The Call of the South

lley was from a mile to a mile and a half wide, and the water-course was much nearer the outer or American side. The bed of this stream would furnish an excellent breastwork or entrenchment

but clear of timber and covered only with grass, while on the American side the

f the 5th and 15th Cavalry as his left wing, the 1st X-- as his centre, and the 4th and 11th Infantry as his right wing, be moved forward down the slope and into the bed of the stream, leaving as a reserve the 71st Ohio a

out of it because they were negroes, and that the others from the general down wanted to scoop all the glory for the white soldiery,-and again he sat down and cursed the negro blood in his veins. The only salve to his outraged spirit was the information that those high and mighty prigs of the 71st were also to miss the glory. He even chuckled when he thought of the chagrin of Lieutenant Morgan and pictured to himself the scene of the lieutenant's m

at the show." Corporal Billie Catling of the 71st replied that they took the "gallery-seat" under ord

he 1st X-- never ran out of any fight in Cuba, and you gallery-gods can go to sleep or go t

in Cuba, but it's blamed certain you didn't

you're not permitted to sit down along with your betters.

sally, and, as fighting was out of the question, they walked

this campaign: and he went back to his duty in a mutinous mood. He could not know that General Bell had held this veteran negro regiment in reserve because of its

ll between themselves; and in this duel the advantage was with the Americans, for their position gave them better protection-the fighting-line being sheltered by the st

lead and iron that dashed in the faces of the American troops as they stood up began the work of death; and it came so promptly and so viciously that it overwhelmed the raw discipline and untempered metal of the 1st X--; for before advancing thirty paces the line wavered and broke and retreated ignobly to the sheltering bank of the stream. Not all the regiment broke at once; but the break and stampede of one

ordered forward both the 10th Cavalry and the 71st Ohio. These came over the hill on the run and dropped down the slope into the water-course, where the heroic handful of officers were still making frantic efforts to have the 1st X-- go forward. A captain was violently berating his men for their cowardice and imploring them to advance, while his first lieutenant squeezed down behind the bank was yelling at them not to move. A major of one battalion was standing up straight and fully exposed, waving his sw

contemptuously, while the fear-smitten creatures were as unresentful as hounds. Corporal Graham, near the left flank of the 10th, heard an officer of the 71st yell as they passed over the ditch, "Why don't you go forward?

th and bravely charged with them up the long slope. The remainder waited till the battle was s

confused; but it was well that the two regiments were sent to replace the one, for the loss was appalling as

me of checkers, and went in a business-like way about reducing the distance between himself and the gentlemen who had hurt his shin. His anger had dissolved his confusion and neutralized the horrors that were at first upon him. He was more than ever conscious of the falling men about him; but he had his debt to pay,-let them look after their own scores. He saw Lieutenant Wagner stagger and fall and raise up and drag himself into a protecting depression in the ground; he saw the colonel of the 1st X--, fighting with a carbine in his hand right alongside the black troopers of the 10th, drop in a heap and lie so still he knew he was dead; he saw Corporal Billie Catling straighten up and pitch his gun from him as a bullet hit him in the face and carried away the whole back of his head;-yet Graham stopped not to help or to think. He had only one purpose-to reach the man who hit his shin. He saw man after man, many of his own troop, drop in death or blood or agony-and his purpose did not change. Then, a little distance to his left and somewhat to his rear, he saw Colonel Phillips of the 71st go down in the grass; he saw him try to gain his feet, and fail; and then try to drag himself from his very exposed position, and fail. Then Corporal Graham forgot his personal grievan

YARDS OR MORE THROUGH

pite his indifference to the ordinary rules of the desperate game, was more than reasonably could have been expected of the Fates which had protected him up to that moment from serious harm; and-down he crashed in the grass and lay still without design, while the battle passed farther and farther up the long slope, away fro