New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-10-17

H. ~oad To tIe westward and two hours later still.
another small body takes the middle road The
effect 49, that the pockets on 's us, ~
70 Iantville. and dispatch WORD 10 Ishilii enis
fine Union army is adv ancing along the rver. he
hurres of n thousand infantry and battery 70 fe-
sist the advance Of this imaginary column. when
this detachment has been gone an noun anu nan,
he hears, from the routed piekets Oh Inc tl'
the Federals are advancing along the western ROAD
COurternanding his FIST or6eI he now directs the
thousand men and the battery to cheek tne e, new
danger and hnrrles OFT the hoops 10 S Tier "
the mouth OF .lennys Creek 20 make stahu thcre.
Two haurs later the pickets on th~cenfIa route gre
driven in. and. finding Paintvllie abandoned, nee
precipitately 10 the fortified camp with the story
that the Union army is close at Their heeis anu
orenpyinc the town. Conceivng that he has tnAs
lost Paintville, Marshall hastily withdra~s the
detachment of 600 men to his fortified camp ana
Garfield moving rapidly over the ridges OF Tue cen
tral ronte. occupies the abandoned position.
So AFFAIRS stand on the evening OF the sth OF jan
uarv when a spy enters the camp OF MAIshaii'
with tIdings that CIanoT, with 3,1OO ~ Hen -
within twelve hours march az the westward. IN
receipt OF these tidings. the big boy he wei2hs
300 pounds by the Louisville hay scales cOnceiN,
ing himself Outnr mbered. breaks up bis camp, ana
retreats precipitately abandoning or buihlhg a
large portion OF his supplies. Seeing the mes Gar
field mounts his horse and, with thousand men.
enters the deserted camp ut III the evening WINE
the blazing stores are yet uneonS'lmed. he Sehus
of n detachment 10 harlhS the retreat anu va 10
the arrival OF Cranor. with whom he means TO fol-
low and bring MARSHALL 10 battle IN the morning
In the morning Cranor comes, but bis men are
hausted. They cannot move one leg aiter tie
other Bat the canal-boy is bound 70 have a hght
so every who has strength to march Is oraGreu
to come forward. Eleven hundred-among them
400 Of Cranors tired herOes-step nom the ranhs,
and with them at noon Of the 9th, Garfield SETS our
for PIestonburg sending all his available cavalry 10
follow the line of the encmys retreat ana hafiiss
and delay him. o,,1.
that night the mouth Of Abbotts Creek, thee
miles below PIestoubnrg,he and the LOO There
he hears that Marshall isencampeG on the same
stream three miles higher NJ: and throwing ms
men into biyOuac in the midst Of a sleety ram, ne
sends an order back to Lieutenant COOnel Sheldon.
who is left in command AT Paintylle, to bring up
every available man with al possipl" dlspatch Tor
he shall force the enemy TO battle III tue morning
lie spends the night ii learning the character OF
the surrounding country and The disposition ol
Marsbals fC,ccs; and now again Johh Jo'uah
comes into action. -,
A dozen Rebels are grinding mt q mill, and
dozen honest men upon them, steal their corn
ana make them prisoners. The miller ~ tan,
Caunt man. and his clothes it The scout as II they
were made for him. He Is DiSunlonlst, roo ana
his very raiment should bear witness against TINS
feeding OF his enemies II docs II soeS va" r.
the Rebel camp and-the scout goes IN ~ iH's
chameleon face OF his Is sneared with meal ana
looks the miller 50 well that the mllIers own VIC
Il 'ght not detect the difference The nght ~ dark
and rainy ana that lessons the dancer; but still he
il picking lis teeth in the very Jaws OF the non
if he can be called n hon, who does nothing but
tace " IN not permit me to detail this midnight
rarnbe: but it gave Garfield the exact position OF
the enemy. They had made stand, ana lald ah
amhuscaGe for him. strongly posted on q semi
cir nlar hill at the forks ~ Middle Creek on ooth
sides of the road. with cannon commanding IT'S
whole length and hidden by the trees, they were
waiting his coming.
The Union commander broke w his bivouac nj
4 in the morning. and began 20 move forward.
Reaching the valley Of Middle Greek, he eucoun-
tered some of the enemY's mounted men, ana cap
tured quantity of stores they were tr5 M To Win
draw from Prestonbnrg. ShiImlshlh9 went on
until about noon. when tile kepel plckets were
driven hack upon their main body, and then began
the battle II IS not my purpose 10 describe II Tor
that has already been ably done ia ;hlrty mes ny
T. was wonderful battle. IN the history OF
this war tnere is not another like 1t. Measured by
the forces engaged, the Valor displayed ana III" re-
suits which followed 10 throws INTO tt slade even
the achiey enents Of the mighty hosts whlch saved
the nation. Eleven hundred men. without cannon,
charge m a rocky hill. over stumps, over stones,
over fallen trees. over high inirenchments, ught
into the face of 1000, and twelve pieces Oh aiIA-
leIy' D-., III;
forces are driven back then, charging up me NIL
thev regain the lost ground, and rom behind rocks
and trees pour in their muTderous yOIleys' linen
again they driven back, ana again Ihey ohaTse
M the hill strcviug the ground with c"Ipses. 20
the bloody work goes ON 50 the battle WaVrrs III
the setting SUM- wheeling below t1t hins' RlillcVs
glou. tnc dense lines of Rebel steel moving Gown
IN euveloo the weary LOO II Is IN aWiuI mo-
rucuf big with the fate Of Ken ,ucky Az ITS very
crisis two figures stand ont against the tadlns SKY
boldly defined IN the foreground ,,
one is in Union blue. WITH NIUE pahu OF
heroes about him, he Is posted on q pr"JecUhl IOck,
which is SCARED with Dr. cts. ana IN iuit Hlt" oI
both armies His mead is uncovered, ms halr
streaming IN the wind. ms face upturned IN me
darkrning daylight and from MS soul IS going up u
nraver-a PRAYER for Sheldon amt CraGOr. lie
INNS his eyes 10 the nOrtlward, ana ms ~
tighfens as hc throws of his coat. ana say To MS
hundred men Boys, we must 90 ~ tneIu 30 .,,
THE other is 10 Rebel gray. Moving out 70 inc
brow Of the opposite hill ami placing gas l." ms
eye he, too, takes long looN To ti'e n0tth" tiu'
He starts. for be secs something "h'h me otiier'
on lover ground does not Distinguish. Soon he
wheels his horse. and the word retreat echoes
alone the valley between them. II IS his last
word for sis rifles crack ana the heDel hlaJor Hes
on the ground Guyetlng -.,. ,..i.. nj
Tie one in blue locks to the north again. ana
now floating proudly among the trees, NE oe's We
starry banner. II - sheldon ana Cfahor. Inc
long ride ot hc scout at last dong It's work Tor
tie nation on they come IKE the rlshIng "ihu
Gliinr the air with their shouting. The rescued
eleven hundred take no the strain ana then ABOVE
the swift pursuit above the lessenlng conflict ABOVE
the last boom OF the wheeling cannon. goes. up
thr wild huZZa of Victory. The gallant Garileld
has won the day. and rolled back the dlsas-
trous tide which has been sweeping on ever since
Rio Retbel In ten days Thomas rOutS LOulcoHcr
and then we have and hold kentucky:
Every one remembers q certain aIliSt, Who' aILef
pain+ing neighing stecd, wrolc underneath the
nicture This Is a horse. lest II should De mistaken
TOR m alligator | am tempted TO initiate ms eX-
ample lest the reader. otherwise, may hOI letecU
tbe rambling parallel have herein drawn between
Il Northern and a Ou'liern Door white man. , ,
President Lincoln. when lie heard OF the oa'ile OF
Middle Creek said 10 distinguished officer, who
haDDencd To he with hlm: >,
WHY lid Garfield in two weeks do what would
have taken one OF you regular folks two months
Becmnse he was not educated at West Point an
sN cred the West Pointer laughing.
No replied Mr. Lincoln. That wasn't the
reason. II was because, when he was boy he
had 10 work for living
But orr good President for once was wrongTtor
once he did not get at the core OF tue matter Jol
dan. as well as Garfield had, when boy 70 Work
for a living The twO men were, perhaps, OF ABOUT
enrgi natural ahilites both were born IN log nuts
both worked their own way 10 manhood. anu Dom
went into the wal consec1ating theiI very lives TO
their country but came out OF 1t with Trace
o. Stars ON his shoulder and hOnOred ~ all the
nation: the other never rose from the ranks, ana
went down TO an unknO~n grave. mournvd only
among his native mountains. Something more
than work WAS at the bottom OF THIS contrast IN
their lives and their destinles. 1t Free Schools,