Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1889-02-21
CHAPTER XII.
THE AMBUSCADE.

OuE dDCcSGOTS uocu W
over the joke Mrs. Glass perpetrated in her
famous '.Book of Cookery when she an
nounced that you must catch your hare be-
fore YOU proceed to cook him, and Harry
found himself in much the same position as
the worthy matron's readers. He must
first catch his hare. And the hare in ques-
ton proved to be of such shadowy char
acter, that after two days hunting he was
compelled for the present to give up the
pursuit.
Of course he at once left Mrs. Platts
house. He felt like dlscordant element
in the home-circle, for it is not very pleas
ant thing for man to sit at the same table
with ladies whose son and brother he IS de-
termined to bring to the gallows.
But, though he learned many particulars
concerning the widows son, who was de-
clared by several who knew him to be no
| torious scoundrel, who had been drummed
out of the regiment in which he had en-
| listed. and was now supposed to have
drifted utterly to the bad, he could CLEAN no
| tidings of his present whereabouts. No one
| had seen him. No one wanted to see him.
| So Harry went back to his regiment at
Harper's Ferry without bringing the
| scOundrel to justice.
Then the cry was ''Sherdanr' Brave,
gallant, dashing Phil was to lead the troops
to victory. SO under this renowned Gen
westward along the Shenandoah Valley. 1t
was hot work for the cavalry. Little Phil
kept them well in advance, exploiting and
developing the enemy; but for a time not
closing with him-a delay which caused
Grant some anxiety, for he came in person
to see how matters stood, but was so salts
fed with his Lieutenant's perfect prepare
| tons, that he went back to his post at
Petersburg.
near the quaint old city of Winchester and
struck the Confederate army at the ford of
the river.
"Threes about, men, charge r'cried Colonel
Brewer, who commanded Harry's regiment,
| and the gallant squadron dashed headlOng
on the foe, driving them back to the very
verge of the city. The infantry met the
Confederate cavalry, and their long line
never wavered. But suddenly from behind
low wall uprose the enemy four deep, and
literal sheet of flame flashed on the strug
Cling horsemen, who fell back as best they
could, only to give place to the solid masses
of Federal infantry, which moved steadily
on, driving all before them. But in the
very flush of victory the gallant Brewer,
generous as he was brave, poured out his
life upon the battlefield. Harry stood by
his side when the death blow was dealt him.
1t happened thus: A man threw up his arms
made in vain to Brewer-and, even as he
lowered his sword, shot him through the
heart.
This gave the command of the regiment
| to Harry.
| In the days that followed they had many
| a brush with Moseby's guerillas, who how
| cred round them, ever ready to harrass them
| and impede their movements. In fact, be-
| tween Clusters brigade and these Virginian
lott ;Sta Ix-hi nb
entailed deeds of relentless cruelty on
either side that the pen of the historian
would fain pass by in silence. 1t was moth
| ing strange to find a comrade dead on the
| ground with a ticket marked blood for
Blood" pinned on his coat; though it is
said that Moseby did acknowledge the sign
| of Freemasonry, and many a man owed his
life to the fact that he belonged to the
! brotherhood.
The Union forces tried to make their way
to Charlottesville, but found the gaps so
full of the enemy that the attempt failed.
| One day Il man crossed the river, and
seeking audience with Custer, told him that
| he was a U*ion refugee, and that at the
back of a neighboring hill was a rebel sup
| ply-train almost unprotected
| Harry was ordered to take his regiment
| and capture it. He crossed the fort and
| rode mile along the river bank.
| ne prcSSSu iOFWdTu 10 speak 10
| the guide, who was riding beside the adj
vance guard. AS he did so, the man
! dropped from his horse and made a sue
cessful dash into the wood, but not so
| quickly that he could not recognize in the
| fleeing peasant the figure of the treacher
| Gus Canadian. Alphonse Lecreix. Instinct
| lively he halted his men to retire, but
whole brigade of the enemy was pouring
down the hillside to cut him off from the
| ford.
Custer saw his dilemma and advanced to
| the rescue. just then a colored man in
rags and tatters ran to Harry and cried
''Dere's ford up de riber, boss, not two
miles away. Clar to goodness, boss, it's
true-rze no lynn"
| Forward, Trotr" was the command
And surely it was as the negro had told
| him. They reached the spot in safety, got
back to their own lines again, and moved
! towards the east.
| Oh, the stern necessity of war, To pro-
! tect the city of Washingto all the fair
valley of the Shenandoah must be stripped
| and laid desolate. houses and barns burned,
crops and stores destroyed; tillas Sheridan
| himself said, e" if crow wants to fly down
the valley he must carry his own provisions
with him" Harry Winthrop's heart aohed
| as he saw the ruin around him.
So,with Early at its heels, the Union army
| fell Dack TO F1Sner s f1lu. Wnere SncflQan
turned at bay. The village was in flames,
and half the time the men were fighting fire,
| so that the position was untenable. They
withdrew to Woodstock, and there Sheri-
| dan, like q lion tracked to his lair, rushed
upon his foes. With a roar of rage the
| Union army dashed forward where the
| ranks were thickeSt, the enemy resisting
with the stubborn courage of men fighting
for the last spot of ground. So impetuous
was the charge of the Federal squadrons
that theJstopped not till, piercing thedense
mass of retreating columns, they reached
the open ground beyond, and Early's host
was ''sent whirling up the valley of the
| Shenandoah"
One piece of the enemy's artillery alone
remained to rain death on the victors. Har-
ry Winthrop heard Sheridan's cry: Sc The
| man who captures that shall have six
months leave and years payr' and
rushed with his gallant troopers to the
charge, sabering the heroic gunners as they
! stood to the last at their post