The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 383: what you’re looking at

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

THE BOY SOLDIER OR, GARIBALDI’S YOUNG CAPTAIN. =O WH hy LS ill i | Mt | Bb ANK\}\ | m “TL was now afternoon, and having opened the fight to the left, the Count and Caspar moved through the woods to the west, and having got sufii- ciently under the hill ta prevent loss from sh¢ll thrown from the north-eastern quarter, “each com- mander gathered his troops well together, gave the word, and under a storm of lead from the hill, ran eastward, parallel with a brook, gave the word ‘ by the left flank—double quick !’ and in less than three minutes Caspar on the right, the count in the centre, and myself on the left, were rushing along the open towards the brook, descended the ‘dip,’ jumped into the brook, tumbling and clambering over logs and brushwood, and contending with a heavy force of the enemy defending a long breastwork, and rife-pits on higher ground, to the rear. “The character of this approach was the best that could be devised, for had these troops marched in the fields, instead of creeping through the woods and hollows, to the west of this ‘rise,’ few of them would have survived the hailstorm which awaited them. “By cautiously approaching at right angles with the brook, until near it, giving tle word ‘ file right, double quick’ until each had got into position in line, and then ‘ by the left flank—double quick !’ it brought the troops directly under the rising ground, protected from the fire of the north- castern quarter, “ And by rapidly moving they got so near the brook, that cannon on the rise to the rear could no be depressed sufficiently to hit without killing the —_ VEEN if hit ! \ Vii es | Zi WY WATE ULE wy iiat own men, who were now hand to hand with ours at the brook, and obstinately defending their line of breastworks, ‘‘In stch a position, and on such broken ground, officers saw it would be impossible to ride, and, as many horses had been shot in the morning, we left our steeds in the woods, where they had been quietly drawn up. “And when orders came toeadvance we dis- mounted, buttoned up coats, pressed down hats, drew swords, and dashed forward on foot, and in front, giving commands in loud tones, which the troops heard audibly amid the roar of the enemy's musketry, ‘*Though many fell in the rush while filing right from the woods across the open, down the dip to the brook, none faltered. “Ranks closed up as soon as broken. ‘‘ Kach brigade seemed emulous of the others in keeping a straight and unbroken front as if executing ‘double quick’ movements in a divi- sional drill. ‘‘ There was much confusion at the brook, * For it had been deepened and every impedi- ment thrown in the way against our passage, “ But having safely conducted our commands fairly under the hill and safe from numerous field- pieces whose shell harmlessly screamed and whizzed overhead, officers soon restored a perfect front, “Once across the brook our men scaled the wooden and earthern line of wall that overlooked it, and were soon desperately engaged with masses Giook —— EEO —-