Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1888-10-18
LDlERS DEPARTMENT.
HoARD's LITTLE GIRL"
She Was Fine Thoroughbred and Footed
the Greatest Race of the war.


of the brightest story tellers in the
West Before a recent farmers insti-
tute, held in this city, he gave a vivid
description Of ride for life during the
battle Of Cedar Creek, in the Shenan-
doah valley.
1T was five o'clock in the morning, F"
he began, THAT Early's forces suddenly
swept down upon the Eighth Corps, de-
moralizing it. The right of the Union
army and the center maintained their
integrity, but the left was badly
broken.
'Some l-onths before. |, who was a
member Of the Eighth Corps, had the
good fol,1--e to capture thoroughbred
Virginia marea mare which bore
within her veins right royalty the bluest
blood of both continents. She was
thoroughbred racing mare, high tenn
| pered, vicious, full of energy, power
and speed. The Captain found her so
ugly he could do nothing with her, and
he said: Hoard, you can have her, if
you can take care Of her. And | went
at it under the Rarey system, and fin
ally established an understanding be-
tween the little girl and myself. /
used to call her Little Girl The day
OF the battle came. ] was ordered TO
remove the second section of the bat
terry. | thought knew my ground;
thought il was easy for me to jump
fence and take a short cut and do my
duty. But | got lost; the confusion was
whore | was. and finally jumped
fence into dirt road about one hundred
rods from the pike, when was saluted
with the remark: Surrender be-
thought me as did young Lochinvar.
They viii have feet steeds who follow
And l thought to myself, .Astrde Of
two thousand years of straight specific
breeding and surrender? Never.
Il lay down upon the neck of that
little mare and | says: Susan, get out
of here Immediately. Susan respond
ed. The Lieutenant who commanded
the squad was nearly as well mounted
as myself Down that pike we went
laundering, the thirteen men shooting
at me with carbines, and every moment
| expected a bullet TO go blowing up
my back, or my mare to be killed, but
the strange Providence that attends the
soldier, whereby it takes $50 rounds
TO kin one n them, attended me. After
me they rushed, yeiiing; Surrender,
darn you, surrender, And ! says, 'Su-
san, get out of here Oh, / thought
to myself then: Thank God that
somebody had sense enough not to
make hash of breeding, somebody has
been wise for Hoards sake Down
that pike we went. they shooting and |
running. Finally | became so excited !
in seeing that wonderful stride, that
tremendous fire. that wonderful reach
ing for the ground in front, that ire
meudous hurting away of it in the rear, |
shat condensation Of the heredity of two |
thousand years laid'into that little body, |
| became so inspired with it that | |
reached back and motioned the Lieuten-
ant 70 come on. He responded with a |
shot from his revolver Zip went the
bullets past my ear, but | paid no at
tention to them, so intent was ] in
watching the little mare do her duty.
BY and by began to see the gap widen
between US, and then came this wonder !
full quality called endurance. Suppose
her line Of heredity had failed in one
particular? She would have laid down
by the road and Hoard would have gone |
to Libby prison, If his life had been
spared.
Zone o'clock came, and with it
Sheridan from Winchester, twenty
miles away. Who knows to-day how
much the Union cause is indebted TO
the men who bred the thoroughbred
horse upon which he made the distance
in time to save his defeated troops.
He reorganized his forces, turned this
great current of men who were flowing
down the pike like a stream, turned
them back, and yelled to them, About
face. boys: wen sock it to 'emp'
Sheridan stopped that mad tide of fear
and changed it into a consummate,
grand strength and resolve, and in two
short hours had this tremendous army
again with its face to the foe
"Then came the matchless power of
the men and the grand result. In a
few hours we had Early flying into the
swamp and ten thousand prisoners.
This result was obtainable by reason of
that mans getting there on time be-
cause he had horse that could bring
him.
"A few days afterward l was placed
in charge, along with others, of the
prisoners. Among them was a Con-
federate Lieutenant belonging to the
Twenty fourth cavalry. | found him a
very congenial, pleasant man. / liked
him, and / did what could to relieve
his captivity, and we got to talking
over the events of the battle, and final
" he said, BY the way, had the con-