Middletown transcript., 1874-01-10


horror and amazsment to the rear. Leav-
ing heaps of slain behind them, they, too,
forsook the bloody field, rushed in utter
confusion out Of the fire, and took refuge
at the bottom Of wet bitches aud behind
trees and bushes ON the borders Of the
swamp. se sw2ai'5
But not all Of them! Major Wi!kin-
son, the "Wilky" Of a previous page, fol-
lowed by Lieutenant Lavack and twenty
men, pressed on to the ditch, foundered
across it, climbed the brcastwork, and
raised his head and shoulders above its
summit, upon which he fell riddled with
balls. The Tennesseans and Kentuckians
defending that part Of the lines. struck
with admiration at such heroic conduct,
lifted his still breathing bsdy and convey
ed it tenderly behind the works. o
"Bsar up, my dear fellow" said Major
Smiley, Of the Kentucky reserve, "you
are too brave man to die"
II thank you from my heart" whis-
perod the dying man. ''It is all over with
me. You can render me favor; it is to
communicate to my commander that l fell
on your parapet, and died like soldier
and true Englishnan. -s - vi
Lavack reached the summit Of the par
apet unharmcd, though with two shot holes
in his cap. He had heard Wilkinson, a.
they were crossing the ditch, cry out,
"Now, why dent tho troops come on
The day is our own"
With these last words in bis ears, and
not looking behind him. be had no sooner
gained the breastwork than he demanded
the swords Of two American officers, the
first he caught sight Of in the lines.
"Oh, no." replied one Of them, "you
are alone. and therefore you ought to con-
slider yourself our prisoner"
Then Lavack looked around and saw,
what is best described in his own Ian
guage: aE
"Now," he would say, as he told the
story afterwards to his comrades, "con-
ceivs my indignation. on looking around,
to find that the two leading regiments had
vanished as if the earth had opened and
swallowed them up ''>"'
The earth had swallowed them up, or
was waiting to do 50, and the bravo La.
vack was a prisoner. Lieutenant Lavaek
further declared that when he first looked
down behind the American lines he saw
the riAemen flying in disorderly msb;"
which all other witnesses deny, Doubt
less there was some confusion there, as
every man was fighting his own battle, and
there was much struggling to get to the
rampant to fire, and from the rampant to
load. Moreover. if the lines had been,
surmounted by the foe, q backward meve-
ment on the part Of the defenders would
been in order and necessary.
Thus, then, it Jared with the attack on
the weakest part Of the American position.
Let us see what success rewarded the en-
emy's efforts against the strongest.
Colonel Rennie, when he saw the signal
rocket ascend. pressed on to the attack
with such rapidity that the American out.
posts along the river had to run for it.
Rennie's vanguard close upon their heels,
Indeed, so mingled seemed pursuers and
pursued, that Captain Humphrey had to
withhold his 6rc for few minutes for fear
Of sweeping down friend and foe. As the
last Of the Americans leaped down into the
isolated redoubt, British soldiers began to
mount its sides. A brief hand hand
conflict ensued within the redoubt between
the party defending it and tho British ad-
vance In a surprisingly short time, the
Americans, overpowered by numbers and
astounded at the suddenness Of the attack,
fed across the plank, and climbed over inl
! safety behind the lines. Then was poured
into the redoubt deadly and ipces.ant
fire, which cleared it Of the foe in less than
it had taken to capture it.; while Hum
phrey, with his great guns moved down
the still advancing column and Patter-
son, from the other side of the river, adj
ded the fire of his powerful batteries. s
Brief was the unequal contest. Colonel
Ronnie. Capt. Henry. Major King, three
only Of this column, reached the summit
Of the rampant near the rivers .sdge. !
"Hurrah, beys" cried Rennio, already
wounded, as the three officers gained the
breastwork, :" Harrah, boys! the day is
ours" -
At that moment Beale's New Orleans
sharpsbooters, Withdrawing few PAGES for
better aim, frod a volley, and the three
noble soldiers fell hoadlong into the ditch.
That was the end. Flight, tumultucus
fight-some running on the top Of the le-.
wee, some under it, others down the road;
while -Patterson's guns played upon them
still with terrible effect. The three slain
officers were brought out of the canal be-
hind the lines; when, VIC are'told, warm
discussion arose among the Rifles for the
/ honor Of having drought down the Colo
mel. Mr.. Withers,. a. merchant of New
Orleans, and the crack shot of the CON-
pany, settled the controversy, by remark
ing: .ta''s,s' 'ie,ast''F 'a''oa S
IF he isn't hit above the eyebrows it
wasn't my shot" = - D. 7E s'.'.z.eq :
1: Upon examining the lifsless, form Of
Rennie, it was found that the fatal wound
was, indeed, in the forehead To With
ers. therefore, was assigned the. duty Of
sending the watch and ether valuables
found upon the person of the fallen hero
to his is7widow, whowas in the feet of Lake
Borgne. a"7h 'in' sE' sa7; ~ Aar
A pleasanter story. connected with the
l .