The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1882-08-17

time, and the racket had sent all the
Federal wagons beyond Lavergne off on
gallop. 1t was cutting us both ways,
and | never heard so much cussing in all
my born days"
ANOTHER FLAG.
Then Wheeler sent another flag of
truce He had Innes boxed up, and had
only been fooling around little to give
him time to changehis mindp He would
now offer him one more chance to sur
render, and if he refused he must take
the bloody consequences.
''D-n the consequences and Wheel
er, too!' replied Innes; land if you send
in another white rag II shoot the man
who carries itr'
Then Wheeler bobbed up and down
in his saddle and swore by the great
horn spoon that he'd have Innes' sword
in less than half an hour. He could
take four successive Gckings as matter
of military courtesy, but when it came
to sass he wouldn't stand it. His
entire force was called in, his artillery
advanced still farther, and the men were
told that if this assault failed they must
retreat.
THE FIFTH.
From another Confederate who par
ticipated in the fight am indebted for
the following particulars:
1--WE meant business that last time,
for the men were all mad and the of
ficers had been giving us blazes for gig
ging back. Some one now spread the
report that there were only 200 instead
of 400 Federals behind the breast-work,
and we meant to walk over 'em in a
hurry. We made as pretty an advance
as you ever saw, though some of the
boys looked mighty solemn at the sight
of so many dead men in our way. The
artillery kept blazing away until we
We were ready, and then we rushed. I
was in the front line, and calculate we
were within a stones throw of the
breastwork before gun was fired
blim-blaze 1t was like
a vivid flash of lightning cracking
along the brush, and it was so bright
that | shut my eyes for two or three sec
onds.''
'.Were you hit?''
''No, but the men on either side were
killed stone dead. Indeed, l. believe 1
saw forty men fall under that fire. We
kept pushing on, firing at will, and fir
ing without seeing head to shoot at,
and as the smoke thickened we kept
stumbling over the bodies on the
ground. When I reached the breast
work | fired over it, and was reloading
when a bullet tore along this left leg
like red-hot iron, and keeled me over.
Now, then, if you want to know what
sort of fighters them Yanks was l can
foil 7 low oil 70 fha b,.ao n 0rl-
and heard 'em laughing and cheering as
if it was only a dog fight. heard one
officer can out, Keep down! Give it to
'em in their legsr The Yank who fired
over me dropped two men inside of two
minutes, and heard him say to the
chap beside him: Bill, there goes an
other Johnny to the bone-yard.' Two
bullets tore my sleeve without drawing
blood, and the first intimation / had
how the fight was going was hearing a
Federal officer yell out: Keep it up,
boys-Siuo 'om more h---ll. for they are
gigging back on the rightr' In throol
minutes after that our folks were on
the skip, and fifty of them tarned Michi-
ganders stood up and crowed like roost-
ers!''
DRAWING OFF.
That was the last assault, and it was
the worst licking Wheeler ever got dur
ing the whole war. He was ready and
steady tighter, and he had some of the
best fighting stock of the South in his
command, but less than 400 Federals
got away with him in square fight. If
Innes had the best position, Wheeler
had six men to one, and he had also
two pieces of artillery, well served
Once or twice the Confederates had just
such a fight against superior Federal
force and came out first best, but
four-years' war will not witness many
such instances. On that same pike, an
hour before this fight. ten of Wheeler's
men captured seventy Federals and
of Pegram's men captured seventeen
Federal cayalrymen and four ammuni-
ton wagons without man being kill
ed.
Lavergne was tally on the other
side, and long mark at that. Had
lnnes surrendered after the first assault
he would have been called brave man
who had to yield to an overpowering
force. Had he surrendered after -
second he would have hct. hero TIE
nero OF A.oona had twice che chances
that lnnes had, and poets have sung his
praise. Wheeler set out to gobble In
mes and get whipped, The Confederate
force Whisa assaulted Altoona had Or
ders simply to feel the strength of
the place, and in retreating were
only obeying orders. That defense
OF Lavergne was the most heroic fight
of the yyar EaIcrol IorJa
fused to sing it, Confederates who
fought there have been more liberal. =
III quad IN Detroit Free Press,