Horse, foot, and dragoons : sketches of army life at home and abroad by Zogbaum Rufus Fairchild 1849-1925 & Fairman Rogers Collection (University of Pennsylvania) PU

Author:Zogbaum, Rufus Fairchild, 1849-1925 & Fairman Rogers Collection (University of Pennsylvania) PU
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Soldiers in art, War in art, CHR 1888, PRO Rogers, Fairman, 1833-1900 (donor)
Publisher: New York : Harper & Brothers
Published: 1888-03-25T05:00:00+00:00

THE FIRE-GUARD.

into the gloom, or rubbing the sleep from their eyes, as they awaited the ^expected signal to rush to their posts. The lieutenant was standing by the fire in an attitude of eager attention, his great-coat'thrown back and ready to be cast aside, while the murmur of voices that arose from about the other fires showed that the men there, too, were aroused. Suddenly there was another dropping series of reports, followed in rapid succession by two or three volleys of musketry, and the cry " To arms!" rang out in the night. In an instant everything was in motion, as the men rushed at the top of their speed to the piles of arms. But there was no confusion. Every man knew his place, the ranks were formed as if by magic, the stacks were broken, and the human machine stood there in its completeness, ready to move and to act at the command of its master. The cavalry, as I could see by the fitful glare of the fires, were standing by their horses, a squad mounted and rode off in the darkness, the guns of the horse-battery were limbered up, and the drivers and gunners stood at their posts. Again the spiteful rattle of small-arms was heard, and flashes of fire sparkled in the distance like fire-flies.

But our rest, although thus rudely broken, was not to be further disturbed that night, for the fire in our front gradually diminished and moved away from us over to our right, where for a few moments it increased again rapidly, until quite a sharp engagement seemed to be in progress at the outposts over a mile or so from us. This, too, died away in a short time, a messenger from our front reported everything quiet again in all directions, and the sleepy soldiers once more sought their resting-places, to snatch a few moments more repose before the dawn, for it was now well on into the " wee sma' hours." For the life of me I could not sleep any more, so I rested quietly on my back, watching the waning fire and the recumbent forms

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