The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1880-12-18

ute during that long night that the guns
were silent. Men fell dead in the mire
and were left to sink out of sight. Men
fell wounded in the bushes and were
not given q second look. When one file
of men had been shot away in the rear
guard another took its place, and SO the
long and murderous night wore away
and the blessed daylight came. Day
light was not to end the pursuit or
make wounds less horrible or rob death
Of its ghastliness. Yet it was q relief.
just at sunrise We had respite. The
enemy was closing up to push us with a
determined onslaught. Our men were
marching at will, detected, Respondent,
sullen and ferocious. I could not see an
officer anywhere up the road. I could
look over q thousand men, but not so
much as the bar of Second Lieutenant
was among them. Where had all the
officers gone to? Some were dead in the
road and bushes miles away, but death
had not claimed all. Here was an en-
tire regiment without an officer to com.
mand. We had made q dozen stands
since midnight, but no one remembered
to have seen an officer. Men had halted,
'bout-faced and dressed lines like ma
chimes, and when the pursuit was
checked we had toiled on again.
We struck q terrible slough extending
across the road. Five pieces Of six in
battery had been abandoned there with
everything belonging except the horses.
Scores Of men surrounded each gun and
caisson, and lifted them out of the mire
and dragged them along to . clay hill
beyond. On the crest Of this hill the
five guns were planted, and 800 men de-
ployed right and left in support. Fresh
cartridges were served out, supply of
hard tack came down the line, and we
were resting and eating and wondering
what General was In command, when
private soldier, face black with powder,
uniform covered with mud, and his left
arm in q sling and covered with blood,
mounted q gun before Us and said:
"Boys, We are going to stop right here
and give 'em blazes! They can't flank
US, and they can't ride over US as long
as we have q shot left. Let's show Little
Mack how We can fight without should.
er-straps to boss u.s."
He was only private soldier-a man
from the ranks whom no one would sus-
pect OF having anything heroic in his
composition-yet it was under his or.
ders we had saved the battery-he had
deployed US in support-he had picked
up ammunition and provisions to serve
US.
We had rested for twenty minutes
when the head Of the pursuing column
appeared. We had the key Of the road
for three miles. They came on with a
yell, the road packed with them, and
our battery opened. Men were never
cooler. Almost like clock-work were
the guns served, and in ten minutes We
had cleared the road. Then they
brought up two batteries, and for half
an hour FIVE guns fought twelve. When
our fire slackened by order Of that same
private soldier, the enemy came on with
q rush. When they had reached the
slough 800 muskets blazed into them,
and the battery opened with grape, and
no man lived to cross it. We were
cheering and yelling when an aide came
galloping up behind us and shouted:
"Nhere Is the General in commando"
"Here ! am" replied the private rs
he stepped out.
"You are directed to fall back beyond
the Hickory road, where we are msssing
for BATTLE" shouted the aide a. be dashed
away.
We could have held that position
against x, 900 men, but our ''General"
obeyed orders. It was q better road
now, and ~ We retrested We dragged
the guns with rs, coming from no one
could say whore, but they could not roo
our brave private Of bis glory. Before
We had passed the battle line Gen.
McC lellan had taken him by the hand,
given him all due praise, and made him
: Captain. We were not jealous. We
cheered him and wished that he had
been made Colonel. --Detro0 Free
Press.