Morning journal and courier., 1884-05-27

your horses.'' Nearly three hundred men were instantly on their feet, the officers shouting, Saddle upI saddle upl" and the men calling to one another "Blll, have you seen my mRre?" Bring that bride back hare.1 GssWhera is my blanket ?" and all the other hubbub of hurried departure. But here and there could be seen the cool, old soldier, deliberately folding the blanket that answered for both saddle and sleeping purposes, smoothing out every wrinkle, so as
 not to hurt the horses back, placing 1t with great precision high up on the withers. set ting the old t"Texas treen carefully over it, and drawing delft knot in the belly-b band, such as only an old hand can make. He mounts with the ease and grace born of four years daily practice in the saddle, and gets
 into line long before his fussy messmate :, We were soon all in line, and the orders
 into line, D ''March," ," s'Trot," s'GalIop," and away we went at double quick to Orockett's Cove, four miles away. It was 8 hot ride, and just before reaching the cove we turned
 abruptly to the left through g pair of bars General Morgan stood in the road and shout ed. "CIoss up, men," as we galloped by him. It was evident we were making flank move ment on the enemy, and now could be heard
 those first sad sounds to the practical sol dier's ear-occasional shots from the distant
 administers. To my taste there is nothing so
 gioriousiy exhilarating ss the hurly burly of
 brisk fght-ths rapid orders the rattle of small arms, the boom of the big guns, the
 wild shout and rush of the charge. All sense of fear is lost, and nothing is thought of but winning glorious victory. But these first picket shots make you realize that
 there is death in the air, and you think of
 home, and perhaps of religion if you've got
 any. Fortunately for us, there was not much time for indulging in these gloomy
 thoughts. We were soon in Cline of fight"
 as we always called it, and Colonel Bowles rode out in front of us and at the top of his
 voice shouted '.Now, boys, if you want to give lem the belly ache shoot at their knees " We dismounted and rapidly moved forward, taking shelter behind rail fence. The fir- ing was rapid, but the distance, some five hundred yards, too great to do much execu- ton. Some one soon raised our old yell, Look out for Morgan's men," everybody went over the fence, and, to my surprise, the enemy's skirnaishing line began to fall back
 It now became @ running fight and kept so until about five o'clock in the afternoon, when our line brought up against stake and
 rider fence. The enemy was equally well
 posted on the brow of the opposite hill. The ground dipped between the two lines of bat-
 tie, and creek lined with alder bushes ran
 through the little valley about equi-distant
 between us. The enemy had made a field
 hospital" near and on our side of this creek,
 and as we lay behind the fence we could see
 number of dead horses, and some men with
 clean, white haversaoks upon them.
 These haversacks were small bags, and I
 became very much interested in them. We had not had a mouthfu1 of coffee for more
 than four months and turning to the soldier
 by my side, l remarked: stThonnpson, do
 you see these hsversacks down there ?" A smile crept over his face as he replied that he did
 ''I'n bet you they are filled with coffee," said I. ''You hear all these bullets going
 sE that fence that crosses the creek, we can slip out and lie down behind those horses, be safe and get some coffee"
 ''All right" he said, Eff you'll start, I'll follow"
 No quicker said than done. Over the fence went with Thompson after me. Just before we reached the creek ont from behind the dense elders marched obliquely regi- ment of the enemy. When half way up the hill and just before we reached the horses they gave us 8 volley- sat down with about six inches of bone shot out of my leg
 Fhompson's right arm was taken of the next day. Buck Smith was hit in the head and heel and was spinning around in the dust in 8 death struggle, while was rapidly crawl ing iuto fence corner. Several others were hurt at the same time, but never had an op- portunity to inquire who they were, and for the time being I was thunderstruck to know how they got there. That night four sol-
  They took me in 8 blanket to Farmer Crock ett's house, which was literally filled with wounded men.
 On the next morning General Morgan made I 8 nasty visit to this field hospital I was we'll with him, and when he came to ths bench that lay on he took me warmly l by the hand.
 ''Hardin," said he, 'that was magnificent ! charge you led yesterday"
 looked at him in blank amazement, bat l was too good soldier to deny the statement ! of my superior officer. In thinking over the | matter remember there was 8 rush of men | past me just after I was shot, and on inquiry | learned that when Thompson and I went Il over the ience the rest of the command fol- | lowed like flock of sheep and did not stop | until darkness made an end to the fight l | was afterwRrd told by a staff officer thai the | general had remarked that he intended mak- ing lieutenant my return to the com mand but, alas ! the war was over before | got of my crutches, and the general and many of my old messmstes sleep in soldiers graves while, among the myriad surviving ! generals, colenels, majors, captains and lieu tenants of the Confederaey, I feel lonely, as | about the only soldier on that side who bore 3 gun. ...t