The Clovis news. [volume] (Clovis, N.M.) 1907-1929, 1912-02-01

nit. we waited that word which sure
ly could not be delayed. while from
end to end. down the fun length Of
our straining line, rang out the yen
Of exultant pride.
STEADY. men; steady there. ladsi"
called the old Colonel. sternly, his own
eyes filled with tears. Our turn VIM
come
Torn. rent. shattered. bleeding.
treading upon the dead and mangled
ia rows. those iron men IN blue came
on. They we're as demons laughing az
death No rain Of lead, no hail Of
canister. no certainty Of destruction
could check now the fierce Impetus
of that forward rush. God knows II
was magnificent; the supreme effort
Of men intoxicated with the enthuai-
asm of wari 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 faces, the
deep-toned chorus Of "Glory, glory,
hallelujah, that echoed 70 their tread.
Those men meant to win or die, and
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 aud press
sternly on. They struck that crouch
ing gray line Of infantry. fairly buried
It with their dense blue folds, and,
with n 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 his
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
back the yelling blood. charge, and
hold that battery Until we al bring
infantry to your support"
No man among US doubted the 1ull
meaning Of tive we're to ave the
armyl The very horses seemed tc.
feel a sense of relief. hands clincheS
more tightly on taut reins to hold
them in check; under the old battered
hats the eyes Of the troopers cleaned
hungrily.
"Virginians!" and the old Colonela
voice rang like a clarion down the
breathless line, there Is where you
diel Follow met"
Slowly, like ONE mighty mountain
torrent gaining force. we rode forth
a walk. each trooper lined to pre-
oision OF review, yet instinctively TAX.
ing distance for sword play. Halfway
down the slight slope our line broke
into 2 snarJ trot, then. as the thrilling
rotes Of the charge sounded above us,
we swept forward in wild. impetuous
tumult.
Who can tell the story Of those
seconds that so swiftly followedf
Surely not one who saw but the vivid
flash Of steel, the agonized faces. the
flame Of belching fire. I 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 l rode down; the
sudden thrust that saved me from a
levelled gum; 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
an fell. These are all ia my mem
DRY, blurred, oommingled, indistinct.
yet distressful as any nightmare. In
some way, how know not, ] realized
that we had hurled them back, shat
tered them by our first fierce blow;
that the guns we're 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 deadly folds, and with steel and
bullet, sword M dubbed musket.
ploughed through our broken ranks,
rending us in twain, fairly %smothering
u by sheer force of numbers, ! saw
tie old Colonel plunge head-down into
a . 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 l 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
uplifted sabre from the blows rained
upon me, the colorsergeant flung up
his hand. and grasped his saddle pom.
mel to keep from falling Out Of his
opening fingers ] snatched the spin
sered staff, lifted it high up, until
the rent folds Of the old flag caught
tie duh glow of the sunlight
"-th Virginia." ! shouted. Rally
OF the ~colorsl"
i could see them coming-all that
was left Of them-fiChting their way
through the press, cleaylng the mass
with their blows as the prov of q
skip cut the sea. With one vicious
jab of the spur ] led them, a thin
wedge Of tempered gray steel. batter
ing, gouglng. rending a passage into
that solid blue wall Inch by inch
foot by foot. yard by yard, slashinl
uoadfv with our broken gabros. baftIinf