Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1877-09-22
FATE'S CHOICE.
BY C. L. LEWIS.

] ~
ing, and men shouting and women
weeping farewell. 1t was May, 1861,
and We were going to the ''tront.
A month later when the roll was call
ed on the heights of Georgetown, there
were only an even hundred in Company
@. Death had claimed the three even
before they had snutfed wars powder
| breath.
And a month later still the roll was
called Oh the morning OF Manassas.
Foot-sore, hungry, excited, and anxious,
the men answered ''aye and ''aye, and
there were ninety seven responses, ma
king just hundred with the three com
pany officers. Would we fight? | saw
our captain looking down the line.
There were printers, lawyers, mechan
les, students, farmers and day laborerS
in Company G, and not a man knew
what grim war was.
Down across the meadow, up along
the edge of the wood, and there we
rested and waited until the fight open
ed-waited half an hour longer than
that, and then came the order TO move
1t was like a dress parade as we moved
by the left flank, down across the old
pasture, and into the edge Of the blue
cloud of powder smoke floating on the
morning air Only the mems faces
were white and their eyes anxious as
they caught the roar of small arms and
felt the ground tremble under the dis
charge Of the heavy cannon which were
throwing shot and shell iato the hillside
above US.
Down went company to the edge
of the forest, spread out like tan, and
the skirmishers were hidden by smoke.
The rattle Of musketry increased they
had found targets fer their bullets.
. Standing in line, we looked down into
the smoke cloud, trembled a little, and
then came the order 10 90 forward.
March. march, and then the smoke hid
us, and we struck The Confederate line
of battle thrown out III front OF an earth
work.
Crash. crack! roar The line wayer
ed, fell back, sprang forward again with
a cheer, and we were all therc-all but
those dead or wounded. 1t was like a
wild dream. Forward-retreat-tor-
ward-now at the earthwork, now hurl-
ed back by the sheet of flame, and ii
nally driven back to stay. a thousand
men had been fighting three thousand,
and there could be but one result.
The roll was called at Arlington
Heights, and seyenty-four men respond
ed-seventy-four from ninety-scvcn-
twenty-three of the rank and file Of
Company G. left dead along the little
creek which meanders past banks OF
willows, over beds Of gravel, aud around
gray old trees which have felt the blasts
of half century We had no wound
ed--all dead-all lying under the smoke
stained leaves of the dark forest. 1t
was sad, and yet glorious. There would
be thirteen widows i'll the little hamlet,
and ten sons and brothers would be
wept for, but we had been tried i'll the
balance and Company q had made the
whole regiment famous.
Winter came, and war was chained
for a while. When the south wind
blew the frost away and war shook off
its lashings, there were but seventy men
to answer roll call. With mutfled drums
and arms reversed we had followed the
others TO their last sleep, and they cared
not whether it was war or peace. The
peninsula campaign was not for us, but
the thunder of Jackson cannon as he
swept down on TO Manassas second
time called us out lie was The fail,
we the grain-it was no longer battle,
but slaughter In the gray OF morn
ing bis columns came feeling through
the wooGs and over the fields 10 find us.
We heard him coming There was a
weak brigade to oppose 10000 Conted-
crate muskets, but If we could hold him
one hour more, help would come Com
pany G went groping through the
woods that morning to meet death.
There were but sixty-eight of us then,
and it was a poor, thin skirmish line
which crept under the trees and fright
ened away the birds just singing their
morning songs. We crouched down
beside fence, and saw heavy line of
gray come over over the hill and half
way across the open field, and then
Death took command We staggered
their line, and as it bent lack and twist
ed about like huge serpent in his
death struggles, we cheered until the
forest leaves danced and quiyered. The
line Strengthened, and with answering
cheer it came forward-500 muskets TO
sixty eight. And yet we held our own,
and let them come, and men fought
hand-to- band over the fence with club
bed muskets and blood-stained bayonets.
Each rail had lis stain OF blood; each
corner had its burden Of dead and
wounded They hurled us back, and
then the great battle opened all around
us.
| was first sergeant then, and when
we fell back | was in command. Along
the fence, where death had struck them
down, lay captain, both lieutenants and
thirteen of the rank and file-siXteen
out of sixty eight. The tittytwo re-
treated behind the line of battle, joined
our regiment, aud again and again be-
fore nightfall We gave JacksonS veter-
aus shot for shot 1t was TO be, and
" hen night tell the brave titty-two were
living and uDharmed.
After Manassas they filed US up to
eighty-fve, but somehow we went on
! I. In