Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1862-10-07

MS steed pranced along, impatient of the
curb, L shall keep my eye upon 1.-THE LIT
TIE REGIMENT" Good night"
"Good night, GeneraI,o was the ra,lv
accompanied by military salute and thus
they ;arted. "N mus
The still hours of the night passed slow
~ solemnly on, and each patriot soldier. as
he watched the twinkling of the far awav
stars, and listened to the frosty wind as Il
moaned past drought, that those self same
shining worlds might the next night send
down Just such twinklings on his own
bloody corpse, or roughly made grave
The stars, however, gradually paled away.
ana then. faint grey CLEANS. in the eastern
war demon and death angel to their work.
Presently, as the sun came fully above the
horizon, and streamed his glowing boams
over the icy hiIlocks, and along The field
the trumpet's shrill note sounded the enc,
my's advance, the patriot band prepared
fur the onset. -
In 'front.' ct, and little apart 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 r. exclaim
ed the General, as he rode down the line,
encouraging his men to stand firm before
the Zoe, who were now fast approaching
them.
On came Tarleton and his merciless
brutes, with that steady coolness aud vet
Gran determination, which always have
such fatal effect on militia. Anxiously
Morgan glanced upon his undisciplineG
forces which he noticed was already begin.
ming to sway from side to side and back
and forth. But even at this critical mo-
| ment be was unable to repress the thrill of
JOY which passed through him, as he be-
held the Killers, at word from their faith
er coolly and deliberately drawing their
long heavy swords.
Would to God / had a hundred such
Little Regiment" be said between his
| closed te eth, 81 would"
The sentence was unfinished, for, at this
instant at given sign, Tarleton's troops,
c!apping spurs to their steeds, charged with
fearful fury
For moment or so the militia tottered
and surged, and struggled, and then break
ing, fled in wild confusion, thus leaving the
devoted Killers wholly unsupported. Nor
gan expected TO see the latter swept to the
earth and ridden down like reeds before
the tempest; but even he did not know
the Little Regiment Quailing before the
formidable giants Tarleton's men sweryed
either to the right or left of them, and thus
threw away their own advantage, which
the Spartan Americans turned to their ac-
count. In a voice that was clearly heard
above the din of battle the elder Hitler, as
he raised himself to his full height, shouts
ed:
"Close up, lads, close up! Our flag =
Our flag forever!
Instantly he was eucircled by his sons
whose herculean 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
5eetling cliff. Man and horse sank to
earth, till at last their bodies formed ram
part, within which, "The Little RegimcGt,"
wounded and bleeding. fought like lions.-
Seeing, at last, that sabtes were useless. a
British Dragon now drew pistol, and
leveliDg it at young John Hitler, shot him
through the heart.
"Ciose up, lads, close upl Our flag |
our flag forever !" again thundered the ia
Their, aud the fearful circle was once more
serried and unbroken.
BY this time Morgan had succeeded in
bringing MP his regulars, and beading them
himself, he rushed to the rescue of the
noble Killers. But alas too late A Sec
end OF the Little Regiment" fell, then a
third, and fourth, and fifth
Back TO back, Ned Our flag forev-
er!" hoarsely commanded the elder Hill
lier. as he saw his fifth son sink at his
feet
For while Morgan's fierce assault at
tracted Tarleton's men. Like tigers did
the patriotic commander and his handful of
men strive to cut their way to the two en-
vironed heroes, and save them but fate
had ordered it otherwise, and the last son
falling, the father was left alone in the
midst Of his relentless assalants.
Still, however, the flag foated proudly
above the doomed hero, and still that g.o-
rious sword swept below its folds as many
horrid circle, and still as frenzy took
the place of reason, Hitler shouted in wild
hoarse tones:
CLOSE up, lads, close up! Our flag our
flag foreverw
For moment the giant patriot raised
himself to his full height, whrled his
sword aloft, and delivereded his last venge-
full stroke among his enemies, one of whom
-
the force Of the blow that the blade snapped
, asunder, leaving only the hilt in the hero's
hand, who casting this from him sprang
up, seized the starry banner that he had
so long and bravely defended and convuls-
} lively wrapping it about him, sunk beneath
! shower of blows, excla lined with dying
: voice:
"Close up, lads, close upl Our flag
our flag foreverp
Unable to tear the flag from about the
fallen man, the British now turned theil
full attention upon General Morgan, who
after a desperate resistance was forced to
: fly. In the course of the pursuit, however
, the enemy fell into irretrivable disorder, and
ever on the alert, Morgan takin advantage
of this, rallied his broken force, and charg
ing the foe really routed them, thus re.
winning the victory which he had so Gig.
} nally lost.
His first thought after the defeat of the
enemy, turned upon the brave, but fated
, Killers, and together with his aids he rode
back to the spot where the Spartan band
had fought and fallen. Surrounded by
! their victims lay the seven giga ntic Hill
Tiers, about the eldest of whom was still
: closely wrapped the colors which bad been
committed to his care in the morning, now
riddled with bullets, torn and soaked with
the blood OF his companions.
As Morgan gazed upon the silent forms
at his feet, tears gathered in his eyes, and
with the words:
Bury them side by side; and above all,
don't remove the flag from about John; il
is hero's shroud, and hero is in it"-he
was about to turn away, when one of his
J aids exclaimed:
: He lires! he Tires ;"
A groan and a slight movement of the
body proved this to be correct. A surgeon
was quickly in attendance, who after an
examination, give it as his opinion that in
less than twenty minutes the life which
still fingered in the old hero would be