The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1912-02-29
discharge. their muyements cloc,

ly could not be delayed while from
end TO end. down the fun length Of
our straining line. rang Out the yell
of exultant pride,
STEADY. men; steady there, lads'"
called the old Colonel. sternly, his own
eyes filled with tears. Our turn will
| come"
Torn. rent, shattered. bleeding,
| treadng upon the dead aud mangled
In rows. those iron men in blue came
/ on. They were as demons laughing at
death. 80 rain Of lead. 10 hail OF
canister. no certainty OF destruction
| could check now tho fierce impetus
/ Of that forward rush. God knows II
was, magnificent; the supreme effort
of men intoxicated with the ertbusi
asm Of war, Even where We were
we could sec and feel the giant power
in those grim ranks OF stecl--the tat.
tered flags. the stern, set faces the
| deeptOned chorus Of GLORY. glory
hallelujah." that echoed TO their tread
Those men meant to win or die. and
they rolled on rs Cromwells Iron.
sides at MarstOn Moor Twice they
| staggered. Wien the mad yOllCys
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
1t with their dense blue folds. and,
with one fierce hurrah OF triumph,
closed down upon tho guns Even as
they blottCd them from sight. an aide,
hatless 2cd bleeding. hts horse
wounded and staggering from weak.
ness, tore down toward US along the
crest. A hundred feet away his
mount fell headlonE, 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 ,ntil We can bring
infantry to your support"
No man among US doubted the full
meaning Of tive were to save the
army! The very horses seemed to
feel n sense Of relief hands ciinched
more tightly on tdut rens to hold
them In check; under the old battered
hats tho eyes OF the troopers cleaned
hunErily.
"Virginlans!" and the old Colonels
voice rang like clarion down the
breathless line. there is where you
die! Follow met"
Slowly, like some mighty mountain
torrent gaining force we rode forth
walk. each trooper lined to pre-.
cislon nf review, yet instinctively tax
ing distance for sword play. Halfway
down the slight slope our line broke
into a snar 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 followed?
Surely not one who saw but the vivid
flash OF steel. the agonized faces. the
flame OF bclChing fire. ! recall the
frenzied leap of my horse as We
struck the line ere It could form into
square; the blows dealt sayage!y TO
right and left; the blaze of yollcy
scorching our faces, the look OF the
big infantryman | rode down; the
sudden thrust that saved me from a
lcyelled gun; the quick swerying 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 In my mem
DRY, blurred, commingled. indistInct.
yet dlstressful as any nightmare. In
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 were
Juggling desperately at their wheels.
Then that dense blue mass surged
forward once again. engulfed us In
Its deadly folds, and with steel and
bullet, sword and dubbed musket,
ploughed through our broken ranks.
rending US in twain. fairly smothering
uu by sheer force of numbers | saw
t-e old Colonel plunge head-dow into
= 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 +, went down screaming. and I
knew was the senior captain left.
About me scarce n hundred men bat
tied like demons 70. their lives in the
midst OF the guns. Even rs | glanced
aside at them, shielding my head with
uplifted sabre from the blows rained
upon me. the colorsergeant fluni up
hts hand. and grasped his saddle POM
mel to keep from falling. Out OF his
opening fingers | snatched the spin.
tered staff, lifted It high up, until
he rent folds OF the old flag caught
he dull glow OF the sunlight,
TIL Virginia." | shouted. Rally
ID the colors!"
| could see them coming--all that ,
vas left Of them-flChting their way ,
through the press, cleaving the mass :
With their blows as the PROV Of O
ship cut the sea. With one vicious 1
alb of the spur led them, thin
wedge of tempered gray steel, batter.
ng. gouging. rending passage into
hat cpltd hlna ualI Inch hy toob