Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-08-27

tha Smith was fully answaraS t ~ ~
,ns n:Io~ling, shrieking, kissing. scrae ~
dnss mat angrily filled the mr. 4 hnn
e ea cannon on each side were IRVINE N tha;
1 Wa we were between the two t sre,f
we embraced mother earth closalv 90 e %.
noaau, ana wished we were as thin ~ q" so, W.
shot r We knew of. We lodged eye ,v
, nno' .nat passed US. Caissons were blowg
sy p, at.iiiery horses, guns, and men wars
t reess .h hmay. The very earth was torn m.
se Son. .aiown down. Death and destructian,
H. YbIn .eu.:. everywhere triumphant. Durino
- NC .eiil1.e storm General Stannard came
c b us, Regardless of danger he spoke
mo.aa;a words, telling us we were raw
-. .a..el IN months men--but to be firm.
Se naa done what veterans had failed to-
awful in its destruction. death ond s,.;.
noon after Longstreets corns came ~ ne
the woods, formed in three lines Aoro =.
the fields they carhe, brave AZ the hror oss
.nat ever breathed. They we'll knew thew az,
mad cool, determined men to meet and thot
death first, even with passable yictorv ,'
awaited them. They came steadily m
WIN colors flying, with the sten.
precision, and order of dress parade
OF march in review. We poured into
tnem pelting fire of musketry. The ar.
1llerS cut large gaps in their ranks: com.
Panles We're swept away. "Take aim. bows,
TAKE 5aI a,m!" says the clear voice of Stannard
we did take aim, as at q squirrel. in
our mountain home. Each CONSTITUTED
himself sharp shooter, aud felt that unon
MIN individually rested the fate and re.
sponslbility of victory and the safety of the
nation; yes, we took aim. Shot and she'll
fell fast and furious. One had only to
raise his hand to catch handful of bullets.
or be minus hand. That human line of
gray dissolved in death, and yetself-renew-
ing that brave column came steadily on, clos
ing up as it came. They reached the stone
wall to our right. Then STANDARD spranp
forward and said: Boys, they are forcing
the night. Drive the devils back! RAN
dali changed front. Forward!" Bv this
move he got flank fire on them and fol-
lowed it with charge that broke their
ranks and spirit. They fled back in dis
may and disorder from death, leaving be-
hind their dead and prisoners, including
Colonies, dozen Captains and L:euten
ants.
Scarcely had this been accomplished
when STANDARDS orders were. ahurry nm
boys, change front! forwards" We did
this in the double quick" under pour
ing cannonade and musketry like naught
but the terrific fury of hell. Slannard en-
couraged us with words and person,
directed us to an elevation that Kemper and
Wilcox We're striving to get and flank us.
hemper. seeing We were in possession,
paused and hesitated.. Wilcox pressed
forward aud to the left, leaving space be-
tween him and kemper. Stannard saw it
and drove us like thin wedge into the
gap, and there between the forces we
fought them both at once. Then came his
cool, clear command as if appealing to each
ones private ear: Boys, do your duty!"
North and South stood face to face, not
fifty yards apart, gazing ut each other
over their guns, taking in each others meas
ure; faces were pallid, eyes blazing with
light and the fury of battle; jaws tightly
set; determination was what each saw in
the other. We could hear the tearing of
the paper from the powder end of the car
fridge. There was flash of tre-light, a
crash of musketry, a clash of steel, fol-
lowed by shrieks, yells, groans. The smoke
cleared away. The gray were swarming
into the lines Of blue --prisoners-Ver-
monters had done their duty. They had
"taken aim;" the South fred wild. Stan
nard, badly wounded, would not leave the
field till Wilcox, like Kemper, had been
swept away, and the day was ours, with
four times as many prisoners as we had
men, and four hundred and six Vermonters
killed and wounded.
The glorious Stannard and his former
boys of Vermont had that day by deeds Of
brain and bravery won laurels that will not,
let us hope, fade in the nations memory;
but as years come and go, true realiza-
ton and estimate of what they then
achieved will keep the laurels green and
fresh forever. A just praise, bounteously
given George j. Stannard and his nine
months Vermont Brigade, turned the des-
perate chances of nearly defeated army
into a grand, yea, glorious victory turned
the current of the nation into a future
glorious existence of honorable prosperity.
" A. PHIL. ComnanY H