Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1868-12-10

'l<i - ltpCti t''N -
~, which broke and fed in the widest
disorder pursued past Barbour'viLl: to
the Rapidan. without pause That night
Stuart went after tbem their officers
held a council of war TO decide whether
they should no. bury their artillery near
Stanardsville. to prevent its capture. On
the day after this, they had escaped
In passing Barhoursville. on their re-
turn from Charlottes one o. the Fed
erai troopers stopp,d 10 get drink OF
water at the house eS a c'tis-n
WHATS the ma ter - asked the citi-
sen:
"Well VIC are retreatjng."
"Who is aft you 2
Nobody but old Jim Breathed and his
men, armel with fence ais F."
Such was one OF dozen incidents ln
Brea'hods life Let ne come to that
which took place near Spottsylvania Court
House.
Grant had moved, as we have socn, by
his left flank toward that place. Ten'
Fitzhugh Lee opposed him on the way,
and at every step harrasssd the head OF
the Federal column with his dlsmounted
sharp-shooters AMI horse artillery. Near
Spottsylvania Court House, it was the
stand made by Fitz Lees cavalry that
saved tie position, changing the aspect
of the whole campaign
Sent BY Stuart with message to the
brave General Fitz," ] reached him
near Spots ylyania Court House at the
moment when he had just ordered hls
cavalry to fall back slowly before the al
vanciug enemy, aud take a new position
in the rear.
Two guns which had been firing GU
the enemy were still in battery on h'!l ;
upon these heavy Federal skigmi.h line
was steadily moving and beside the
guns. Brcathcd and Fltxhugh Lee sat their
Gorsos, looking cooNy at the Advancing
hlc.
Give them round Of canister, Breath
cd ~ exclaimed General tltz Lee.
Breathed obcyed. but the sklrmished
line continued 6ravet5> to advance. All
at once, there appeared III the woods BE-; BE-
hind them, q -u,.r line ot battle a1-
yancne with lags Autterlng
To remain longat-oa the hill was to
lose the guns. TIL bullets @w,T9 whi2~
zlng around ", aud there Was Int one
course l-.t-~.n tall back.
TAKE tie Guns of Rrcatl.7d :" cr
claimed the General "there /, u um
to lose Jo;u III, o.amaal Z 'r sb" z"w
nosi.on farther down the read ~
Breat ei looked decidedly unwilling
~ few myrc rounds, General
AdI then, tnrning to ths men Il
shoutcl
"l;j.o them es:,.t-g,'
4, the wa.G. ,he guns p at,d aHme,
and H.. canister toye through ;hs III Q,
.kjrmishprs AMI The Fedora. line Of battle
behind but il did MT check thenf- They
came on apidty. and the aiF was fDii OF
balls.
Look out for the guns, Breathed =
Take them Of - exclaimed tho uene-
J ral
Breathed turned toward enc Of the
pieces, and ordered
Lamb to the rear
! The orde- was quickly obeyed.
Forward /
The piece went off at = thunle'iag gall
lop, pursued bY bullets :,
"Only 4 few more rounds. General :
nlealed Brcathed Il wou', Lose the
guns -
"All right -
As he sPokc, the euemy rushed upon
the single gun.
Breathed replied BY hurting canister IN
their faces He SIT his horse, untitncAng
Never had / seen more superb sol
der.
r The enemy were nearly at the muzslc
Of he piece.
Surrender :" they we're heard shout
ing surrender the gun.
Brea,hcds response was roar, which
hurled hack the front rank
Then. his form towering amid thc
smoke. his eyes flashing. his drawn sabre
whirlcd above his head, Brcathed shout
ed /:
Timber up"
The caanoneers seized the trail the
horses wheeled at gsliop. the piece
was Gmbered up; and the men rushed
down the hill 10 mount their horses, LETT
there.
Then around the gun seemed to open
a volcano OF flame The Federal infant
nv were right on 1t. a storm of bullets
cut the air. Tho drivers lsaped from
the horses drawing the piece, thinking
its capture inevitable, aud ran down tie
hill
la an instant they had disappeared -
The piece seemed iu the hands Of the en-
emy-iudeed. they were almost touching
ia gun Of the Stuart horse artillery Tor
the hrst time was TO be captured
Tha; thought seemed to turn BreSthed
into giant As the drivers disappear
, ed, h!s own horse wss shot under him
: staggered, sunk. aud rolled upon his RI
der. Breathed draggcd himself from be-
meath the bleeding anmal rose t0 hia
feet. and rushing to the lead horses Of tbs
, gun, leaptd upon one Of them, aud str0cs
; them vio.enly ~ith LIS -lh.s 10 tcsct
them oa.
As h did $, the horse upon which h
was incurred fell. pierced by bl-ie
through the boly.
RrSathed fell upon his feet, sud, with
the sdga4ot his SATIRE. cut toe Two leader:
cut Of the traces. lie then leaPed ueo:
one Of the middle horses the suo b>.ne
drawn by siz-4nd started 81.
he lad e: geue thsec Ya-,s, 7Lsa :
sp;n2l whieA * now T2!e - cs-l :
.-c E.l- = :!