THE MINIE RIFLE. 249 



skirmishers, hidden by the smoke, managed to get 

 into our line, but they were almost immediately 

 bayoneted or shot down. 



The loud yell of the enemy was taken up by the 

 whole depth of the column, and they returned an 

 ill-directed volley which did not do us much 

 damage. Our Minie rifles kept up a long rolling 

 fire on their dense masses, sweeping down the 

 head of their column, and preventing the possibility 

 of any formation. Then was seen the great supe- 

 riority of the Minie rifle, for our murderous fire 

 cleft huge gaps to the very centre of their leading 

 battalions, sweeping down whole files and ranks 

 entire ; and many a soldier blessed the Minister of 

 War (the Duke of Newcastle) for his wise policy 

 in arming the troops with this weapon. The 

 carnage was fearful ; the enemy's immense masses 

 of men were obliged to halt and move away the 

 heaps of corpses that impeded their advance, and 

 they could not deploy, as the whole front was 

 encumbered by the dead. 



The column appeared to reel and waver about 

 like a huge snake writhing in its death agony ; still 



