The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1862-09-10

y
the first standard into the fight, and l
know that the glorious banner of our
country cannot be placed iu better hands .
"Thank you, General, thank you, for
the compliment, and | and my lads will
promise you this, that while we stand
and fight, or kneel and fight. or lay down
and fight, you Il see them stars and stripes
floating" ty1e.
"Then, as time is pressing, move up to
the 'front.'" answered General Morgan,
gathering up his reins and riding slowly
away. "And remember" he continued,
as his steed pranced along, impatient of
the curb, 81 shall keep my eyes upon
"THE LITTLE REGIMENT p Good night. :"
"Good night, General" was the reply,
accompanied by the usual military salute !;
and thus they parted.
The still hours of the night passed
slowly, solemnly on. and each patriot
soldier, as he watched the twinklings of
the far away stars, and listened to the
frosty wind as it moaned past, thought,
that perhaps those self same shining
worlds would, the next night, send down
just such twinklings on his own bloody
corpse or roughly made grave. The
stars, however, gradually paled away, and
then, faint grey CLEANS in the eastern sky
told that day was coming to light the war
demon aud death angel to their work.
Presently, as the sun came fully above
the horizon, and streamed his glowing
beams over the icy hillocks and along the
snowy fields, the trumpet's shrill note
sounded the enemy's advance, and the
patriot band prepared for the onset.
In front, and little from the van of
Morgan's force were John Hitler and his
six giant sons, the father himself bearing
aloft the flag, while the latter ranged
themselves three on each side of him as
a guard.
well done, Little Regiment" ex-
claimed tho General, as he rode down the
line encouraging his men to stand frm
before the foe, who were now approaching.
On came Tarleton aud his merciless
butchers with that steady cooluess and
veteran determination, which always have
such fatal effect upon militia. Anx-
iously Morgan glanced upon his undisci
pinned force, which he noticed was already
beginning to sway from side to side, and
back aud forth But even at the critical
moment, he was unable to repress the
thrill of JOY which passed through him,
as he beheld the Hilliers, at word from
their father cool!y and deliberately draw
ing their long, heavy swords.
HWould to God | had hundred such
Little Regiments" he said between his
| closed teeth, Il would -'
The sentence was unfinished, for, at
this instant, at given signal, Tarleton' S
troops clapping spurs to their steeds
charged with fearful fury
For moment OF so he militia tottered,
and surged. and struggled, and then
breaking. fed in wild confusion, thus
leaving the devoted Hilliers wholly un-
supported Morgan expected to see the
latter swept to earth and ridden down like
reeds before the tempest; but even he
did not know the Little Regiment. Quail
ing before the formidable giants, Tarle-
toms men swerved either to right or left
of them, and thus threw away their own
advantage, which the Spartan Americans
turned to their account. In voice that
was clearly heard above the din of battle,
the elder Hitler, as he raised himself to
| his height. shouted:
"Close up lads, close up! Our flag
Our flag forever"
Instantly he was encircled by his sons,
whose hcrculean exertions actually kept
the whole force of the enemy at bay.
Determined, however, to take the rebel
standard, Tarleton's men ragged wildly
about their intended victims, but as use
lessly as the storm tossed ocean lashes the
beating cliff. Men and horses sank to
earth, till at last their bodies formed a
rampant, within which "The Little Rsgi-
ment," wounded and bleeding, fought
like lions. Seeing, at last, that sabres
were useless, British dragoon now drew
pistol, and leveling it at young John
Hitler, shot him through the breast.
"Close up, lads ! close up Our flag
our flag forever !" again thundered the
father, and the fearless circle was once
more serried aud broken.
By this time Morgan had succeeded in
bringing up his regulars, and heading
them himself, he rushed to the rescue of
the noble Hilliers. But, alas TOO late ]
A second of the "Little Regiment" fell
then third, and fourth, and fifth !!
''Back to hack, Ned! Our flag for
ever!' hoarsely commanded the elder
Hitler, as he saw his fifth son sink at
his feet.
| For a while Morgan's fierce assault at
tracted the attention of Tarletons men
4 l. - Il i