The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1861-09-06
From the NeW York Irish american.
THE LAST DAYS
SIXTY-NINTH IN VIRGINIA.
A Narrative in Two Parts.
BY THOs. FRANCIS MEAGHER.
BY THos. FRANCIS MEAGHER.
PART THE THIRD.
OF THE

from unQer nre, the OJth matted On the
roadside, little above the village of Cen
treville. Those who had haversacks
opened them and shared their contents
with their comrades. Several of the men,
in impatient anticipation of coming into
close quarters with the enemy, had freed
themselves of these membranes, as they
dashed down to the scene of action. They
had flung them off along with their blank
cts. 1t was not the fault of the Commits
sariat that many of the men went to bed
supperless. At the same time, it is not
in the nature Of an Irishman to fight with
four or five pounds of boiled pork and bis.
cult hanging at his hip.
During this halt, the 10th and I'd New
York swept by US, heading for the enemy,
SO as to compel the latter to keep at re-
spectful distance from us within his lines.
Both Of these regiments looked staunch
and splendid at that moment. There was
Col. Cameron, at the head Of his High
landers, riding, erect and resolute, with
his broad~leafed hat, shadowed with a
superb black ostrich feather, sCftening the
outline Of the strong, massive features
which the consciousness Of his being on a
noble service seemed to illuminate. There
was Col. Tompkins, Of the I'd New York
young, calm, unostentatious, full of in
telligence and perfectly Misunderstanding
as bright and hearty body of men as any
Colonel in the Union Army has reason to
be proud of. AS with a swinging step, in
compact ranks, they swept by, it was with
a delighted heart, recognized my friends
Captain Huston, De Courcey, and many
other generous and gallant fellows, and
hurriedly shsok hands with them.
The two Ohio regiments came next,
Col. MCook, radiant and jovial as though
it were PIC mic he was going to, being
in command Of the First. Mounted on a
magnificent horse-black, fiery, solid, full
Of blood and power and beauty-the Col
onel waved his hand to US as he passed
along, and wishing us all good bye, and in
a few seconds vanished from US in the dust
and twilight.
The Ohio regiments had passed US little
more than a quarter of an hour, on their
way to BIackburn's Ford, where the fight
ing had been all day, when the order came
for the Goth to fall in and march. In
something less than half an hour we were
in the village Of Centreville, on our way
to the bivouac or camping ground for the
night, mile beyond the village.
| have already spoken of this village
as a dingy, aged, miserable little handful
of houses. 1t is the coolest picture con-
ceivabIe of municipal smallness and deere
pitude. Set down on certain military
maps in flaming capitals as Centreville,
one is astounded on entering it, to find
that a m Die hill has been magnifed Dtc
a mountain.
1t looks, for all the world, as though il
had done its business, whatever it was, i
it ever had any, full eighty years ago, ant
since then had bolted its doors, put ou
its fires and gone to sleep. Harry LORE
quer has never chilled US with so dismal /
picture of denuded village in Ireland.
Most of the houses in CentrevlIe ar,
built with stone-rugged, grayish, gloom
/ ilv speckled and mottled stone-and yol
follow them up and down two or thre,
! little hills and hollows over a road, o
/ through a street, which has ruts and rocks
/ bouders and pit falls in it, enough t.
shake the shoes from off thousand hor
ses, and more than enough to rattle to pie
ces and disable thousand wagons. Som
/ Of thcse houses retreat a little from th
road or street, behind dingy fence AM
two or three leafless and colorless AM
dwarfed old trees Others break in witt
an uncouth and bold protuberance upol
the road or street; and thus with a VIC
lent intrusion destroy the symmetrical ei
feet Of their moro modest sisterhood.
There was, as usual, a rush of the GOT
for the pumps. Utterly regardless and de
iiant Of every remonstrance and warning
the soldiers broke from the ranks, an
made fercely for every door or gatewa
that promised them an alienation of thei
thirst. This was the mischief of the da,
This the mischief Of the two precedin
days. It was impossible to keep the me
in the ranks whenever they thought ther
was the slightest chance 10 slake the
thirst. True tits, the distance they march