The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1879-09-20
THE CECIL WING, EIKTON SATURDAY. SEPTEMBER 1870
THE LIGHT BRIGADE cUTLoNE

Few Americans cvcrGrcau That anon
the dark and gloomy pines OF Chancciiors-
vile was enacted tragedy w0rthicr to
live in epic verse THAN the famous charge
Of the Light Brigade at Salik lava. Only
once in all the histories Of the war have
seen it mentioned and tonight my
thoughts breed over the name!ess graves
o those lnSunS heroes till my soul cries
out in protest against the tayoritiSnn Of
fame, and for those humble heroes must
crave the mcaG.c Justice OF Il passing
mention III the ears Of their countrymen.
1t w&s the night 5toncwall Jackson rt cciy-
ed his death wound. I!c had completed,
surprised liowa.tl's Eleventh Corps and
was driving them in the widest confusion
along towards the centre OF our limo. In
their flight they passed tliroug, a woods.
Just beyond which in Il Gearing lay four
OF Sickica' batterit and a flying artillery
battery. and the Eighth Pennsylvania
cavalry of Gen. PIeasanton's The bat.
teries were not in position, but were
parked, waiting orders. Through their
lines passed the panic-stricken fugitives,
hotly pursued By Jacksons immense
corps OF over twenty thousand men. The
field became sight f6rr; u painter. InGan-
try, artillery. ambulanccS. pacl, mules,
negroes and stracglcrs, the Worse scared
men ever looked upon. came tearing like
mad past us. The batteries had 10 CON-
mon commander, but each captain c1cit-
eddy acted for himself. ''Battery-left
wheel. Fire to the rear. In battery: Gas
sons pass your pieces, trot-march. and
a frightened buylcr caught only the word
''trot, and sounded it no moro. 1t ran.
out clear above the worse than Babel:
many took it for a general stampede sig
nal and across the iie!d.anG down the hill,
and across a stone wall near its foot, into
that famous ravinc dashed several Gals
Sions and a few guns. Fix prolong to
fire retiring with caniStcr-load.
On came the fugitiveS nearer and nearer
through the sounding woods came the
Confederate yell. aud the rush Of Stone
wall Jackson 5 victorious legions.
SickleS was almost Il mile away, pusl =
iny through the woods with his splendid
corps. Not Federal musket was in
sight except what the Eleventh corps
men were bearing to the rear As rapidly
as legs could carry them. We must make
our light against those tremendous odds
alone-tive batteries of Us and 300 caval-
rymen-not over 600 men, all told. On
SWEPT 20. 000 ConfetlerateS. and We were
not yet ready to fight. Oar line was con-
fusion worse COMPOUNDED: guns stood
pointing withersoever the excited can-
noneers listed, and at the first fire one
half of us would blow the other half into
eternity. and Stoncwall would have
lockers headquarters. and double up
our whole rrIny-a cheering prospect thai .
The sun hadSet behind the woods. ard
through them, yet faster, in the thicken-
inc gloom rushed Jackson S troops. Sud
denly cut in front of our guns rode the
familiar form of General Pleasanton.
Above the din rang his shrill voice:
align those pieces 1t was "a work of
many minutes and Stonewail was just
upon us. Time. Oh, for ten minutes
time, How to get it! There sat Major
Keenan, with his 800 horscmen. Here
was the sacrifice, which if every man WAS
a patriot like Arnold Winkclried, would
rive us those precious minutes. General
Pleasanton said quickly to Keenan,,
..Maior YOU must charge in those woods
with your regiment, and hold the enemy
till can get those guns in position. " on
must do it at all cost Pleasanton says:
1T was Just the same rs saying you must
he killed" but with smile keenan, re-
piled, General. | will do it, Oh what
il sight was that, Would to God some
American Tcnnyson might see that sight
AIN! lift those humble names into immor-
aIity, Three hundred troopers. with deep
set spurs and flashing sablcs at the
threats of 10000 armed men. Nobody
had blundcred, but somebody must die
to save the army-that was all, So mad a
blow did they strike at Jackson 5 very
teeth that he stopped his onward rush to
reform his lincs-no single regiment could
be charging his army single llandCd-and
when no more bold riders came then it
was that brave Keenan, died, at the head
of his regiment, and whole platoons
rerished with their feet in the stirrups
But thew did not die in vain. Ten min
utes purchased at that fearful price to us
were costhcr still to Jackson. When he
came on again. flesh and blood could not
stand up before our terrible canister. His
veterans quailed before that Sirocco of
death. lie 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 times three
had already ceased to ring when Sicllles,
who had dashed ahead Of his veterans
hulrying to our support rode up among
, our guns and called out: y on We done
nobly boys Stand firm, and III ten min
utcs I'll have II, GOO men here who don t
know anything but fight" He was as
good as his word and quickly the old
Third corps filed in behind the guns and
Jackson's famous corps had received its
first defeat. Three hundred men made
Thermopylae live through the centuries;
six hundred at Balklava rode to fame
in sight of the whole world; but the Gym
icism of America has left to slumber in
unknown graves beneath the pine cones
of charlottesville, a little band of men
whose deed was as great and worthy of
renown rs those whose fame poets have
sung through all the ages.