The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1881-06-16

Roman Catholic Church to-day solemn
mass was said for the repose Of the souls
OF those belonging to that church who
were lost in the disaster.
The Brave Three Humid red.
Few Americans everdreamel thatamOng
the dark and gloomy pines Of Chancellor
Vile was enacted a tragedy worthier to live
In epic verse than the famous charge Of the
Light Brigade at Balalllaya. Only once in
all the histories Of the war have seen it
mentioned, and Tonight my thoughts
unsung heroes till my soul cries out in
protestagainst favoritisms Of historic fame,
and for these humble heroes must crave
the meagcr justice Of lpassing mention in
the ears Of their countrymen.
1t was the night StoneWall Jackson re-
ceiYed his deatA wound. He had COM
pletely surprised Howartl's Eleventh corps
and was driving them in the widest con-
fusion along toward the centre Of our line.
III the fghl they passed through 4 woods,
just beyond which, III a clearing, lay four
Of Sickle's batteries, and u flying artillery
battery and the Eighth Pennsylvania cav
airy Of General Pleasanton's, The bat
teriesS were not in position but were pack
ed, )" awaiting orders. Through their lines
rushed the panc-strickcn fugitiyes, hotly
pursued by Jackson's immense corps of
over twenty thousand men. Infantry, ar
tillery. amb,liances, pack mules, negroes
and stragglers, the worst scared meil |
ever looked upon, came tearing past like
rnad Batteries hal no commanders, hut
each captain excitedly acted for himself.
"Buttery-left wheel. Fire to the rear.
In battery: Caissons pass your pieces, trot,
march.' and frightened bugler caught
only the word .strot, and sounded it and
sounded it and no more. Itrang out clear
above the worse than Babels; many took it
for a general stampede signal, aud across
the field, and down a hill, and over q stone
wall near its foot, in that famous ravine,
dashed several caissons and a few guns.
.sFix prolong: to fire retiring.' "With
canister-loads -
On came the fugitiyes; nearer and near
er through the sounding woods came that
Confederate yell and the rush Of Stonewall
Jaekson's victorious legions. Sickles was
almost a mile away, pushing through the
woods with his splendid corps. Not a Fed
eral musket was in sight except what the
Eleventh corps bore to the rear us rapidly
as legs would carry them. We must make
our fight against those tremendous odds
aone-five batteries of lis and three hum
dred cayary-not over six hundred men
I'LL told.
OnsWept twenty thousand Confederates,
and we were not yet ready to fight. Ou1
line was confusion worse cOnfounded
guns stood pointing whithersoever: the
excited cannoneers listened, and at the first
fire one-half Of us would blow the Other
into eternity, and StoneWall would have
Hooker's Headquarters and double up the
whole army-a cheering prospect that
The sun had set behind the woods, ant
through them, vet faster in the thicl1enine
gloom, rushed Jackson's troops.
| Suddenly out IN front Of our guns rode
the familiar form of General PIeasanton
Above the Tin arose his shril1 voice =
| "Align those pieces! = It was a work O
many minutes, and sfoneWall was nov
Just upon lis. Time! oh, fol. ten minutes
time! How to get it! There sat lIaiol
Keenan,, with his three hundred horsemen
Here was a sacrifice, which, if every MAJ
was "A patriot like Arnold Winkelried
| would give as those precious minutes
General Pleasanton said quickly to Keen
an, s'Major, you must charge into thost
woods with your men and hold the enemy
i'll check until I get those guns into posi-
tion. You must do it=at all cost Keenal
1says.: "Itis just the same as saying 'yot
must be killed. butWitE q smile he said
| General, I will do it. :,
On, what q sIgnG was fnaI. " ould g
God some American Tennyson might Sc
/ that. ight and lift those humble names III
to Immortality! Three hundred trooper
!. with deep set spurs and flashing sabre
|rnslled at the threats OF twenty thousan
armed men. Nobody had bItlndered, bu
somebody must die for the army-that wa
al.
50 mad . blow did they strike il Jack
sons very teeth that he stopped bis on
ward rush to reform his lines. sarely thel
j must Be more coming no single regimen
ItouId be charging his army single handle
! sI-alld when no other bold riders cam
i their il was that brave keenan,. died At II
head of bis regiment, and the whole pli