The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-04-11

the shelter of the hill, Zagonyi looks arount
him, and to his horror sees that only fourth
of his men are with him. He cries, "They dc
not come-we are lost" and frantically wave:
his sabre.
He has not long to wait. The delay of the
rest of the Guard was not from hestation.-
When Captain Foley reached the lower cor.
ner Of the wood and saw the enemy's line, he
thought flank attack might be advantage
ously made. He ordered some of his men
to dlsmount and take down the fence. This
was done under severe fire. Several men
fell, and he found the wood so dense that it
could not be penetrated. Looking down the
hill, he saw the flash of Zagonyi's sabre, and
at once gave order, "Forwardw At the
same time Lieutenant Kennedy, a stalwart
kentuckian, shouted, "Come on bows re-
member Old kentucky" and the third COM
pany of the Guard, fire on every side of them
from behind trees, from under the fences
with laundering strides and loud cheers
poured down the slope and rushed to the
side of Zagonyi. They have lost seventy
dead and wounded men, and the carcasses OF
horses are strewn along the lane. Kennedy
is wounded in the arm and lies upon the
stones, his faithful charger standing motion
less beside him. Lieutenant Goff received a
wound in the thigh he kept his seat and
cried out, "The devils have hit me, but | will
give it to them yet
The remnant of the Guard are now in the
field under the hill, and from the shape of
the ground the rebel fire sweeps with the
roar of a whirlwind over their heads. Here
we will leave them for moment, and trace
the fortunes of the Prairie Scouts.
When Foley brought his troop to halt
Captain Fairbanks, at the head of the frs,
company of Scouts, was at the point where
the first rolley of musketry had been re.
ceived.
The narrow lane was crowded by dense
mass of struggling horses, and filled with the
tumult Of battle. Captain Fairbanks says
and he is corroborated by several Of his men
who were near, that at this moment an Off
Ger of the Guard rode up to him and said
They are flying; take your men down tha,
lane and cut Oft their retreat'-pointing tc
the lane at the lett. Captain Fairbanks was
not able to identify the person who gave thi,
order 1t certainly did not come from Zason
VI, who was several hundred yards farther on
Captain Fairbanks executed this order fol-
lowed by the second company of Prairie
Scouts under Captain kehoe. When thi:
movement was made, Captain Naughton, witt
the third Irish Dragons, had not reached
the corner of the lane. lie came up at gal
lop, and was about to follow Fairbanks, ,whel
he saw Guardsman who pointed in the di
rection in which Zagonyi had gone. Ht
took this for an order and obeyed it. Wher
he reached the gap in the fence, made by Fo
ley, not seeing anything of the Guard, h,
supposed they had passed through at tina
place, and sallantly attempted to follow
Thirteen fell in few minutes. He was sho
in the arm and dismounted. Lieutenan
Connolly spurred into the underbrush ant
received two balls through the lungs and on,
in the left shoulder. The Dragons, at tn,
outset not more than fifty strong, were bro
ken, and, dispirited by the loss of their off
GERS, retired. y sergeant rallied few ant
brought them up to the gap again, and the,
We're again driven back. Five of the bodies
passed down the hill, joined Zagonyi, ant
were conspicuous by their valor during tn
rest of the day. Fairbanks and kehoe hav
ing gained the rear and left Of the enemy
position, made two or three assaults upol
detached parties Of the foe, but did not joil
in the main attack.
now return the Guard. 1t is forming un
der the shelter of the hill. In front with
gentle inclination rises a grassy slope broke
by occasional tree-stumps. a line of fire ur
on the summit marks the position of the ret
ell infantry, and nearer and on the top of
lower eminence to the right stand their horse
E Up to this time no Guardsman has struck
blow, but blue coats and bay horses lie thic
along the bloody lane. Their time has come
{ Lieutenant Mathenyi with thirty men is 0,
dered to attack the cavalry. With sabre
flashing over their heads, the little band O
heroes spring towards their tremendous fo.
Right upon the center they charge. I'll
dense mass opens, the blue coats force the
way in, and the whole rebel squadron scatte
t in disgraceful flight through the cornfelds i
, the rear, the boys following them, sabrin
: the fugitives. Days after, the enemy's horse
: lay thick among the uncut corn.
e Zagonyi holds his main body till Mathen,
, disappears in the cloud of rebel cavalry :
!. then his voice rises through the air-"In
!, pen order-charge" The line opens out ,
: give play to their sword-arm. Steeds r.
= spond to the order of their rider, and quic
S as thought, with thrilling cheers, the mob
| hearts rush into into the leaden torrent tn;
h pours down the incline. With unabated fiji
= the gallant fellow press through. Their fiere
0 onset is not even checked. The foe do n,
e wait for thenl--they waver, break and fv.-
S The Guardsmen spur into the midst of II
e rout, and their fast falling swords work te
:, rible revenge. Some Of the boldest of tt
IL, ,.o.l.