SOLDIER 53 



little bridge, was planted a stand of the stars and stripes, 

 the glorious old banner, and clustered around it stood a 

 handful of brave men pouring a stream of balls upon that 

 piece; and for seven long hours the gunners did not dare 

 approach to load, and that frowning gun kept silence. 



It was a sort of floating panorama that passed before me, 

 a hideous dream in which I was a mere spectator. There 

 was a roaring and crashing of artillery and bursting of 

 shells, a crackle and rattle of muskets with hissing and 

 whistling of balls, and battle-smoke lowering and settling 

 down upon us. There were men dropping here and there, 

 headless trunks and legless, armless unfortunates, and all 

 the horrid concomita of war, and still we kept on. A short 

 turn to the right, and in single file we commenced ascending 

 through a water-course. Wading through water, stumbling 

 under and over logs, we finally emerged in a square pit, 

 some six foot deep; climbing out of that, we were on the side 

 of the hill. Oh, but it was a wicked place to charge, the 

 nature of the ground such we could not form battle line 

 and had to make the attack in three columns, while felled 

 trees were criss-crossed in most inextricable confusion. 



We lay for two or three moments with beating hearts 

 waiting for the forward charge. The word came, and with 

 a terrific yell we rose to our feet and rushed forward. I 

 headed the left column. It was a terrible moment when, 

 bounding over the last tree and crashing through some low 

 bushes, we came out not ten yards from the intrenchments 

 and a hundred rifles cracking doom at us. Why, we were so 

 near they actually seemed to scorch us in firing ! It was too 

 deadly for men to stand against, and our brave fellows, 

 mowed down as fast as they could come up, were beaten 



