The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1879-06-04
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THE Light Bkt0ADk
Can you stand another war inci-
dent? 1t ia not as grande scene as
Gettysburg. nor perhaps al big With
results but the many ringing re-
spouses to my last " hich | confess
was offered in your New York CORE
spondence With many misgisings)
have somehow stirred the gbosls OF
many thrilliog memories shich have
chased each other through nay mind
till silence is impossible. Few Amer
leans ever dreamed that among the
dark and gloomy pines of Cbancei-
louisville was enacted a tragedy wor-
|thier to live in epic verse than the fa-
NOUS charge Of the Light Brigade at
B~alsklava. Oaly once in all the his
tories of the war have | seen il men
toned, and tonight my thoughts
brood over the name!ess graves of
those nnsnng heroes till my sonl cries
out in protest against the fav oriiisms
of historic fame, and tor these bum
BILE heroes | must rave the meagre
Justice of a passing mention in the
ears Of their countrymen.
1t was the night Stonewall Jack
son received his death-wonnd. He
bad completely surprised Howard's
Eleventh Corps and was driving them
in the widest confusion along towards
the centre Of our line. Ia their flight
they passed through a woods, just
beyond which, in q clearing. lay four
of Sickles' batteries, aud a flying ar
tillery battery and the Eighth Penn
~sylvania cavalry Of Gen. P~leassnton's.
The batteries were not in position
but were parked waiting orders
Through their lines passed the panic
stricken fugitives, bo,ly pursued by
Jsckson's immense corps Of over
twenty thousand men The field be-
came a sight for a painter. Infantry.
artillery, ambulaaces, pack mules,
negroes, aud s;raeglers, the worst
scared mel / ever looked upon, came
tearing like mad past US. The bat
teries had no common commander,
bat each eaptaiq excitedly acted for
himself. "Bat,ery-left wheel. Fire
to the rear, IA Battery Caissons
pass your pieces, Iroi-march !" and
q frightened bugler caught only the
word "trot," Gad sounded il and 20
more. IL rang out clear above The
worse than Babel many took it for
a general stampede signal, and across
the field, and dowa the hill, aad
across q stone wall near its foot, ia
that famous raviue dashed several
caissons and a few guns. Fix pro-
longe TO FIRE retiring-p "Wih can
ister-load." On came the fueitiyes,
nearer and nearer through the sound
ing words came the Confederate yell,
and the rush of Stonewall Jackson's
victorious legions. Sickles was al
most q mile.away, pushing through
the woods with his splendid corps.
Not q Federal musket was in sight
except what the Eleventh corps men
were bearing 10 the real as rapidly
as legs could carry them. We must
make our fight against those remen
dous odds aloue-ive batteries of us
and three hundred cevalrymen-not
over six hundred men, ell told. On
swept twenty thousand Confederates,
and We were not yet ready TO fight.
Our line was confusion worse con-
founded guns stood pointing with
ersoever the excited aDnoneers lis
ted, and at the first fire one half of
US would blow the other half into
eternity, and Stonewall would have
Hooker's headquarters, and double
up our whole army-a cheering pros
pect that. The sun bad set behind
the woods, and through them, yet
faster, in the thiekening gloom. rush
ed Jackson's troops. Suddenly out
in front Of our guns rode the familiar
form of General Pieasanton. Above
the din rang bis shrilI voice: align
those pieces !" 1t was a work Of
many minutes, aud Stonewall was
now just upon us. Time Oh, for
ten minutes time How to get it ?
There sat Major Keenan, with his
three hundred horsemen. Here was
the sacrifice, which, if every man
was a patriot like Arnold Winkelried,
would give Us those precious min
utes. General Piessanton said quick
lily to Keenan,, major, you must
charge in those woods with your
regiment, and hold the enemy Till |
can get those guns in position. Yeu
must do it at all cost" Pleasanton
says: ut was just the same "a say.
ing you must be killed but With u
smile be replied, General, | will do
it," Oh, what a sight MAS that
Would to God some American Ten
nyson might see that sight, and lift
those humble ames into immortaii-
tyi Three hundred troops, with
deep-set spurs and flashing sabres.
at the tbroats of twenty thousand
armed men. Nobody had blundered,
but somebody must die to save the
Army-that was all. 50 mad a
blow did they strike to J~ackson's
very teeth that be stopped bis on
ward rush to reform bis iines-sure-
" there must be more comiDg-no
single regiment could be charging
his army single-bsnded-snd when
no more bold riders came, then it was
that brave keenan, died, at the head
OF his regiment, and whole platoons
persisted with their feet in the STIR
rups! Bat they did not die in vain
Ten minutes purchased at that fear
ful'price to us were c~ostlier still TO
Jackson When be came on again,
flesh and blood could not stand up
before our terrific canister FIRE. His
veterans quailed before thai %sirocco
of death. He rode up to rectify his
lines, was mistaken in the gathering
: darkness for one of our cavalrymen,
and shot by his own men. "Our
three time three" had hardly ceased
to ring when Siekles, who bad daM
ed ahead of his veterans hurrying to
our support, rode up among our guns
and called out You've done no.
bly,, boysi Stand firm, and 10 ten
minutes I'll have fifteen thousand
men here who don't know anything
but fight" He was as good as bis
- - na a