The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1877-06-23
HOLD THE FORT
Col T%ourtalotte. the HerO Of the Song.

\ Washington letter to the Cincinnati Com
mercial says; On Gen Shsrman's staff there is a
tall, stately man, with eyes - calm aud cold and
blue that one can never fancy their flashing, for
they look as II they would quench any spark that
might leap into them from ms heart, with a man
ner 50 quiet and 4 voice 50 passionless, and even
that he suggests his own native mountains with
their caps OF snow, that rear proudly above the
hills and valleys nesting below them in the
warmth and sunshine. But be is the hero OF
one Of the most magnificent fights that tlok place
during the March 70 the Sea-a fight that put a
brilliant, bloody period to the one hundred and
thirteen days continuous FIRE under which SheT-
mans army had struggled eastward, and finally
opened 10 them the door that led through a re
gion Of peace and plenty 70 the desired goal. be
was in the advance guard, and with a few hun
dred men bad reached Allatoona Pass. the KEY 70
the situation, when he received news thar the
enemy were advancing in force. Throwing up
earthworks and constructing as solid a fort as
Circumstances would permit, he waited the shock.
And it came before long, for over the noun
taIns, trailing their gray length along, came the
Confederate army, flags flying, drums beating,
and every heart strung up to the highest chord
Of bravery and desperation, for they knew it was
more than Just a battle TO hght-they knew u
meant the sustaining or knocking away Of one Of
the few remaining props that sustained the fabric
reared n few years before with such Pomp, and
now tottering towards its fall. On they came
like a tide, rising nearer and nearer to the men
waiting so anxiously behind the earthwork, for
which they too felt the importance Of the stake for
they were about TO play so grim a game know
ing that, should AllatoOna Pass be closed, Sher-
man might knock in vain at its portals, and that
thousands Of lives would be lost before il could
be forced. Presently the advancing ranks stood
still, received their orders, and with a wild cheer
that made the mountains ring, charged uF the
pass the gray sea rolled furiously against the
walls o the fort hut what, at its flow, had been
fierce fighting men, at it's ebb were shattered,
stricken things, whose uniforms were stained
with that which changes blue and gray alike into
the livery of death.
Still the fight continued, and the ranks that in
the shock had fallen back reformed and charged
again, and so 1t went on until the little force
that held the pass were stained and grimed with
smoke and powder and blood, burnt with the
flames that leaped from the guns and muskets,
reduced to less than half their number, and al
most dead with thirst and exhaustion. High
among them stood the - cold Colonel :" his face
afame with the same spirit that made his HUI
guenot ancestors do such brave battle with Guise
and " Madame League" in the days when Bal
afre and the Spaniard had it all their own way
in France. encouraging his men to hold out n
little longer, animating them alike by word and
example, until into their midst rode a courier.
who tumbled from his saddle, and saluting him
said = General says, sir, Tell Col. Tourtelotte
to Hold the Fort, tar I'm coming, and that I'll
be there in about an hour. Then the men
elOOu anu CLeSItuY luIuluS luGH HOb bAOON-ohOb
eyes up, and seeing that the sun still shone and
that life might still be hoped for. Once more
g it was rattle and roar and powder-stench y and
then came the blessed sounds of drum and fife,
telling in their strong and shrill voices that help
was at hand, and General Sherman marched up
and through the Pass, entering on what turned
out to be a delightful jaunt through Georgia.
Last year Col. Tourtelotte was in New York
while Moody and Sankey were holding one OF
their monster ~revivals, and persuaded by friends
he went to it. Imagine his amazement when
MIR. Moody, in giving out the hymn to be sung,
said: eve will now give Hold the Fort
which will be peculiarly appropriate, as the hero
of that fight in which our spiritual combat was
figured is present among us, Col. TOurtelotte, the
gentleman with the long beard" He is the only
son of his mother, and she is a widow, and the
tender friendship which exists between them is
beautiful to see. OF course, he is immensely
popular, every belle he comes in contact with
being anxious to break a lance on the armor OF
Indifference in which he sheathes himself.