St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1888-09-15
u along the whole Union limo now

became Tia ogdar OF the day. Gen. Howard
ordered the cavalry leader, BufoTd to nd
vance out On the plain and hold on to the last
to cover the retreat. Rising III his stirrups,
with the usual army oath. Duford c-ied
"What Is there to hang Oh to2n The troops
were rushing back to the town, followed by
the enemy on two sides The cavalry rode
out into the throag, the line 1urgel past them
and they faced the men il gray, who formed
squares to receive them, according to the
manual Such scene was novel one, EXCEPT
on paper, but the squares won the cay Bull
let's shells and solid shot broke the force Of
handful of horsemen before they coull reach
their enemy, and nothing could save the field
so bravely contested What scenes followed!
BATTLEFIELD EXPERIENCES.
Soldiers who had been hit at the front were
again made targets for relentless balls Some
few took refuge in the houses and others hid
outside, Gen. Schimmelpfennig himself
escaped capture By hiding il wood pile,
and joined his division after threa days Of
battle. Among the sad stories Of this terrible
hour is that of Sergt. IumH,:stoa, of the
One Hundred and Filty-fourth New York
regiment, Costers brigade, Of the Eleventh
corps. This brigade was detached from
Steinwehrs division that remained on tho
heights to hold them while the battle raced
beyond, and when the front line began TO re-
treat Coster was sent into the town to cover
the movement He had to fight for right Of
way, and one victim of the maleo in tho
streets was Hunliniston. lie was found dead,
clasping the picture Of three children There
was no mark Of identity On lis person, b,.t
the picture was photographed, and thousands
of copies were circulated in TIC army and
the children were traced by then, to their
homo in Cattaraugua county, II. Y. Such is
the price of q nations glory--deatl claiming
tho noblest of her sons, and households filled
with lamentations
As might be supposed, there were ether
sides to the picture, for war, vita all it's ter
rors, is not wholly tragic.
When order and confidence were fully re-
stored on the heights of Cemetery Ridge,
where the discounted soldiers of Reynolds
and Howard found themselves at nightfalI,
there was another army anxious, not to say
desperate, on this same question Of rations.
1t had been an all day march and glt, and
not a man had tasted warm meal. Fires
were kindied and the kettles were soon send
ing out sayory odors. On tho northwestern
slope of Cemetery Hid party of First corps
officers stood chatting near tho fire where
their mess cook was hustling round to set
out their supper. Tho stew was ready, the
pack horse stood patiently while tho cook
drew out tho service and spread it Oh the
ground A Confederate shell from the ridge
near the seminary came searching a target
along the line of the Baltimore pike, and
taking short cut landed under the soup
kettle, hosting that ale,,, all its contents III
the air dnd blowinsthe YEask horse and his
luggage into litter that - taxed the cook
Es hobs to separate ap,i;, eheptify,
TEsSI&t 81 CemeteIrorlffill commanded
view 5l the entire a, and thu sights as
they pr9rz4a1 thenie elves at nisatfall are
told by isis ofts-+his,a the field. He says:
"Thc scene iafstR the crest of this hill on that
eventful eve ID the sun went down i'll his
summer splentpr will meyer he forgotten.