Iron County register., 1889-08-08

/ SiSe3 anu tuS SOultucTdttS udue pTSp21Ar
| t0ns 10 give them a warm reception.
| The attarkin army at last began to ad-
vance in two long lines extending throu gh
| a part of the corn-field and the tall bottom
| grass. The fog rapidly rolled away, and
the FURNISHED arms of the blue-coats gilt
| tered with dazzling brightness in the morn
| ing sun.
Before the foot of the hill was reached q
halt was made and skirmishers deployed.
Captain Mason with his entire company
was thrown forward upon the skirmish
line. He first deployed in platoons, then
| in fours, and finally placed each man a rod
from any of the others.
All was quiet. A peculiar solemn hush
seemed to have fallen over the scene,
| broken only by the crushing tread of some
soldier making his way through the tangled
thicket. Luke began to half believe that
the enemy had deserted the camp.
| A crow, cawing loudly, was soaring above
| the tree tops, doubtless annoyed by the
presence of the advancing warriors. A
blue jay chirped and screamed as it fitted
from bush to bush and tree IN front of tac
| advancing skirmish line.
| Luke was pressing his way through an
almost impenetrable jungle when shot
| rang out on his left. 1t was the first sound
of an enemy. The men had really began to
! secretly hope that they would find the camp
deserted. For a single instant the heart of
| the youthful Captain beat faster, while the
| blood forsook his cheek.
| Bang! bang! bang! three more shots in
quick succession on the left pronounced the
skirmish as begun. And now the music be-
| gins on the right. First, half a dozen shots
| lead Off followed by a score, and then
hundred. The crow and blue jay fly away,
and every soldier, more eager for a shot
| than prudent, pressed forward.
Luke strained his eyes for glimpse Of the
| enemy, and was at last rewarded by dark
| object moving about among the leaves.
Whether one man or q score he knew not,
for the. bushes almost completely concealed
them.
The ball opened in front, and fire, smoke
and leaden hail were poured in upon the CEN
ter of the Union skrmish line. The soldiers
stood their ground and fought with wonder
full desperation and cooluess.
"Why don't they reinforce US" cried
Lieutenant Smith. 'Were fightih' a hull
army
A few moments later the skirmishers
were reinforced, and gallantly pressed for
ward, pushing the Confederates back two
hundred PAGES or more up the hill, where
they made another stand.
A roar of musketry met the advancing
sl1irmish line, and the woods seemed alive
with leaping flames. The bark flew from
the shattered trees, limbs, twigs and leaves
fell in showers, and bullets whistled like
rain about the ears of the soldiers.
The man on Luke's right was killed,
one on the left fell mortally wounded,
Lieutenant Smith received a shot in his
arm and retired to the rear, Corporal Max
was knocked down by spent ball, and for
few moments the young Captain seemed to
stand alone before the enemy.
T 1a Of i,,sf fovs
GIT out O. this,'' cried old Arkansaw Tom,
coming up at this moment. "We're tightin'
line O. battle"
Luke had realized this some moments be-
fore, but had held his ground hoping soon
to be reinforced. The fire was SO heavy
that the soldiers had begun to fly.
"Come on, Cap; fur Gods sake don't
stand thar IN be killed. cried old Tom,
selling his arm and trying to drag him
away. The dense smoke of battle had
settled about among the woods, rendering
objects invisible twenty PAGES away.
AS Luke was about to comply with the
old scouts request Confederate officer
followed by half dozen men ran forward,
shouting:
"Surrender or dep
"Not by a jugful," yelled Arkansaw Tom,
and quick as flash he brought his gun to his
shoulder and leveled it at his heart.
But just as his finger pressed the trigger
Luke struck up the gun with his sword
and sent the bullet flying harmlessIy
through the air.
"Dod burn it, what ID We do thet fur?'
"Fly for your life,' shouted Luke, push
ing the scout down the hill and starting
after him. But black object behind a tree
arrested his attention. 1t was that mys-
terious old negro, Blackhawk, who had
been puzzle to him from childhood.
Blackhawk had got away from the boat,
found gun and came to fight. He was
kneeling behind tree, his gun leveled at
the young Confederate whose life Luke had
saved.
'.You black scoundrel, dare you fire and
will run you through" shouted Luke, plac-
ing the point of his sword against the
negro's breast.
"He's a Reb, massa, an rs fightin' ter
free my po wife an little baby"
''But he was a good master to you, and
if you harm HIM l will kill you" He
snatched the negro's gun from his hand
and hurled him down the hill.
They had not gone far before they met the
advancing lines of the Federal army, and
the skirmishers quickly fell into place and
all pressed gallantly up the emnence
through the felled timber The terrible
thunder of contending armies made the
woods tremble. The Federals passed over
the abattis of fallen trees, though many
gallant soldier laid down his life in the
effort Luke saw Eddie Reed, one of his
company, lying with his body in the fork of
a fallen tree, and supposing he was en-
tangled, went to help eXtricate him, but he
had bullet in his heart and was dead.
The Union forces drove back the rebel
lines before them. AS soon as the cleared
space around the camp was gained,
charge was ordered, and a terrible hand to
hand fight ensued. The Confederates
numbered eight thousand, but General
Grants forces fell upon them with such i'm
petuosity that after a brief but desperate
struggle they broke and fed. A moment
later the stars and bars were run down,
and the stars and stripes mounted into their
place.
The batteries at Columbus commanded
the position, and General Grant knew he
could not long hold the camp. The only
thing lat had protected the Union forces
from showers of shot and shell was the
fear the Confederate gunners had of kill
ing their own friends, for the blues and
grays were SO mixed up that it was rather
difficult to tell friend from foe.
Driven from their camp, the rebels fled
down under the hill. The Union soldiers,
flushed with victory, became wild. Hither
and thther, helter-skelter, they went, re-
gardless of military discipline, and SEEM
ing more like madmen than soldiers. They
plundered and burned the camp and
cheered until they were hoarse. In vain
did General Grant try to get them back to
the transports. They seemed bent only
upon the destruction of the euemy's prop
erty.
"Form yer men," yelled Colonel Smart,