The Irish standard., 1888-10-13
division, and captured four thousand pris-

division, and captured four thousand pris-
oners and two Generals.
Again and again Harry Winthrop's brave
fellows threw themselves upon the foe. He
never Ainched in the charge, but though
his comrades fell on all sides of him, he
came after each encounter scathless from
the a yht
Not so the gallant Sedgwick. Brave ever
to the verge OF reckless daring, he had
just chided a gunner for lodging ball,
with the light remark: "Pooh! man, they
when shot crashed through his body, and
he fell nfeless to the earth.
Thus with various successes the battle
ragged.
But the Prince Rupert Of the Union lines
was Custer, that beau ideal of a cavalry
leader-a man to whom fear was unknown,
one who never turned his back On an enemy
nor his face from friend, and chivalrous
to the verge of Quixotism. Caution he
knew not; 1t was with hlm ever aword and
blow, but the blow always came first.
And this man was Harry Winthrops COM
manding officer. So when one day towards
the end of May the regiment got the order
to set out on a raid under Custer's personal
leadership, untrammeled by the counsel Of
cooler brains, Winthrop and his comrades
knew that hot work was before them. Nor
were they disappointed. The point OF at
tack was Trevel1yan Station, on the Char
lottesville railroad. With rush Custer
fell upon the foe, capturing a big train cf
stores, burning the buildings and making
prisoners. 1t was sharp, brief, glorious
dash to victory! But--aye, these 'buts,"
they spoil the best stories that ever were
told--as the victors rode out Of the railway
cutting, they found themselves surrounded
by the enemy. Even Custer was appalled,,
but with fine strategy he got his men into
an open space with room to fight. Again
and again be charged now on this side, now
On that.
ssFor Gods sake, SIR" said Surgeon Weir,
tive must have feld-hospital, tell me
which is the rear.'
ssrhe front is all around u.s." Custer cried,
waving his sword. $50, doctor, y0m can take
your oics."
More perilous grew the position every
moment Custer formed hls men for one
grand charge to break through the opposing
ranks.
Hardly had the command escaped his lips,
than his color-sergeant, Canadian, fell
mortally wounded, grasping the flag he
loved so dearly in his deaths -stifened hands;
and even at that supreme moment of peril
Custer tried to snatch it from his grasp, but,
with the tension OF a wise, the fingers OF tho
corpse clung to the flagstaff. In vain he
pulled-then, quick as flash, he tore the
silk flag from it's pole, pushed it into his
bosom, and dashed forward to the charge.
And they got free. They rode right
through the ranks Of the enemy, crushing
by the very impetus of their mad career
the lines that stood in serried ranks before
them. It was glorious feat, but, as the
Trenchnlan said of Balaklava, it was not
war; and, moreover, had it not been for his
success, Custer would have had to pay the
reckoning of his reclzlessness; for he had
rivals in high places, who would have been
by no means sorry to catch him tripping
That month Harry Winthrop was gazetted
as Major.
He saw nothing, however, Of the bloody
light in the swamp at Cold Harbor, where
Grant beleagnered Lee, and when, Lossing
asserts, ten thousand Union men were
killed or wounded in the brief space OF
twenty minutes. He was doing outpost
duty on the banks of the Chickahozniny
river; and, while thus engaged, met with
another adventure which wove few more
links in the chain of my story.
They had caaped on the left bank of the
river under shelter of small wood, which
stretched from the uplands to the edge of
the stream Suddenly there was a great
commotion among the men.
s'It is a spy, sir, they have caught, " said
one of his troopers, by way Of explanation,
"and the boys I'm afraid are like to handle
nim little roughly"
hi c1xrnr9 IN Harry To the
scene of the disturbance.
II caught him, Major, sneal1ing behind
the brush yonder,'' cried one brawny fell
low, whose gnarled fingers clutched the
collar of the trembling wretch.
"pve seen him more than once hanging
around, an knew he was after no good"
claimed another.
sShoot himl'' .-.
"No, hang him! Shooting's too good for
such villain" were the cries that resound~
ed on all sides.
The victim Of this clamor had been
dragged through the mud Of creek, and
with disheveled hair, torn clothes and
bruised features, it was no wonder that
Winthrop did not at first recognize in the
dilapidated scare-crow before him the
Adonis-like figure of his would-be rival,
Alphonse Lecroix. But the Canadians
bright eyes cleaned with hope as he saw
his formur friend.
"Mr Winthropl" he cried, appealingiy,
~for the love of God save me! Tell these
men who am. What! you do not speak!
Will you see me torn to pieces before your
eyes2'
"Do you know him, Major2" asked the man
who held him.
"Aye, I know him, boys" Harry said, re-
luctantly, for he was by no means pleased
at the role he was compelled by circum-
stances to assume.
eff we had known he was friend OF
yours, Major began one, with rough at
tempt at apology, but Harry cut him short.
"There, loose him. Twill be respon-ible
for his doing no harm,'' he said. snow,
sir, follow me to my tent"
Like beaten hound the Canadian skunk
at Harry's heels. Already his active brain
was concocting the lie that would betray
the man who had saved him.
"Well, sir,'' asked Winthrop, sternly.
81 am waiting for the explanation of your
presence here" ..-..-..
"I came only to serve you, and think ]
am on FOOLS errand," was the dogged re-
ply, spoken with well-assumed air OF in
iured innocence.
To