Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1912-02-07

OF that Forward rush. God knows n
was magnificent: the supreme effort
of men Intoxicated with the enthusi.
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 faces. tho
deep'toned chorus of GLORY, glory.
hallelujah." that echoed to their tread.
Those men meant to win or die, ana
they rolled on as Cromwell's Iron
sides at Marst.,n Moor. Twice they
staggered, wheu the mad volleys
ploughed ragged red lanes through
them, but only to rally and press
sternly on. They struck that crouch
Ing gray limo of infantry. fairly buried
1t 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 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 can bring
infantry to your support"
No man among US doubted the full
meaning of tive We're to save the
army! The very horses seemed to
feel sense of relief. hands clinched
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 Colonel's
voice rang like a clarion down the
breathless line. there is where you
die Follow me-"
Slowly, like some mighty mountain
torrent gaming force. We rode forth
, "a walk. each trooper lined to pre-.
ciston OF review. yet instinctively 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
struck the line ere it 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 l 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
! an 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. engu!fed US in
its deadly folds, and with steel and
| BULLET, sword and dubbed musket.
ploughed through our broken tanks,
rending us in twain. fairly smothering
IT, by sheer force of numbers. | saw
tie old Colone! plunge head-down 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 E, went down screaming, and
knew I was the senior captain left
| About me scarce hundred men bat
tied like demons TO: their lives in the
! midst of the guns. Even as l glanced
aside at them, shielding my head with
rplifted sabre from the blows rained
upon me. the color-sergeant flunI uI
his hand, and grasped his saddle pom
mel to keep from falling. Out of his
opening fingers l snatched the spin
tered staff, lifted it high up, until
the rent folds of the old flag caught
the dull glow of the sunlight.
It'll Virginia." | shouted. Rally
o.. the colors!"
could see them coming-all thai
was left of them-fiChting their way
through the press, cleaving the mass
with their blows as the Prov of 1
ship cut the sea. With one viciou.
jab of the spur | led them. a thiI
wedge of tempered gray steel, batter
ing, gouging, rending passage into
that solid blue wall. Inch by inch
foot by foot. yard by yard. slashin&
! madlJ 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. The1
the vast mass closed in upon US
rolled completely over us. There was
flash, vision of frenzied faces
and l knew no more