Page:Boissonnas, Un Vaincu, English, 1875.djvu/85

 he hardly knew how to ride, haggard -- or distracted -- made with General Lee the most striking contrast; but he also had proved himself, and his name was a power by itself.

As his Battalions gather with Lee's forces, a new ardor seizes the Confederates. They fight, gain foot-by-foot, thumb-by-thumb, the land that the Federals are defending bravely until six o'clock. At that time, to make the best of the last hours of daylight, Lee masses all his forces in front of the indented hills, the summits of which are still in the hands of the adversaries, and launches the supreme assault. This time, the Northern soldiers give in, break off, and considering that the battle is lost, shoulder their rifles and deliberately abandon the field.

In vain, their Generals rushed to face them and bring them back to the firing line. The ordeal had been too great for those improvised soldiers. They persist to turn their backs on their enemy.

Three Frenchmen, come from Europe in the noble purpose of helping to liberate the Blacks, were serving in McClellan's army. One of them has kept for us the moving description of