News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1883-10-25

Contelerates had been driven through
Huntcrstown and beyond, and we've III
force on the highways leading to Gettvs-
burg. Clusters sEirmishers had been
held at bay by what seemed no greater
force than two or three companies OF III
fauTy. Company \ of the Sixth MicLi-
gan WIS ordered 10 form and charge up
the road, and other companies were dis
mounted and stationed in the fields to
repuisc couutcr-charge if made. All
the companies In the First, Fifth, Sixth,
and Seventh Michigan Cavalry Regi
mentS, then under Custer, were greatly
reduced IL strength.
CUSTER LEADS.
When Company \ had been formed.
Custer rode up and took his place with
the captain at the front. The Brigadier
was about to lead 4 single company in
the charge. There was a yell If delight
from the company, cheers from the en-
tire command, and away went the little
band at "a furious gallop. Custer holding
the reins IN his left hand and carrying
his naked saber III his right, and charg-
ing straight down the middle of the
road.
What was supposed to he Il force of
perhaps 20O men turned ont to be in
fautry and cavalry to the number of 600
or more. They filled the road for a
quarter of a mile in an almost solid
mass, aud they were prepared for the
charge. Company A rode straight at
the mass, entered it like a wedge driven
into sand, and in another moment
600 men were shooting and slashing ut
sixty. Custer pressed on and was
closely followed until he found two lines
Of dIsmouIted men drawn across the
road. Then the bUgle sounded the re-
call. Company \ did not return alone.
1t had the presence of ut least 800 cav
airy, and every inch Of the way WAS Il
running fight and a desperate one. Men
slashed and cut and shot and yelled, and
those waiting down the road toward
Hnterstown saw a mob bearing down
upon them. Sabres flashed, streams of
fire darted through the smoke, and
horses fell and Distracted the way
When the mob reached the troops sta
toned in the fields Company A shook
itself out of the melee and a fire was
opened which drove the Confederates
back
The Federal loss in killed and
wounded WAS about thirty men-one-
half the command. The Confederate
loss was more than double Some of the
wounded on either side were slashed
twice and three times with sabres, and
there was not a man in Company A who
could not show Il close call from Il bull
let. 1t was in this charge that young
Churchill, of the First Michigan, de
tailed himself from his command and
charged with the company. Custer had
his horse shot under him. and in the
confusion Confederate levelcd a car
biue within SIX feet OF his head and was
on the point OF firing when the Young
man shot HIM dead. The captain was
wounded and his horse received three
bullets, but both got back to the Federal
lines. Probably there never was an
tohcr Instance IN modern warfare OF a
Brigadier-Geueral leading a single com
paIy into action, and the incident serves
to show the makeup of the men. He
shared in the personal danger of his
command, and his men came to believe
that ne bore az charmed life.
FABSswoRTu's REPULsE.
On the 81 Of July, during the terrible
fighting at Gettysburg, Fitzpatrick was
spying around TO locate Lees ammuni-
ton train. When he found it he also
discovered that IL WAS protected by a
heavy force of cavalry, aud hardly had
skirmisIug begun when a brigade or
more of infantry was sent down to
strengthen the cavalry. The Coufed-
crate position was terribly strong. Along
the front was "a "Ouaker' fence-a stone
wall three feet high with strong rail
fence about the same height, running
along tine top. Forty rods in the rear
Of this WAS second. The occupied
ground being farm, and all the fields
divided off, the Couf-lcratas had both
TANKS covered by other walls. and a
look over the ground was enough to
convince ono that any ordinary attack
would meet with repUlse. But Xii
patrick was playing for Il big stake.
Nothing would cripple Lee So much as
the loss Of his ammunition train.
The troops detailed to charge the
walls IN front were composed of the
First Vermont, First Virginia, part of
the Eighteenth Pennsylvania and few
sGUadroHs Of Wisconsin cavalry. Gen
F.un-wnrth I,ut himself at the head of
the PcUm,ylyauiIuS, vino were instructed
to dIsmOmt mt the wall and tear the
fence down, and away the entire body
went. Up to the moment the fence was
down the COnful.ratcs stood firm. and
killed man after man with their muskcts
resting on the wall. When the cavalry
began to leap into the field the gray
lines fell back or broke mp into squads,
and the fight continued.
In charging ut the second wall the
Fclcrals received fire from IN front as
well as ON both TANKS, and for five min
Utes ranks were rOkcu and veteran
troopers were cor used and bewildcrcd
Then all Of q sIddcn blast Of the
bugIc restored order and sent the whole
body at and over the fence. Here men
were hacked with sabres and proddcd
with bayonets and the fight meant kill.
FanIswOrth lost his horse, but net his
cool spirit. A mile and q half away he
could see the white covers Of the train he
was after. 70 retreat was to run the
gauntlet Of that terrible crOss-firp. To
advance was to meet the Confederate
army, but the bUgles blew forward -
Squadron and company and regiment
pushed for the train. 4 fire of mus
kerry followed. and mUskctry and artil-
lerv opened from right and left and
ahead. The rush from the second fence
to the train was one Of the most dcsper-
ate things ever attempted 10y cavalry.
It was too desperate to be successful
The concentrated fire broke up all for
nations, and the command separated
into small bodies, each ono to look out
for itself. Some Of these squads pushed
through the train and beyond the rear
of Lees army. while others bore to the
right or left and circI.d back Farms
worth WIS killrj-his body fairly nd
died, and the loss in men and horses,
numerical strength, was APP
palling. The first Vermont lost about
one man out OF five, aud ont of the
whole command not more than twenty
horses came out without n wound
Ill