Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-02-11
From Private to Captain.

OuCO - WCOhS knot VIC dpAuAoA VIM oSR
of the heroic in his nature
was 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
hundred.
We were the rear guard. We had .
fought the enemy at Malvern Hill aud
checked him, but the army dared not
halt. Under the cover Of darkness tho
long trains and the battered and dis
heartened lines resumed the march to-
wards 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 ambulance, followed BY
men whose eyes closed in sleep even -
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 q
minute during that long night that the
guns were silent. Men fell dead in the
miro and were left to sink out of sight.
Men fell wounded in the bushes and
we're not given q second look. When
one file OF men had been shot away in
the rear guard another took its place,
and go the long and murderous night
wore away and the blessed daylight
came. Daylight was not to end the
pursuit or make wounds less horrible
or rob death OF its ghastliness. Yet it
was relief.
Just at sunrise We had respite. The
enemy was cloing up to push us with
determined onslaught. Our men we're
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 entire regiment withoat
an officer to command. We had m, .
q dozen stands since midnight, h. uo
one remembered to have seen an CHI or.
Men had halted, bout faced and dressed
lines like machines, and when the pur-
suit was checked we had toiled on
again.
We struck terrible slough extend
ing across the road. Five pieces out
of six in battery had been abandoned
there with everything belonging ex.
cept the horses. Scores OF men sur
rounded each gun aud caiason, and
lifted them opt of the mire and dragged
them along to clay hill beyond. On
the crest of this hill the FIVE guns were
planted aud 800 men deployed right
and loft in support. Fresh cartridges
were served out, i supply Of hard tack
came downihe line, and We we're rest
ing and editing and wondering what
general was in command, whom . pri-
vate soldier, face black with powder.
uniform covered with mud. and his left
arm in 4 sling and covered with blood.
q gun before us and said:
Boys We are going to stop right here
and give EN- hill They can't q NIX
US, and they cant ride over us % long
40 we have o shot left. Lets show LIN
tie Mack how we can fight without
straps to boss us?"
He was only private soldiers man
from the ranks whom no one would
suspect of having anything heroic in
his composition-yet i was under his
orders we had saved the battery
he had planted IL, he had deployed
us in snpport-he had picked up am
mu nition aud provisions to aerve 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 =
yell. the road packed with them, and
our battery opened. Men were never
cooler. Almost like clock work were
the gums served, and in ten minutes No
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 rush. When .they had reached
the slough 300 muskets blazed into
them, and the battery opened with
grape, and no man lived to cross it.
We were cheering and yelling when An
S0AopAA6 W SoAAAA -" ~A~s~
shouted:
"Where is the General in COM
mand Z"
"Here am" replied the privats as
he stepped out.
"You are directed to fall back be-
yond the Hickory road. whore We are
massing for battle" shouted the aide ~
he dashed away.
We could have held that position
against 20. 900 men, but our " General
obeyed orders. 1t was better road
now, and as I'VE .,retreated We dragged
the guns with us. We had not reached
the Hickory road when dozen officers
were with. us, coming from no one could
say where, but they could not rob our
brave private Of his glory. Before 70
had passed the battle line Gen. No
Clellan had taken him by the hand,
given him all due praise, and made him
q captain. We were not jealous. We
cheered him and wished that he had
been made Colonel Detroit Fres
Press.
A BARBER's WIr.-An eccentric bar
Der opened shop under the walls Of
the kings bench prison. Two windows
ho;no hrokou whau ha ankorod II h0