St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1888-09-15

the ranks had fallen. Finally they retreated,
when ordered to do so, with their faces to the
enemy. and they fought for the roadway Lack
to the heights
FIGHTING IN RETREAT.
When the retreat was determined upon,
Capt. Halls Second Maine battery was in
structed to hold a knoll on Seminary Ridge
fifteen minutes. lie had to face infantry
and artillery fire to do so, and so impetuous
were the enemy that they came on with bare
bayonets. But yet Hail did not yield. With
grape and canister he rakel their lines uD-
til the dead bodies OF the fallen became ram
parts behind which the living found shelter.
Finally, there was not time to load: the Con-
feGerates came On with dubbed muSl1ets and
the Maine men beat them bacl, wish stones
and gun hammers, even with their fists.
Four out of the six guns We're saved and
dragged off from the very clutches of the
enemy back to Cemetery Hill. At this mo-
,nent scenes equally stirring were being
enacted Oh the right Of the Lite along the
Carlisle road north of the town. There s.
new danger was to be met when EWells
corps, coming in from toward York
and Harrisburg, struck the flank Of the line
on the western ridges. Barlow's and Schinl-
melpfennis's divisions of Towards Eleventh
corps had moved out across n wide plain, i'll
full view of the hills held by the enemy, and
glance told the weak points i'll the position
before the men could form for battle. The
Confederate brigades Of Eo..e Hays and
Gordon, crossing Rock creek, were taking
Towards right division, under Gen Francis
c. Barlow, in the flank. Barlow fell at the
Mt md n r,,,iSp 70
Barlow's extreme right was planted Battery
G., Fourth Regular artillery, under q young
lieutenant-Bayard N-ilkeson, {; boy of ~.
Wilkeson had left school in Europe to come
and serve his country, and he enlisted as Il
private, but won q commission at FredericE.S-
burg q few months before this cam
paign Tho knoll where WillloSoD stood was
the only height sweeping the plain, and tie
banks of Rock creek sSirtin,5 il, and the
enemy must pass him in order to Get in rear
of the First corps, which was just now
making the last desperate stand Oh Seminary
Ridge rs described above. Oak Ridge was
now covered with Confederate cannon and
Oak Hill was occupied by 4 heavy battery.
Gen. Lee had como up from Chanbcrsburss,
and from the seminary cupola he could see the
situation at glance. The knoll Gil Rock
creek must he gained and lie ordered the
batteries Of Oak Ridge, 10 less than thirty
six guns, turned upon Towards line ana par
ticularly upon the battery at the knoll.
Wilkeson, to inspire his men, kept in the
saddle and soon had a leg severed by u shell.
Twisting a tourniquet by means of his belt,
he stopped the dow of blood, and with his
own hand and common knife he completed
the smputatioa of the leg. Water was
brought to him to drink, but one of the men
at the guns ran to the spot and begged for a
swallow, and Will;eson handed him the can
teen, saying: II can wait!' Il his terrible
situation he tio'1Sht more of having his guns
served than OF saving himself. Finally, the
knoll had to be yielded ard " ilaesol cGawlcd
back q mile to tho aEslshouse, and there,
alone, lie died during the night, as brave q
victim as the annals of our wars put upon
record.
Retreat along the whole Union limo now