The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-10-11

then, that Capt William Brown precipit,, ,
dropped bic cantesn and halted the company.
Hooked at the devoted ana nesrly-sober b.
ings clustered about the struggling chap, md
says /:
"Has nutiny reared bic horrid front. my ~
teransi What ais our gymnastic friend ~
A Aackerel, largely patched in several d.
partments of his attic, shsded his voice with
crab, like hand, and says be: THAT is Jakey
Mogs, which got letter from bis virchoece
femly Jest the instant he Was orderd to FIX bayo.
nets aud he's gone cracked because the Captain
can't let him leave for home in big rush."
Here the refractory chap burst furiously iron
those who we're holding him. fell upon his knees
before the captain, and says be, as he cried like
woman: "For Gods sake, Cap, do let me 60
home just this once, and l swear to God wont
stay there more than just one minnit +! Ny old
woman wrote this herself Gearing the letter from
his ragged breast and she says our little son 10
dying. Hes dying-O good Lord it's too
much Please let me 20, my dear, good Cap
and won't be gone an hour; and I'll bring you
back the pootiest little bultarrier ever you see;
and you can shoot me for desertion-honof
bright! Ny Tommy's dying, tell you, and
she's wrote for me to come right away. 9ustan
hour, Cap, for Gods sake !-only holt an hour
and I'll come back and be shot-honor bright"
As the wild words came pouring out of the
poor fellows working soul, there fell breath
less hush upon all his comrades; the line Of bay.
onets seemed to me to reflect the soft light Of
the afternoon with kind of strange culver, and
though the Captain turned his head sternly away
from the supplisnt, there was not that 6rmnees
sword of the strong.
Take the being under guard" says William,
hoarscly; "for he must Co."
At the word, the rude father sprang to his feet,
with tgerish glare in bis eye, dashed the let
ter to the ground, tore his bowie from its sheath:
and a., with the howl of q wild beast, he made
furious thrust at one Of those who approached -
secure him-Nsture broke in the tempest, and
he fell into the arms of . comrade, in fit. They
sent him back, then, to camp, and Company 5.
Regiment s, moved forward once again, as tho
nothing had happened.
Alas! my boy, when this whole war is the sea-
stive nerve Of . vast nation, and vbrates thrill
of mental agony to million of souls at each jar
the very air receives from shot, what matter u
it if single heart be broken.
pondered this deeply, as followed Company
8; nor did heed the affable remarks occasion
ally volunteered by Captain William Brown until
We gained the edge of the field wherein was To-
Gated company Of bushwbsckiug Confede:ates,
as Was supposed, behind scientific mud work.
Captain Bob Shorty and Captain Samyule S.
NTH were already on the ground to witness the
bayonet charge; and it was we'll that they had
provided bits of smoked glass to view it through
as the gancing brilliancy of the anticipated feat
might have proved hurtful to the naked eye
As took my place with them, my boy, could
not but admire the rapidity with which Captain
William Brown kicked some of his beings into
straight line before the foes front, and at the
same time addressed them after the manner of .
great commander:
''Comrades," says William, his voice quivering
finely with uncomfortable valor, 1.-THE eyes of fu-
ture centuries are looking down upon you on this
present occasion, and your distracted country
expects you to prope! the gleamy steel. AIR
say William, taking another hasty look at bis
notes, "the distracted country has great conf
dence in bayonit charges, which are quite valu-
able on account Of their scarcity in this unnatu-
raj war. Ny fellow beings" says William, al
lowing several Mackeres to get in front Of him.
that he might more readily direct their move
ments, "we win now proceed to charge bayo-
nits"
From our point of vantage, we saw that ser
ried host sweep Oh, my boy, their movements
being exceedingly rapid for several yards; when
they went clover, and finally stopped.
Captain Samyule Sa-mith eyed them intensely
through his glass, and says he: 1T appears to
me that there is temporary inactivity in the
ranks, and I can see some manly heads turned
the wrong way"
Captain Bob Shorty frowned until his left eye
brow contracted delicate streak of smoke from
his glass, and says he: "You speak like one Of
feeble mind, Samynle The legs, not the head,
are the portions of the human frame to be
watched in baynit charge" ...t. ...
Taught by this remark, gszed at the neither
combinations OF our cOuntry's hope and pride,
and my glass told me that many of them were
working in their sockets az though belonging to
wholly irresponsible parties. Were those de-
voted men about to change their base of opera
tons and entrap Stonewall Jackson's whole
force again, without waiting to receive shot
1t was moment of dreadful suspense.
Then did the matchless genius of William
Brown arise to the full demands of the breath
less occasion, in one of those subtle appeals to
human natures great undercurrent which lead
men as children often are led. In the rear of
the Coniederacy's work was the slanting side Of
a PERCEPTIONS hill, and to this hillside he had
secretly dispatched the paymaster of the corps,
by circuitous route, with q package that looked
az though it might contain Treasury Notes IN
der his arm. just at this awful juncture, when
the fate Of the day hung by hair, that pay
master made his appearance on the hill side
above the mud.work, and put on his spectacles
to make himself more plainly visible.
Comrades" says William, pointing to the CO.
estial figure, 'yOnder is the Disturbing genius Of
the United States of America. Charge bayuits,
and let US be paid Off"
Though the whole Confederacy had been in
the way at that moment, my boy, i: would not
have delayed the charge. Forward went Com.
pany 8, Regiment 5, with mercenary celebrity,
capturing the hostile work with great success;
and finding therein Confederate letter, stating
that the Confederacy could not so far demean
itself as to fight force whose leader had not
been educated at West Point
There is point, my boy, beyond which tho
CoafederaCy cannot hope to offer successful re-
sistance to our arms, aud recent events would
seem to indicate that it is West Point.
Yours, formally,
ORPREUs G. KERR
FRoN TIE 5rH-Csptain J. Albaueh, OF Co
lumbus CITY, and Lieut.. j. w. Casad, of Upton,
Doth of the Iowa 9Th, arrived here yesterday on
I Il