The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1916-04-21
A SOLDIERS
EASTER MORN
BY M. QUAD
Copyright. 1916. by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.

We who held the south end Of the
bridge-a picket Of a hundred men
were cooking u suppers when a SEN
try fred his musket to give the alarm,
and next moment we caught sight of
horsemen on the turnpike beyond the
bridge.
Fall In! Fall i'm" shouted our off,
Ger in wild excitement.
Up on the hillside a thousand men.
women and children looked down and
held their breath and felt the blood
tingle to their finger ends. They could
see the long line stretching back for
half a mile-GOO men to 10O-and,
though they were our enemies, they
felt pity for is.
STEADY, now, and fire low"
There was a crash and a o a of
iron shod feet as the first squadron
struck the bridge, and her a hundred
Jets of fame leaped forth to meet the
troopers, and q hundred bullets led the
jets. Down went horses and men
down in n great heap Of dead and
dying which other horses could not
leap overland we rose up and swung
our hats and cheered. Up on the hill
side men turned pale, women wept and
children cried out in horror at wars
spectacle. We heard the enemy's bu-
giles blow the order to retreat and dis
mount, and then we looked to u off,
GERS for orders to fall back.
"Hold the bridge to the last" had
been the order to the captain, and he
meant to obey to the letter.
The smoke Of our volley still floated
lazily over the town when we heard
the tramp, tramp, tramp of soldiers
footsteps on the linty road, and be-
tween the chinks Of the barricade we
saw lines Of dismounted men coming
forward at a swinging pace. A. mo-
ment later it was double quick, and as
we opened a scattering fire they reach
ed the heap Of dead and dying and
made a barricade of it. Five-ten-ff-
teen minutes Of sharp firing, in which
three or four men were killed on both
sides, and then the enemy swarmed
over the barricade and charged. The
long, narrow bridge was like a tunnel.
They were crowded together, and our
bullets could not go astray. A crash Of
musketry-a great puff of blue black
smoke-and then all was silent-all
but the sobs of women and the walls
of children on the hillside. 1t was war
but only a skirmish. The living and
unhurt regained shelter Of the barri-
cade, and ten minutes later the enemy
was crossing at the fords above and
below, and we were being fired on
from in front and IN both tanks.
Then the order came to fall back.
There had been a hundred Of us at the
bridge. Only seventy retreated up the
hillside, sullenly, g%rudgingly and fir
ing as we went, and the noncOmbat-
ants scattered to right and left and
cried out as the bullets whistled over
their heads or plowed up the ground at
their feet. We fought from behind the
stone walls, from behind houses and
stores and barns and sheds. We stung
the pursuing enemy at every turn and
left his dead on every rod Of the open
streets. BY and by, as we fought sin
ely or in groups and when our dead and
wounded were everywhere, there came
the order:
ITO the church! To the church!
Rally on the church"
Some n led the way-all others
followed. On the crest of the hill was
the old stone church, built long before
any one dreamed of fratricidal war.
For half an hour peace reigned. The
enemy was gathering up the wounded
friend and foe alike-and carrying
them into the quaint old houses to be
cared for by the frightened and sob
hing women. For half an hour, and
then the truce was broken and carbines
volleyed and the bullets thudded
against the heavy doors and flew In at
the windows and were buried in the
walls and ceiling, beam and joist. We
fought back-we killed and wounded
An hour went by and then there were
only thirty Of US living. Surrender
would have been honorable, but no one
thought of surrender. BY and by the
sun went down and darkness fell.
Some rested while others fought on,
but as we rested and fought there was
a feeling of awe over all. Men uttered
a shrek as the bullets struck them
cried out Just n Then the " OF
God came upon them and they were
silent, or If they wept and prayed we
did not hear them. URtil midnight no
one slept. Then came silence and
peace and men fell down and closed
their eyes and forgot war and its h9r'
rors and dreamed of happy homes fal
away.
Then the impatient enemy made q
sudden rush. upon Us in the darkness
and In an instant war had returned
and death was stalking abroad again
It was q fierce attack, but we repealed
It and sank down once more, and when
our eyes opened again daylight shone
in at the broken window. Hark! II
Is the bell above US ringing out glad
notes of Easter morning. In a little
room to the left Of the altar is a man
pulling at the hope. We stare at him
And when he has pulled the rope q
hundred times he comes down and