United States or Lesotho ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !


Borne away by these delightful sights and sounds, and feeling life only in the ideal, this lethargy of soul and body burst, convulsively, into common existence, as the indomitable Mr. C issued, gaping in all directions, from behind a fluted column; and, when his glance fell on us, the face of Minerva looked not more luminous when she leaped from the brain of Jove.

"No regrets nor sympathy are required, thank you, sir," replied Carroll. "If I could be of any assistance," persisted the man, who was short in his weekly column and not easily daunted. "No assistance is required, thank you, sir," replied Carroll. The man retreated, and rejoined his companion at the table. "Get anything out of him?" asked the other.

It had been the intention of the admiral to lead the column of wooden vessels with his own ship; but at the earnest request of many officers, who thought the fleet should not incur the greater risk consequent upon having its commander in so exposed a position, he reluctantly consented to waive his purpose, and the Brooklyn was appointed to this post of honor.

Then off we went, and hitting the main road just ahead of our muddled column, halted at the desolate little village of Estrées. It now began to rain. Soon the column came pouring past, so miserably and so slowly, lorries, transport, guns, limbers, small batches of infantrymen, crowds of stragglers.

The enemy had made a halt a short distance beyond and in plain view of the bridge seeing that they had been foiled in their attempt to burn the bridge, now commenced firing their amunition in heaps all along their line and their main column began to move leaving a few skirmishers in the rear, but not however, without receiving a few shots from the 4th regular battery which was attached to our brigade.

For as the sun arose a little higher, and its full rays fell on it, at the right angle to the spot where our party now stood, there it was, clear and distinct, a tiny spiral column of steam rising up in the clear cold air from a great snowy expanse. There was not a sign of a tree or of a den.

As long as blood lives it is hidden; it is only dead blood that we see. But the earlier parts of the rake's progress are very natural and amusing. Painting the town red is a delightful thing until it is done. It would be splendid to see the cross of St. Paul's as red as the cross of St. George, and the gallons of red paint running down the dome or dripping from the Nelson Column.

We were steaming at the head of the convoy column at eighteen knots at the time. The first watch-officer, having finished his breakfast and a morning watch, was just then taking a little nap on the port ward-room transom with his clothes and sea-boots still on. The active messenger shook him up too.

A mile or more away, beyond the fields, a moving column of smoke from a locomotive lifted itself into the sky above the tree tops and streamed back a long, dark, banner. As the column of smoke moved steadily on toward the distant horizon, the young man on the hilltop watched it listlessly.

Should these fail us we saw nothing but defeat and disaster in our path. August 20. While our cavalry forces were feeding their horses on the large plains near Brandy Station, about six o'clock this morning, a heavy column of Stuart's cavalry was discovered, approaching from the direction of Culpepper. Kilpatrick was ordered to attack and check this advance, which he did in a spirited manner.