Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1854-10-21
cealed behind trees.


At first, this array of men and means was ap-
palling. But the Rubicon was passed. Retreat
would be ruin, accompanied with Disgrace
battle might also be ruinous, but could not be
Without hesitation, therefore,
the latter was resolved on.
At his own request, Captain Falls with his
mounted infantry led the attack. When at the
distance of about eighty PAGES, he received the
fire of the enemy's advance. Returning this
with considerable effect, he rushed sword in
hand, into the midst of them, threw them into
confusion, and forced them to fall back. Press
ing his fortune with too much ardor, he received
a ball through his breast, and he fell dead from
his horse.
His party, however, undismayed by the loss
of their leader, continued the action with great
galantry, until the foot advanced to their sup
port, when the enemy was driven behind his
breastwork.
Here ensued most murderous conflict. The
wings, having so far leveed the obstruction as
to render it passable, rushed over it, mingled
with the enemy, and in many instances grap-
pied with them man to man. Every instrument
and means of death was now reso-ted to. The
bullet, the sword, the rife.butt, and even the
hatchet, with which some were provided, were
abundantly employed. Rarely, in any case,
has blood been more inexorably, or by the
same number of combatants, more prodigaly
shed.
For time, the issue was doubtful. Pressed
by superior numbers, the wings were once
compelled to give ground, some of them re-
treating across the breastwork. But resolutely
bent on victory or death, they returned to the
charge with such fierce impetuosity and great
effect as bore down all resistance.
The tories broke and fled in confusion, the
wings for some distance hanging on their rear
with terrible slaughter.
Thus terminated an affair in which so many
gallant spirits made their first, and too many Of
them, alas! their last essay in arms. In the
course of it, the Wings performed prodigies,
and the royalists manifested degree ofresolu-
ton and valor worthy of a better cause.
The latter lost, in killed, wounded apd pri-
soners, upwards of six hundred men. The
prisoners and wounded were paroled, and Ii
berated on the field of battle.
The numerical loss of the former was ex.
ceedingly heavy, nearly half Of them being
killed or wounded. But the actual loss, which
consisted in the character rather than the num-
Der of those that fell, was incalculable. On
that fatal day, some of the choicest blood of
the South was heroically offered on the altar
of freedom.
The death of Capt Falls, in particular, was
deeply lamented. In the ranks of his country
he did not leave behind him purer patriot or
more gallant soldier.
His son, yonth of fourteen, had accompa-
MED him to battle. When the Captain fell,
this high-minded STRIPPING, moved by an in
stinctive impulse Of affection, sprang from his
horse to embrace the body, and to protect it
from insult. One of the enemy, believed to
be the same that shot Captain Falls, advanced
with view to plunder the corpse; the son,
suddenly snatching the sword Of the deceased ,
plunged 1t into the bosom Of the marauder,
and thus at once punished audacity, and nobly
avenged his fathers death.
So deadly was the aim Of tho tory riaemen,
at the commencement of the action, before
the smoke of their own Ore had obstrncted
their view, that many Of them placed their
balls in the lower end of the strips of paper
which the wings wore over the crowns of their
hats. Every shot Of this description, passing
through the brain, was instantly fatal.