Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1912-04-05

| CI yHdI " ooh NNA
was magnificent: the supreme eftors
of men Intoxicated with the enthusl-
asm Of war! Even where we were
we could see and feel the giant power
in those grim ranks of steel-the tat
tered flags, the stern. set races. mo
deep-toned chorus of GLORY. glory.
hallelujah," that echoed to their tread.
Those men meant to win or die, ana
they rolled on as Cromwells Iron
sides at Marston Moor. Twice they
staggered, when the mad volleys
ploughed ragged red lanes through
them, but only to rally and press
| steruly on. They struck that crouch
ing gray line of infantry, fairly bur'ed
1t with their dense blue tolds' anu
with one fierce hurrah OF triumph
| closed down upon the guns. Even as
they blotted them from sight. an aloe'
hatless and bleeding, his morse
wounded and staggering from weak
ness, tore down toward us along tne
crest. A hundred feet away MS
mount fell headlong, but on toot anu
diving he reached our front.
Colonel Carter" he painted, press
ing one hand upon his breast to keep
back the yelling blood. charge n
hold that battery Lntil we can orlns
infantry to your support.
No man among us doubted the tuii
| meaning of tive were to save the
army! The very horses seemed W
feel a sense of relief, hands cl1ncheo
more tightly on tau reins to hoid
them in check; under the old battered
hats the eyes Of the troopers cleaned
hungrily.
"Virginians!" and the old Colonels
voice ran like a clarion down the
GREATNESS line, there is where you
die! Follow mel"
Slowly, like some mighty mountain
torrent gaining force, we rode forth
q walk, each trooper lined to pre-
cision of review, yet instinctively TAX
ing distance for sword play. Halfway
down the slight slope our line broke
into q SHARP trot. then, as the thrilling
rotes of the charge sounded above u.s.
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 he
big infantryman | rode down: the
sudden thrust hat saved me from a
levelled gun; the quick swerving OF
our horses as they came In contact
with the annon the shouts OF rage;
the blows; the screams of pain; the
white face of Colgate as he reeled
an fell. These are all in my mem
Dry, blurred, commingled, indistinct.
yet distressful as any nightmare. In
some way, how l know not, I realized
that we had hurled them back. shat
tered them by Jul first fierce blow;
that the gun were once again ours;
that fifty dismounted troopers were
tugging desperately at their wheels.
Then that dense blue mass surged
forward once again, engulfed us in
it's deadly folds, and with steel and
bullet, sword and dubbed musket.
lulou6h Jul oAohSh -oahS'
rending US in twain, fairly smothering
u. by sheer force Of numbers. l saw
tie old Colonel plunge head-down into
T.. ruck beneath the horses feet;
the Major riding stone dead in his
saddle, a CHASTITY red stain in the
centre of his forehead; then Hunter,
of E, went down screaming, and |
knew I was the senior captain left.
About me scarce a hundred men bat
tied like demons for their lives in the
midst of the guns. Even as / glanced
aside at them, shielding my head with
rplifted sabre from the blows rained
upon me, the color-sergeant flung up
his hand, and grasped his saddle pom
mel to keep from falling. Out of his
| rpening fingers l snatched the splin-
. tered staff, lifted it high up. until
I the rem folds of the old flag caught
| the dull glow of the sunlight
TIL Virginia." | shouted. Rally
J o. the colors!"
! l could see them coming-all that
was left of them-fighting their way
through the press. cleaving the mass
with their blows as the PROV of a
skip cut the sea. With n vicious
jab of the spur / led them, a thin
wedge of tempered gray steel, batter
ing, 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
as men 'crazed with lust of blood.
our very horses fighting for US with
teeth and hoofs. we %ploughed a lane
of death through a dozen files. Then
the vast mass closed In upon us.
rolled completely over us. There was
a flash, a vision of frenzied faces.
and l knew no more.
CTO BE C~ONTINUED3