Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1846-09-22

reaching II. AS Armstrong came in sight
he found that Coates had passed the bridge
and was indoIentiy and dispersedIY repo-
sing on the opposite side of the river, a.
waiting his rear guard and baggage
He had, by way of precaution, taken up
the planks from the bridge, letting them
lie loosely on the sleepers, intending as
soon as the rear should have crossed to de-
stroy it. Armstrong drew up, and sent
word back to Lee, who was still with the
! prisoners, requesting orders, not comnu.
nicating the fact that the bridge was in.
terposed. Lees adjdtant soon came gal
Looping back with the laconic message:
.FIhe order Of the day, sir, is TO fall up
on the enemy without regard to conse-
quences! Armstrong, for a moment,
leaned upon his saddle, towards the Ad-.
jutant, thunderstruck atthis reflection on
his courage-in the next, his sword CLAN
ced like streak oflight around his head
his noble horse lcapcd with snort, clear
of the ground, as the spur rowels were
buried to the gaffs in his sides, and in an,
other, shouted in voice Of thunder
"Legion, cayalry--ehargc!" A; the head
of his section, he cleared the bridge, the
horses, throwing off the loose planks in
every direction in their career. The next
instant driving the soldiers headlong from
the howziter which they had mounted a,
the other end to defend it, he was cutting
and slasbing in the very centre ofthe Brit
lsh regiment, which taken completely by
surprise, threw down their arms, reteat.
ing in every direction. The horses of
Armstrong's section had thrown off the
Planks as they cleared the bridge, leaving
yawning chas:n, beneath which the
black stream was rushing turbidly on.
wards; but Lieut.. Darlington, at the head
OF his section, took the leap, ami closed
with Armstrong, engaged in desperate
personal encounter with Lieut.. Col.
Coates who had barely time to throw
himself behind some wagons, where they
were Parrying the sabre cuts made by the
dragons at their heads
Most oftheir soldiers, alarmed at the
sudden attack, had abandoned their eff.
GERS, and were running across the fields
to shelter themselves in ncighboring
farm house. Lee had now got himselfup
to the bridge, where Capt. O'Neal, with
the third section had halted, the chasm
having become so much enlarged by Car
rington's horse throwing off additional
PiankS, that his horses would not take the
leap and seeing the howitzer abandoned,
and the whole regiment dispersed kept
the few officers who were defending
themselves with their swords while they
called upon the flying soldiers for assis-
lance, he proceeded to recover and re-
Place the planks.
he river was deep in mud and still
deeper in water, so that tho dragons
could neither get a footing to r. place the
tplanks nor firm spot from which they
might swim their horses to the aid of their
comrades. Seeing this posture of affairs,
some of the brayest of the British soldiers
began to hurry back the assistance OF
their officers, ard Armstrong and Car.
rington, being unable to sustain, with on
ly one troop of dragons, so unequal
combat, abandoned the contest, forcing
their way down. the great road, into the
woods nthe margin ofthe stream, intthe
effort to reioiithe corps. Relieved from
immediate danger, Coates hurried back
to the bridge, and opeEed deadly fire
| iromthe deserted howitzer upon Lee and
the soldiers who were fruitIessly striving
to repair the bridge, and being armed
only with their sabres, which the chasm
mads perfectly useless, as they could not
reach the enemy across it, they were also
forced to give up the attempt, and retire
without the range of the fire from the
gun.
Marion shortly afer con:ng up, in con-
junction with Lee, marched some distance
down the banks, where they were ena.
bled to ford the stream, and effect pas
sage. In the edge of the evening they.
reached the farm house, but found that
Coates had fortified himself within it with
bis howitzer and was thus impregnable
to cavalE5. While baltiEg in front, Arm
strong and Darlington came up with their
shattered sections. Neither of the off
GERS were hurt but many of the bravest
dragons were killed and still more woun-
ded. Some of the ir finest fe:lows-men
who had passed through the whole war.
esteemed and admired, had fallen IN this.
honorable and unsuccessful attempt
Being without artillery and within stri-
king distance of Charleston, they were
obliged, fatigued as they were. to com
mence their retreat. Placing the woun-
ded in the easiest posture FOR conveyance,
and laying the dead on the. pommels of
their saddles, the legion countermarched
fifteen miles; at its close, burying in one
common sepulchre the bodies of those
who had fallen.
j HAPPINEss.-Al other blessings in
i the world are incomplete without content.
i With it, we are happy; without i we can
Ilneyer be so. And conientment is one Of