marston Moor. Twice they
staggered when the mad volleya
ploughed ragged red lanes through
them, but only to rally and press
sternly on They struck that crouch.
ing gray line Of infantry, fairly buried
II with their dense blue folds, and,
with one fierce hurrah Of triumph,
closed down upon the guns. Even as
they blotted them from sight. an aide,
hatless and bleeding, his horse
wounded and staggering from weak
ness, tore down toward us along the
crest A hundred feet away bis
mount fell headlong, but on foot and
dying he reached our front
Colonel Carter" he painted, press
ing one hand upon his breast TO keep
bach the yelling blood. charge, and
hold that battery Ldtil We can bring
infantry 20 your support"
No man among us doubted the full
meaning OF tive we're to save the
army The very horses seemed 10
feel a sense OF rcl.ef, hands clinched
more tightly on taut reins to hold
them in check; under lie old battered
hats the eyes Of the troopers cleaned
hungrily.
"Virginians!" and the old Coloners
voice rang Ike a clarion down the
breathless line there is where you
die! Follow met"
Slowly. like some rightly mountain
torrent gaming force, we rode forth
q, a walk. each trooPsr lined TO pre-
cision OF review, yet ineiincsively TAX
ing distance for sword play. Halfway
down the slight slope our line broke
into G snarJ trot. then, as the thrilling
rotes Of the charge sounded above us,
We swept forward in wild. impetuous
tumult
Who can tell tho story Of those
seconds that so swiftly followed
Surely not one who saw but the vivid
flash Of steel, the agonized faces. the
flame of belching fire. ! recall the
frenzied leap Of my horse as we
struck the line ere It could form into
square: the blows dealt saVagely to
right and left; the blaze OF a volley
scorching our faces; the look OF the
/ big infantryman | rode down; the
sudden thrust that saved me from q
leyelled gun; the quick swerving OI
| 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 reeleC
an fell. These are all In my mem
DRY, blurred, commingled, indistinct
! yet distressful as any nightmare. II
some way, how know not, | realized
that we had hurled them back, shat
tered them by our first fierce blow
! that the guns were once again ours
that fifty dismounted troopers wert
Juggling desperately at their wheels
Then that dense blue mass surgst
forward once again. engulfed us IL
it's deadly folds. and with steel anC
bullet, sword and dubbed musket
ploughed through our broken ranks
rending us in twain, fairly smotherint
u. by sheer force of numbers. | saw
tie old Colonel plunge head-down int
T.. ruck beneath the horses feet
the Major riding stone dead in hi
saddle, a CHASTITY red stain in tn,
centre of his forehead; then Hunter
of Z, went down screaming, and
knew | was the senior captain left
About me scarce hundred men bat
tied like demons fo7 their lives in tn
! midst of the guns. Even as | glancet
aside at them, shielding my head wit
uplifted sabre from the blows raine,
upon me, the color-sergeant flung u
his hand, and grasped his saddle pom
mel to keep from falling Out of hi
opening fingers l snatched the spin
tered staff, lifted it high up, unit
the rent folds of the old flag caugh
the dull glow of the sunlight,
til virginia." | shouted. Rail
oG the colors!"
could see them ooming-all tina
was left of Thanksgiving their wa
through the press. cleaying the mas
with their blows as the prov of
ship cut the sea. With one viciou
jab OF the spur | led them, a thi
wedge of tempered gray steel, batter
ing, gouging, rending a passage int
that solid blue wall. Inch by incl
foot by foot. yard by yard, slashin
madly with our broken sabres, battlir
as men crazed with lust Of blood
our very horses fighting for us wit
teeth and hoofs, we ploughed a Ian
of death through a doz0n files. The
the vast mass closed in upon III
rolled completely over US. There wa
a flash, a vision of frenzied face
| opd I kOnw No mora