Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 24.djvu/216

 208 Southern Historical Society Papers.

line, but to get there was all that we could do. No man could stand and live.

Being just a little behind the brow before mentioned, most of the shells which missed the brow missed us while lying on the ground, and those which struck the brow ricochetted over us.

It was impossible for us to rise, so the men only raised their heads to fire, and to add to it all, the men in the darkness behind us, not knowing that we were there, opened fire on us.

After we had remained sufficient time for our lines to be established in our rear, Major Saunders gave the order for us to fall back.

THE HOUSE GONE.

The old frame of a house is gone, but there is where it stood, and it was by the side of this old house, forty yards from the middle of the road, where I was lying, and by the light of the musketry fire and the bursting of the shells that I saw Major Saunders, and, although I could not hear his voice, I knew by his gestures that his order was to fall back.

A FAMOUS CHARGE.

Both together they numbered about six hundred just the number that made the famous charge at Balaklava. They had been ordered forward, and could not stop without orders; so on they went.

" Was there a man dismay "d ? Not tho' the soldiers knew

Some one had blunder'd; Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die: Into the Valley of Death

Marched the six hundred."

And there is the opening they came to. It is a valley with the hill next to the enemy rising somewhat abruptly, and crowned with fortifications, as far as could be seen, both to the right and to the left, behind which were the enemy's infantry and artillery, and within less than 100 yards of those breastworks, which were wrapped in a flame of fire and a pall of smoke, with

" Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them, Cannon in front of them Volley'd and thunder'd;