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

over road t. the Baltimore pike, and cut Oft
II" retreat thaa was expected 10 follow Pick
cts assault. The commands were led hy.
tfcn. titz. Lee and Wade Hampton. and
Coils Ch2mbliSs and Ferguson. Tuucct them
Gregg had the brgaties OF Custer, Irwin
GIrSg and Mcintosh. After sJlu. shirniSil.
H1E a Stubborn battle was begun by the deg
poI,2tc advance of GGcEe, to carry ridg~s
crowned with s1llar;s batteries. All tho
scattered trooNors are soon drawn jr. Tha
field III front OF the batteries-Cn R.lElnlc},
farm - is perfectly free Tor hotvrnlen.
Fences have beei 2AemoveI. tie surface
IS smooth, and horses may gallon ct will
The first 1Jultcd charge y;as laaGc lv ne
First Nirsinin, and Custer led the Snvo.,l,
Michigan against thea, crossing tie whole
cleared field to a fence lett standing, and
meeting tA"1n at sahers length. This va,
principally ca"bino fiat, and the Mivhigan
boys were soon i!1nGed end thrown back
But the work WIS becoming exciting and
Doth SiIcS stood ready to dash in ut til" most
Advantageous point. Capt. William T.
4ilIer, nt the Third PENNSYLVANIA cavalry.
-iclntosn'S Brigade describes what now took
place. About hall a mile from the fence
where the FIRST Virginia stood there a3-
peared moving toward Us a large mass Of
cavalry, which proved to be portions Of Fit
Lees and Hampcoa's brisadcs. They were
formed IN close column Of stuat,ro,s and Iii
rected their course toward the SDauo-
Ter iloaise ION the Union right ra1N
4 graNlier spectacle than their edya,ro
ha8 rarely been beheld. They marched
with well aligned fronts and steady
retlS Inc polished saber blades glittered in
the PIERCING rays Of tho bright summers sun.
Erect Ii their saddles, determined in pur-
pGS2, onward the Colfe(icratcs come An
eyes are tulned upon them, and it seems like
folly to resist. Cnd2unted, however, orr
troops rose to the situation. Tho batteries e
Chester on tho right, Kinney in the center
and Pennington on the left ONION nr1s,
opened with well directed aim. Shell and
slTapn"l ,nc5 the advancing Confcdcrates
ant tore through their ranks CLOSING IN
the gaps on they marched, aud as they drew
nearer, canister was substituted by orr
ar.l!ery1ne,l for shell, and horse after hors,
staggered ard fell. Still they come Oh. Oar
mounted skirnishers rallied and fell into
line; the dsmountej men fell back. and n
few Of them reached their horses. Tho
First Michigan, drawn up in close
columns of squadrons near Pcnninr-
tons battery, was ordered by Gregg 10
charge. Custer, who was near, placed him
tcf az its head and OF they dashed. As tina
two columns approached each other tho
pace; We're quichened, when suddenly crash
bGto'.encd the crisis. So sudden and violent
was the collision that horses turned end over
cad and crushed their riders beneath tnem
The clsGhin3 OF sabels, tie firing of pistols,
tho demands for surrender and the cries Of
wounded c0mbatants now filled the air.
FIGHTING HAN FOR MAN. +
This was TIC supreme moment, and MrIn-
tosh gathered up some fragments and eitl,
them, ard his headquarter guard and staff.
charged in beside Clusters men Sim
ul.aleously two h2ttalio1s Of the Third
Pennsylvania and one of tho FIRST New
Jersey wero hurled down the lanks
o. the CoHfedcrates, and I'll fell upon their
nearest opponents single handed, and grad
ually tao assailants were forced back to
their Old position, the ridge behind Rum,
me f2r..l house.
Tho SHOCK OF this battle was such that every
participant, and al within sourd. were
startled b. tho strange and terrific clamo-.
The owIieT Of the farm. Ruplfncl. was in his
house, ana with Gl army and it's horses and
CANNON invading his yard and garden, was
fully prepared for startling experiences, but
When the charging columns met he was so
astonshed that lie rushed out to see what
new thing under the SUN had happened !
An incident Of the severe fighting is given
in Capt. eLiller's narrative. In tho midst of
the engagement, and Immediately in front of
RumDlel's house, Z. &. Eyster, of Company II,
Third Pennsylvania, captured dismountcd
Confederate and covered him with his
carhine. LISTERS attention becoming drawn
OF by the firing around hi2a, the Confederate
drew his revolver and SHOT Fl ster horse, and
now he he'd Eyster prisoner. Then Secst.
Greso, Of Company A, came up and with
his saber cut the Confederate TO the ground
Before Gregg could turn around another
Confederate came up and with fierce right