. The Nineteenth Illinois; a memoir of a regiment of volunteer infantry famous in the Civil War of fifty years ago for its drill, bravery, and distinguished services . nothing to do but hug the groundthe situation was far from comfortable. Cletting tired of aprostrate position, also becoming careless, and wishing tosee anything that might be seen, I sat up. Just then Cor-poral Boyer of my company raised himself on his hand andarm, looked over my shoulder,and, seeing me sitting there,smiled and nodded ])leasantly. Before lying down again heshook his head, still smiling—I had almost said sweetly
. The Nineteenth Illinois; a memoir of a regiment of volunteer infantry famous in the Civil War of fifty years ago for its drill, bravery, and distinguished services . nothing to do but hug the groundthe situation was far from comfortable. Cletting tired of aprostrate position, also becoming careless, and wishing tosee anything that might be seen, I sat up. Just then Cor-poral Boyer of my company raised himself on his hand andarm, looked over my shoulder,and, seeing me sitting there,smiled and nodded ])leasantly. Before lying down again heshook his head, still smiling—I had almost said sweetly,for, with the noblest manly courage, he had the soft beautyof a girl. The shake of the head and the smile seemed tosay, This place is unhealthy, but what do we care. Thatwas his last nod and smile to me, probably the last of all. The camionade slackened, then ceased. Our cohnnnswere deployed and we were advancing in lin(> to wheie theground was more open. The i-egiments on our light andleft were thiown in advance of us on either side ahout fiftyto one hundi-(d yards, but we were under a heavy hre ofmusketry. The musket balls like bumble bees went singing. The Nineteenth Illinois 233 by, with an occasional patter and spat as they found a markon human flesh. Now and again a subdued exclamation ofpain was heard. The singing of those bumble bees was moretrying to the nerves than the crash of the artillery to whichwe had just been exposed. The firing line of the enemy wasadvancing on us steadily. Regiments on our flanks seemedto be engaged; and then the foe was upon us, their colorsflying gaily, their line firm and unbroken, firing by files asthey advanced, and in the intervals the pufTs of their gunswere plainly seen. In an instant the eye took in the wholesituation. Instinctively every musket in our regiment wasbrought to the position of aim, and the next command, un-military and informal, but emphatic, was Boys, give it tothem! At the word a sheet of fire and rain of lead b
Size: 1329px × 1880px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookidnineteenthil, bookyear1912
