Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1912-01-10


Of men intoxicated with she eashust
asm Of war; Even where We we're
We could see and feel the giant power
IL those grim ranks OF Eteel--ihe tat
tered flags. the stern. set faces. the
deep-toned chorus Of Glory. glory,
balleiujah. that echoed TO their tread
Those men meant TO win or die. and
they rolled on as Cromweli's iron
Eides al Marston Moor Twice they
staggered. when the mad voIleys
ploughed ragged red lanes through
them, but only 10 rally and press
sterniy on They struck that crouch
! Ing gray line Of infantry fairly buried
II with their dense blue folds. md
with one fierce hurrah OF triumph
closed down upon the guns Eve: as
they bioued them from sight an aide.
hatless and bleeding. his horse
Wounded and staggering from esk
ness. tore down toward us along the
crest A hundred feet away his
mount fell headiong. but en- foot and
/ cying he reached our front.
Colonel Carter" he painted. press-
ing one hand upon his breast 10 keep
back the yelling blood. charge, acd
hold that battery s-atil We can bring
infantry TO your support
No man among US doubted the fun
meaning OF tive we're to save the
army. The very horses seemed 10
feel sense Of relief. hands cIii,ched
more tightly on taut reins TO hold
them in cheek; under the old battered
Eats the eyes of the troopers CLEANED
hungrily.
"Virginians," and the old colonefs
voice rang like clarion down the
| GREATNESS line. there is where you
die! Follow mel"
Slowly, like some mighty mountain
torrent gaming force, We rode forth
a walk. each trooper lineo to pre-
rision OF review, yet instfnctively TAX
ing distance for sword play. Halfway
down the slight slope our line broke
into snar., 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
truck the line ere 1t could form into
square; the blows dealt savagely to
right and left: the blaze Of volley'
scorching our faces, the look OF the
/ big infantryman ] rode down; the
sudden thrust that saved me from a
levelled gun: 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
AM fell These are all in my mem
DRY, blurred, commingled. 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 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
its deadly folds. and with steel and
bullet. sword and dubbed musket.
ploughed through our broken ranks.
rending us in twain. fairly smothering
u. by sheer force of numbers. saw
t. old Colonel plunge head-down into
.. ruck beneath the horses feet;
the Major riding stone dead in his
radafa a ohaatIvi rad stain 10 tba
centre of his forehead: then Hunter.
of f, went down screaming. and
knew | was the senior captain left
About me scarce a hundred men bat
tied like demons 70: their lives in the
midst Of the guns. Even as | glanced
a ;de at them, shielding my head with
uplifted sabre from the blows rained
upon me. the color sergeant fluni up
his hand. and grasped his saddle pom
mel to keep from falling. Out of bis
opening fingers snatched the spin
tered staff, lifted it high up. until
the rent folds of the old flag caught
the dull glow of the sunlight. IS
-" - .s'reiLia." | shouted. Rally
o.: the colors!"
could see lnem cOnlng-aH tnat
was left of tnem--fiChting their way
through the press. cleasing the mass
with their blows as the PROV OF
ship cut the sea. With one vicious
jab of the spur | led them. thin
wedge of tempered gray steel. batter
ing. gouging, rending passage into
that solid blue wall. Inch by inch.
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 dozen files. Their
the vast mass closed in upon US.
rolled completely over us. There VAS
a flash. a vision of frenzied faces.
and I knew no more