Four years of fighting : a volume of personal observation with the army and navy, from the first battle of Bull Run to the fall of Richmond . think thousand muskets were flashing, with occasional cannon-shots, mingled with shouts, cheers, and hurrahs from the Unionlines, and yells like the war-whoop of Indians, — wild, savagehowls from the depths of the tangled jungle. The sun risesupon a cloudless sky. The air becomes sultry. The blood ofthe combatants is at fever heat. There are bayonet-charges,surgings to and fro of the opposing lines, a meeting and com-mingling, like waves of the
Four years of fighting : a volume of personal observation with the army and navy, from the first battle of Bull Run to the fall of Richmond . think thousand muskets were flashing, with occasional cannon-shots, mingled with shouts, cheers, and hurrahs from the Unionlines, and yells like the war-whoop of Indians, — wild, savagehowls from the depths of the tangled jungle. The sun risesupon a cloudless sky. The air becomes sultry. The blood ofthe combatants is at fever heat. There are bayonet-charges,surgings to and fro of the opposing lines, a meeting and com-mingling, like waves of the ocean, sudden upspringings fromthe underbrush of divisions stealthily advanced. There is acontinuous rattle, with intervening rolls deepening into long,heavy swells, the crescendo and the diminuendo of a terriblesymphony, rising to thunder-tones, to crash and roar inde-scribable. The Ninth Corps during the day was brought between theFifth and Second. Divisions were moved to the right, to theleft, and to the centre, during the two days fight, but the po-sitions of the corps remained unchanged, and stood as repre-sented in the Through all those long hours of conflict there was patientendurance in front of the enemy. There were temporary sue- 318 FOUR YEAES OF FIGHTING. [May, cesses and reverses on both sides. In only a single instancewas there permanent advantage to Lee, and that he had notthe power to improve. It was at the close of the contest onthe 6th. The sun had gone down, and twilight was deepeninginto night. The wearied men of Ricketts division of the SixthCorps, in the front line of battle on the right, had thrown them-selves upon the ground. Suddenly there was a rush upon theirflank. There was musketry, blinding flashes from cannon, andexplosions of shells. The line which had stood firmly throughthe day gave way, not because it was overpowered, but becauseit was surprised. General Seymour and a portion of his brigadewere taken prisoners. There was a partial
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Keywords: ., bookauthorcoffincharlescarleton, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860
