The Lost Army

Chapter XXVII

Chapter 27 of The Lost Army is here in full — 76 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Thomas Wallace Knox • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

PRISONER.

|WHEN I had delivered my orders, and just as I was returning to General Vandever,” continues Harry, “the rebels made a charge upon our battery and the infantry that supported it.

This was about noon, or perhaps a little later; I can't say exactly, as I was too much excited to make a note of the time.

“It was n't a bayonet charge that they made, because they had no bayonets to charge with.

They charged with double-barreled shotguns, loaded with ball and buckshot, and to judge by the result, the shotgun in this way is a formidable weapon.

Narrator

Speed 0.75x

AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XXVII Reading 1/15

The Lost Army Thomas Wallace Knox

Chapter XXVII

Chapter 27 of The Lost Army is here in full — 76 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

PRISONER. |WHEN I had delivered my orders, and just as I was returning to General Vandever,” continues Harry, “the rebels made a charge upon our battery and the infantry that supported it. This was about noon, or perhaps a little later; I can't say exactly, as I was too much excited to make a note of the time. “It was n't a bayonet charge that they made, because they had no bayonets to charge with. They charged with double-barreled shotguns, loaded with ball and buckshot, and to judge by the result, the shotgun in this way is a formidable weapon.

The Lost Army

Chapter XXVII

Chapter 27 of The Lost Army is here in full — 76 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/15 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

PRISONER.

/ˈprɪzənər/

Line 2

|WHEN I had delivered my orders, and just as I was returning to General Vandever,” continues Harry, “the rebels made a charge upon our battery and the infantry that supported it.

Line 3

This was about noon, or perhaps a little later; I can't say exactly, as I was too much excited to make a note of the time.

Line 4

“It was n't a bayonet charge that they made, because they had no bayonets to charge with.

Line 5

They charged with double-barreled shotguns, loaded with ball and buckshot, and to judge by the result, the shotgun in this way is a formidable weapon.

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

bayonet noun US /ˈbeɪənet/

a knife that can be fixed to the end of a rifle and used as a weapon

From this reading ““It was n't a bayonet charge that they made, because they had no bayonets to charge with.”

bayonets noun US /ˈbeɪənets/

plural of “bayonet” — a knife that can be fixed to the end of a rifle and used as a weapon

From this reading ““It was n't a bayonet charge that they made, because they had no bayonets to charge with.”

buckshot noun US /ˈbʌkʃɑːt/

small lead shot for shotgun shells

From this reading “They charged with double-barreled shotguns, loaded with ball and buckshot, and to judge by the result, the shotgun in this way is a formidable weapon.”

continues verb US /kənˈtɪnjuːz/

third-person singular of “continue” — continue a certain state, condition, or activity

From this reading “|WHEN I had delivered my orders, and just as I was returning to General Vandever,” continues Harry, “the rebels made a charge upon our battery and the infantry that supported it.”

infantry noun US /ˈɪnfəntri/

an army unit consisting of soldiers who fight on foot

rebels noun US /ˈrebəlz/

plural of “rebel” — “Johnny” was applied as a nickname for Confederate soldiers by the Federal soldiers in the American Civil War; “greyback” derived from their grey Confederate uniforms

shotgun noun US /ˈʃɑːtɡʌn/

firearm that is a double-barreled smoothbore shoulder weapon for firing shot at short ranges

From this reading “They charged with double-barreled shotguns, loaded with ball and buckshot, and to judge by the result, the shotgun in this way is a formidable weapon.”

shotguns noun US /ˈʃɑːtɡʌnz/

plural of “shotgun” — firearm that is a double-barreled smoothbore shoulder weapon for firing shot at short ranges

From this reading “They charged with double-barreled shotguns, loaded with ball and buckshot, and to judge by the result, the shotgun in this way is a formidable weapon.”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

formidable weapon adjective + noun

In this reading “They charged with double-barreled shotguns, loaded with ball and buckshot, and to judge by the result, the shotgun in this way is a formidable weapon.”

about noon preposition + noun

In this reading “This was about noon, or perhaps a little later; I can't say exactly, as I was too much excited to make a note of the time.”

much excited adverb + adjective

In this reading “This was about noon, or perhaps a little later; I can't say exactly, as I was too much excited to make a note of the time.”

judge by verb + particle

In this reading “They charged with double-barreled shotguns, loaded with ball and buckshot, and to judge by the result, the shotgun in this way is a formidable weapon.”

All words in this reading · 68

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading |WHEN I had delivered my orders, and just as I was returning to General Vandever,” continues Harry, “the rebels made a charge upon our battery and the infantry that supported it.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading This was about noon, or perhaps a little later; I can't say exactly, as I was too much excited to make a note of the time.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

ballnounUS /bɔːl/

round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games

From this reading They charged with double-barreled shotguns, loaded with ball and buckshot, and to judge by the result, the shotgun in this way is a formidable weapon.

batterynounUS /ˈbætəri/

group of guns or missile launchers operated together at one place

bayonetnounUS /ˈbeɪənet/

a knife that can be fixed to the end of a rifle and used as a weapon

From this reading “It was n't a bayonet charge that they made, because they had no bayonets to charge with.

bayonetsnounUS /ˈbeɪənets/

plural of “bayonet” — a knife that can be fixed to the end of a rifle and used as a weapon

From this reading “It was n't a bayonet charge that they made, because they had no bayonets to charge with.

becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading “It was n't a bayonet charge that they made, because they had no bayonets to charge with.

buckshotnounUS /ˈbʌkʃɑːt/

small lead shot for shotgun shells

From this reading They charged with double-barreled shotguns, loaded with ball and buckshot, and to judge by the result, the shotgun in this way is a formidable weapon.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading They charged with double-barreled shotguns, loaded with ball and buckshot, and to judge by the result, the shotgun in this way is a formidable weapon.

can't

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading This was about noon, or perhaps a little later; I can't say exactly, as I was too much excited to make a note of the time.

chargeverbUS /tʃɑːrdʒ/

to make a rush at or sudden attack upon, as in battle

chargedadjectiveUS /tʃɑːrdʒd/

of a particle or body or system; having a net amount of positive or negative electric charge

From this reading They charged with double-barreled shotguns, loaded with ball and buckshot, and to judge by the result, the shotgun in this way is a formidable weapon.

continuesverbUS /kənˈtɪnjuːz/

third-person singular of “continue” — continue a certain state, condition, or activity

deliveredverbUS /dɪˈlɪvərd/

past form of “deliver” — deliver (a speech, oration, or idea)

double-barreledadjective

having two barrels mounted side by side

From this reading They charged with double-barreled shotguns, loaded with ball and buckshot, and to judge by the result, the shotgun in this way is a formidable weapon.

exactlyadverbUS /ɪɡˈzæktli/

indicating exactness or preciseness

From this reading This was about noon, or perhaps a little later; I can't say exactly, as I was too much excited to make a note of the time.

excitedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈsaɪtəd/

(of persons) excessively affected by emotion

From this reading This was about noon, or perhaps a little later; I can't say exactly, as I was too much excited to make a note of the time.

formidableadjectiveUS /ˈfɔːrmədəbəl/

extremely impressive in strength or excellence

From this reading They charged with double-barreled shotguns, loaded with ball and buckshot, and to judge by the result, the shotgun in this way is a formidable weapon.

GeneraladjectiveUS /ˈdʒenərəl/

applying to all or most members of a category or group

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

HarryverbUS /ˈheri/

annoy continually or chronically

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading They charged with double-barreled shotguns, loaded with ball and buckshot, and to judge by the result, the shotgun in this way is a formidable weapon.

infantrynounUS /ˈɪnfəntri/

an army unit consisting of soldiers who fight on foot

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading They charged with double-barreled shotguns, loaded with ball and buckshot, and to judge by the result, the shotgun in this way is a formidable weapon.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

judgeverbUS /dʒʌdʒ/

determine the result of (a competition)

From this reading They charged with double-barreled shotguns, loaded with ball and buckshot, and to judge by the result, the shotgun in this way is a formidable weapon.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

lateradverbUS /ˈleɪtər/

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading This was about noon, or perhaps a little later; I can't say exactly, as I was too much excited to make a note of the time.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading This was about noon, or perhaps a little later; I can't say exactly, as I was too much excited to make a note of the time.

loadedadjectiveUS /ˈloʊdɪd/

filled with a great quantity

From this reading They charged with double-barreled shotguns, loaded with ball and buckshot, and to judge by the result, the shotgun in this way is a formidable weapon.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading This was about noon, or perhaps a little later; I can't say exactly, as I was too much excited to make a note of the time.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading This was about noon, or perhaps a little later; I can't say exactly, as I was too much excited to make a note of the time.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

n't

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “It was n't a bayonet charge that they made, because they had no bayonets to charge with.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading “It was n't a bayonet charge that they made, because they had no bayonets to charge with.

noonnounUS /nuːn/

the middle of the day

From this reading This was about noon, or perhaps a little later; I can't say exactly, as I was too much excited to make a note of the time.

notenounUS /noʊt/

a brief written record

From this reading This was about noon, or perhaps a little later; I can't say exactly, as I was too much excited to make a note of the time.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading This was about noon, or perhaps a little later; I can't say exactly, as I was too much excited to make a note of the time.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading This was about noon, or perhaps a little later; I can't say exactly, as I was too much excited to make a note of the time.

ordersnounUS /ˈɔːrdərz/

plural of “order” — (often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

perhapsadverbUS /pərˈhæps/

by chance

From this reading This was about noon, or perhaps a little later; I can't say exactly, as I was too much excited to make a note of the time.

PRISONERnounUS /ˈprɪzənər/

a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war

From this reading PRISONER.

rebelsnounUS /ˈrebəlz/

resultnounUS /rɪˈzʌlt/

a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading They charged with double-barreled shotguns, loaded with ball and buckshot, and to judge by the result, the shotgun in this way is a formidable weapon.

returningadjectiveUS /rɪˈtɜːrnɪŋ/

tending to return to an earlier state

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading This was about noon, or perhaps a little later; I can't say exactly, as I was too much excited to make a note of the time.

shotgunnounUS /ˈʃɑːtɡʌn/

firearm that is a double-barreled smoothbore shoulder weapon for firing shot at short ranges

From this reading They charged with double-barreled shotguns, loaded with ball and buckshot, and to judge by the result, the shotgun in this way is a formidable weapon.

shotgunsnounUS /ˈʃɑːtɡʌnz/

plural of “shotgun” — firearm that is a double-barreled smoothbore shoulder weapon for firing shot at short ranges

From this reading They charged with double-barreled shotguns, loaded with ball and buckshot, and to judge by the result, the shotgun in this way is a formidable weapon.

supportedadjectiveUS /səˈpɔːrtɪd/

sustained or maintained by aid (as distinct from physical support)

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading “It was n't a bayonet charge that they made, because they had no bayonets to charge with.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading This was about noon, or perhaps a little later; I can't say exactly, as I was too much excited to make a note of the time.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading This was about noon, or perhaps a little later; I can't say exactly, as I was too much excited to make a note of the time.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading This was about noon, or perhaps a little later; I can't say exactly, as I was too much excited to make a note of the time.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

Vandever

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading They charged with double-barreled shotguns, loaded with ball and buckshot, and to judge by the result, the shotgun in this way is a formidable weapon.

weaponnounUS /ˈwepən/

any instrument or instrumentality used in fighting or hunting

From this reading They charged with double-barreled shotguns, loaded with ball and buckshot, and to judge by the result, the shotgun in this way is a formidable weapon.

WHENconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading “It was n't a bayonet charge that they made, because they had no bayonets to charge with.

Chapter 27 of The Lost Army by Thomas Wallace Knox holds 76 sentences, grouped into 16 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 27 of The Lost Army contain?

Chapter 27 holds 76 sentences of The Lost Army, unabridged, divided into 16 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 27 of The Lost Army by Thomas Wallace Knox exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 76 sentences, grouped into 16 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 27 of The Lost Army?

Work through the 16 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 16 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 27 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 27 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading The Lost Army

Common questions about reading The Lost Army by Thomas Wallace Knox on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Lost Army?

Yes. All 3172 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #45071 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Lost Army is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #45071, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Lost Army take to read?

About 264 minutes of reading across 635 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The Lost Army

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Lost Army, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Let's: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Lost Army; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Enlist: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Lost Army; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Perhaps: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Lost Army; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Won't: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Lost Army; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XXVII

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