The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 138: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

132 THE BOY. SOLDIER; OR, GARIBALDI’S YOUNG CAPTAIN. 5, 2 a da dna snacks seo “ Distant pattering of musketry told us the action had commenced. ‘Skirmishers advanced, and regiments were hurrying through the mud to their relief. ‘Presently the irregular but vigorous ‘popping ’ of outposts ceased; but long volleys, quickly and regularly delivered, broke upon the ear, which assured us the engagement was momentarily be- coming general and sanguinary. “They’re making noise enough,” remarked an officer, passing ; “ sombody’s hurt by this time, for a certainty.” ‘Regiment after regiment pushed up the road, splashing through the mud, many of the poor fellows having lost their shoes in the mire, and every man was drenched to the skin. “Yet onward they went with cheers and shouts and yells. “All seemed gaiety and animation with them, and soon the constant cracking roar of rifles, mingled with the loud booming of howitzers, and the action had become general. ‘* Woods to the right and left of the road screened from us all view of the action. “Regiments and brigades were now fiercely engaged in the thickly timbered swamp, while the enemy’s artillery fully swept the road, and threw numberless shell which coursed over head, and fell right and left with loud explosions, “The engagement had now lasted more than an hour, and numbers of wounded men were slowly passing to the rear to numerous field hospitals. ‘‘Some were lame, others had been shot in the head. “ But the majority were wounded in the arm. ‘f All spoke of the fierce and sanguinary nature of the struggle, and of the heavy work before us, for the enemy was stationed in open ground, with earth- works and artillery to oppose us, “ Kxcept on this portion of our lines, all was quietness, as if no engagement was in progress. ‘‘Ouar whole front was in readiness to repel any Austrian attack on the left or {centre; but they were not in imposing force at those points, and would not, therefore, hazard an attack. ‘Ordered to the front by Garibaldi himself, I pushed up the road deep in mud and water, passing regiments slowly toiling along, and batteries mud- locked, “A group of horsemen were [returning from the scene of carnage, and seemed to be intently engaged in conversation. “These were General others. “ Before these distinguished {men rode a nume- rous train of aids, carriers, sight-seeing civilians, and Italian senators. ‘The nearer I approached the scene of conflict, the more thickly shells were falling, fand wounded men trailing to the rear, ‘‘Several breastworks and batteries had been captured by assault, and dead and dying Austrians lay thick in all directions, “In low brushwood immediately fronting our position, the number of dead was astonishing. ‘‘ The conflict between infantry and guns had been desperate here. ‘‘ Beyond the houses, and in open fields of farms, I could see the Austrian camps still standing, ‘While a little beyond, long lines of men, half concealed in smoke, were rapidly advancing, cheer- ing, and firing incessant, deafening vollies, ‘Sometimes the fight seemed to be raging on the left, then on the right, and after a slight pause would re-open with redoubled fury in the centre, Garibaldi and some “Cannon were upset in all directions, and dead horses blockaded the roads. “Trees had fallen, or had been felled across every pathway and waggon-track to impede progress, ‘‘Men, both friend and foe, like unfortunate human worms, were twisting and writhing in the agonies of death, cursing, praying, yelling, groan- ing, and moaning, with blood-stained garments, powder-blackened faces, and oftentimes with the staring look of idiots, and with red foam at the mouth, ‘‘ Riderless horses were galloping furiously to and fro. : “‘ Stopping for a moment, they would stand with head erect, and distended nostrils, snorting and pawing the earth, and dash away, again trampling alike on friend or foe. “The conflict had now lasted several hours. “ Our troops were still progressing onward, taking breastwork after breastwork, and nothing seemed capable of retarding their victorious march. “Generals, and colonels, and captains seemed to be animated with indomitable perseverance and courage. ‘‘Some were wounded, yet never complained. “The only word heard from all was ‘ Forward, boys? ‘Artillery had now come up to our relief, and equalised the ‘conflict, and by their quickness and energy in action, seemed determined to makeup for all time {previously lost while getting through the mud. “Incessant vollies of rifles, the cheers of ad- vancing regiments, and the loud roar of artillery now seemed to drown all sense of hearing. ‘‘Smoke, in slowly moving. clouds, hung in all directions over the landscape, and from the dis- tance we had already advanced since noon, it was clear that the field was ours, ‘“As darkness was fast falling upon the scene, our troops seemed to redouble their efforts, and pushed forward along all the line with great ardour, until, after one grand volley from left to right, they finally left the battle-field with all its spoil in our hands, “Occasional shell still visited us as we all stood halted in line, but this simply indicated that the Austrian commander was protecting the retreat of his left wing as best he could, but had no intention of assailing us again that night to recover the field. “Tents, guns, breast-works, stores, ammunition, and prisoners, were all in our possession—we had wrested everything from the foe ; and as the last shots were fired from either side, as parting com- pliments, a long wild cheer burst forth from our victorious Garabaldian volunteers, who immediately bivouacked where they stood. “Ambulances and stretcher-bearers were soon upon the scene, and hundreds of maimed and wounded were being fast conveyed to the rear, ‘Such an awful revolting sight I have seldom witnessed. ‘The fight had lasted but five hours, yet over two miles of ground had been traversed and cap- tured by our men, together with all things pertain- ing to a beaten enemy. ‘‘Tield hospitals were busy in the rear; scores of poor fellows were limping towards them—some with heads, arms, and limbs bound up in handker- cists, and nearly every one with a pipe in his mouth, “Tents were stretched here and there to accom- modate the most pressing cases, while every house COMMiKeloooks (<@)