Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1880-11-20
From Private to Captain.

once a week, that the soldier who had
anything of the heroic in his nature as
offered chance to develop it Men
stepped from the ranks into shoulder
straps at one stride, and the case to
be related was only one in a hundred.
We were the rear guard. Wehad fought
the enemy OF Malvern Hill and checked
him, but the army dared not ha t. I'm
der the cover of darkness the long trains
and the batterd and disheartened lines
resumed the march toward White
House Landing and the cover of the
gunboats. Dead and wounded were
left on the field, and over the swamp
roads deep with mire and mud plunged
wagon and gun and caisson and am
bulance, followed By men whose eyes
closed in sleep even as they walked.
The rear guard had work on hand.
Close on our heels came fresh troops
who had orders to ride us down-cut
us to pieces-trample US in the mire-
get rid of US that they might reach the
army beyond. They followed us on the
road, and they followed us on both
sides of it in the woods. There was
hardly a minute 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 a second
look. When one file of Zen had been
shot away in the rear guard another
took its place, and so the long and muir.
derous night wore away and the blessed
daylight, came. Daylight was not to
end the pursuit or make wounds less
horrible rob death Of its ghastlincss.
Yet it was relief.
Just at sunrise we had a respite
The enemy was closing up to push us
with a determined onslaught, Our
men were marching at will, detected,
respondent, sullen and ferocious. |
could not see an officer anywhere up
the road. could look over 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 claim
ed all. Here was an entire regiment
without on officer to command. We
had made dozen stands since midnight
but no one remembered to have seen
an officer. Men had had halted bout
faced and dressed lines like machines
and when the pursuit was checked we
had toiled on again.
We struck terrible slough extending
across the road. Five pieces out 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 alone to a
clay hill beyond. On the crest of this
hill the ) guns were planted. and 8UO
men deployed right and left in support
Fresh cartridges were served out, a
supply Of hard tack came down the
line and we were resting and eating,
and wondering what general was IN
when private soldier, face
black with powder, uniform covered
with mud and his left arm in a sling.
and covered I. 18th blood mounted gun
before us and said:
Boys We are going to stop right here
and given h-ll! they can't flank us
and they can't ride over us as long as
we have shot left. Lets show little
Mack how we can fight without
shoulder straps to boss u.s.
He was only a private soldier--a man
from the ranks whom no one would
suspect Of having anything heroic in
his compositiOn-yet it was under his
orders We had saved the battery he
had planted it and he had d pioyed us
in support-he had picked up amuni-
ton and provisions to serve us.
We had rested for twenty minutes |
when the head of the pursuing column
appeared. We h. the KEY of the road |
tor three miles. They came on with
yell, the road packed With them, and ,
DUR 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 b. ought
ap two batteries, and for half IN hour
I've guns fought twelve. Whvn our
r.. slackened ,by order Of that same
private soldier, the enemy ca ne o.. with /
,sh. When they had reached the
slough 500 muskets blazed into them.