The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1879-05-24


t does no more than turn public attention to
his prophetic utteroueo Of ts great founder. ,
September 81. the final treaty OF peace was
signed November Sd, the army was disbane- {
sd; Move mber 25th, the British troops evacu-
atcd New York and Washington formally en-
tered II, and on the e3I Of December resigned
his commission into tho hands Of Congress,
Richly frclghted as the year 1883 is with hal
lowed memories and associations, the people
will hnd some means Of celebrating these
events and a great international convention
and jubilee will inevitably give a force, COM
pleteness and sunity to these observanees
which could not otherwise be attained.
THE LIGHT BRIGADE oUTDoNE.
Can you stand another war incldent7 Il is
not as grand scene as Gettysburgh, nor per-
haps as big,wth results but the many ring
ing responses to my last (Which confess was .
offered in your New York correspondence /
with many misgivings) have somehow stirred /
the ghosts of many thrilling memories which !
have chased each other through my mind till |
silence is impossibls. Few Americans ever |
dreamed that among the dark and gloomy |
pines sofChancellorsvlle was enacted tragedy
worthier to live in epic vcrscthan the ia
nous charge of the Light Brigade nj Balak- /.
lava. Only once in all the histories Of tho
war have seen 1t mentioned, and tonight
my thoughts brood over the namcless graves
of those unsung heroes, till my soul cries out
in protest against the fnvortisms Of historic
fame, and for these humble heroes I must
crave the mcarre justice of passing men
tion in the ears OF their countrymen.
1t was the night Stoncwall jackson receiy-
cd his dcath-wound. He had completely sur
prsed Howatd's Eleventh Corps and was
driving them in the widest confusion along
towards the centre orour line. In their flight
they passed through the woods, just beyond
which, in a clearing, lay four of Slckles' bat
terles, and a flying artillery battery and the
Eighth Pennsylvania cavalry Of Gen. Pleas
anon's. The batteries were not in position
but were parked" waiting orders. Through
their lines dashed the panic stricken fugltiycs,
hotly pursued by Jackson's immense co ps
Ofovor twenty thousand men. The field be-
came n sight for a painter. Infantry, artil-
| lery. ambulanccs, pack mules, negroes and
stragglers, the worst scared men l ever look
ed upon, came tearing like mad past us. The
batteries had no common commander, but
each captain excited acted for himself "Bat-
tery--lelt wheel. Fire to the rear In Bat
teryi Caissons pass your pieces, trot-march!
and a frightened bugleT caught only the word
"trOt," and sounded it and no more. 1t rang
out clear above the worSc than Babel many
took it Tor general stampede signal, and
across the field, and down the hill, and across
Il stone wall near Its foot in that famous ra-
vine dashed several caissons and few guns.
] = t.,R ..
ister-load." On came the fusitves, nearer
and nearer through the sounding woods came
that Confederate yoll, and the rush OF Stone
wall Jackson's victorious legions. Sckles
was almost mile away pushing through the
woods with his splendid corps, Not a FEEDER
al musket was in sight except what the
Eleventh corps men were bearing to the rear
rs rapidly us legs could carry them. We
must make our hght against tn SO tremcnd
Gus odds alone-fve batteries Of US and three
hundred cavalry mcn-nOt over six hundred
men, all told. On swept twenty thousand
Coniedcratcs, and we were not yet ready tC
fight Our line was confusion worse con
, founded guns stood pointing whithergocvci
the excited cannoners listed, and at the first
fire one salr oGus would blow the other hal
into eternity, and Stonewall would have
= Hookor's headquarters, and double up cul
whole army-a cheering prospect that!
The sun had set behind the woods, ant
5 through them, yet faster, in the thckenng
gloom, rushed JacksOn's troops Suddenly
t out in front of our guns rode the familiar form
of General Pleasanton. Above the din rang
| his shrill voice "Algn those plecesr 1
was work of many minutes, and Stoncwal
was now just upon Us. Time Oh for tel
, minutes time How to get 1t? There .sl
, Major Keenan, with his three hundred hors,
: men. Here was the sacrifice, which, If ever,
II man were a patriot like Arnold Wiukeried
e would give us those precious minutes Gen
p eral Pleasanton said quickly to keenan,, 'Ma
Il ior, you must charge in those woods with you
: regiment, and hold the enemy till 1 can ge
! those guns into position. You must do it "A
!, all cost" Pleasanton says: " It was just tn
>, same MS saying you must be killed. but witt
# Il smile he replied, General, l will do it,
n Oh what II slht was that! Would to Go
IS some American Tennyson might see tina
r sight, aud lift those humble names into i'm
b mortality! Three hundred troopers, wit
: deep-set spurs and flashing sabrcs, rushed a
Z the throats Of twenty thousand armed mer
Nobody had blunderel, but somebody mus
die to SAKE the Army-that was all SO ma
If a blow did they strike in Jacksun's very teet
r that he stopped his onward rush to reform hi
e liucs-surely there must be more cOming-n
IS single regiment could be charging his arm
li single leh0nded-an when no more bold rider
y came, then 1t was that brave Keenan, died, a
II the head his regiment, and whole platoon
+ perished with their feet in the stlrrups Bu
~ they did not die in vain. Ten minutes pun
e chased at that fearful price was costlier sti
~ to Jackson. When he came on again, les
IA and blood could not stand up before our tel
io rife canister fire. His veterans quailed befOr
e that siroeco Of death. He rode up TO rcctil
'i his lines, was mistaken in the gatherin
Is darkness ior enc Of our cayalrymen, and shC
10 by his own men. Our "thI &c times threenha
hardly ceased to ring when Sickles, who ha
:; dashed ahead Ofhis veterans huTying to ou
,r support, rode up among our guns and erie
~ out: you've done nObly, boys Stand itI
Pr and in ten mlnntes I'll have fifteen tbOusan
u men here who don't know anything but fight
10 lie was good as his word, and quickly the ol
as Third Corpse filed in behind the guns an
al Jacksun's fam, US corps had received its FRI
y defeat. Three hundred men make The
:, mopylr live through the centuries; six hun
drcd at Ba'aklava rode to fame in sight
n. the whole world but the cynielsm Of Amer
I ca has lcfU to slumber in unknown graves b,
4, meath the pine cones Of Chancellursyiue,
le little ban OF men " hose deed was as gre,
.', ana worthy of renown as those whose fau
~ poets have sung through all the ages.
y MORLEY