Daily Yellowstone journal., 1889-10-29
tuesday. October -. 'ss9
The LITTLE CONFEDERATE.
Tie UcIoIc Charge and Death of a 10
lrar-OId soldier.


When COnfcdcratcs came swarming
across the Crew farm 10 meet us OH
Malvern lii. we knew they were
coming t. death aud defeat. We had
been driven back from the Chicka.
homiuy, step by step and day by day,
fighting fierce battles at every rally.
ing point. but this was the end. Nal.
veru Hill, crowded with troops and
bristling with cannon, was impregna.
bic. ! was posted on the point looking
toward the Crew house in the dry
bed Of a creek. 1t was a capital rifle
pit, and we were packed in there so
the. that we scarcely had elbow
room. AS the legions in gray attacked,
our rapid fire., assisted by the batteries
above US, was enough 10 demoralize
the lines without the infantry, higher
up. firing a gun.
Nagrudcr must have been insane
that afternoon 10 send his men 10
their deat!scross hat open as he did.
We could " them come out of the
forest N splendid formation. and US
they got the order 10 advance their
step WIS like clock work. There was
amcg dow with hardly a stump in il
street, hing away before us for half a
mile and DE Confcdcrates hadn't the
hligntc,t cover. Being so low down
we soull see under the smoke, and il
wa enough To make our flesh creep to
Sc the havoc wurlcd by our shells be.
fore the lines got within gun range.
TIE man on my left laid down his
lusket and prarcd God that the Con
trderatas would 20 back and thus put
an end tu the horrible work. Then.
when they pushed on and got within
range, there was a flame ali along our
mile troul-ilame after llame-and
not a Confederate got within a stones
throw.
The last charge, made just At twi
light. " Tire most desperate Uf all
The lines started with "A yell and
charged oH the ran. and though hun
drvd, went down other hundreds kept
on, We shattered and scorchcd and
wlIhcYvl them with ourmUslplrv lire,
and | duGl.y heard them sound IRE.
treat. We sprang up gave them a
last voilcy. and then dashed forward a
few rods with the bayouct. Out of
the >"D..C and darkness suddenly AIN
peared Il figure on my trout. There
was a blaze, and a man on my right
went down. shot in the shoulder.
There was a whiz-z 2! and the butt of
a husEct just cleared my head and
Knocked the man on my left flat tothe
earth. had my musket ut a charge
when n voice called out:
Hold On. / surrender
| went forward and took hold Of
him. and vino or what do You suppose
he was: \ boy not yet II years old
and Is pale faced aud as gentle spoken
rs a girl. More than that. he was
wounded ia the side, IN the leg and in
the head. We had them driven back
to STAY. and our boys were cheering
and yelling. and | took the boy upon
ms back and carried him beyond the
creek into our lines, He must have
been suffering painfully from his
wounds, bat lac never uttered u grOau,
! hcapgd two or three blankets To-
gether and made him "A bod, but /
could get 40 one 10 do for him. There
were dead and wounded me almost
without number around rs, and that
last desperate charge had hardly been
driven back before Mcclellan issued
his orders % fall back to the river un-
der cover Of the gunboats. As my
brigade was nearest to the Conledcr.
ates we were the last TO move, and it
was long after midnight before we got
the word.
Meanwhile | had inspected the boys
wounds and soothed him as best ]
could. IL was plain that he was fatally
hurt, and when he realized this he said:
IL don't care for myself, but mo-
ther-poor old motherl And sister
Maryland little Jim-it will break
their hearts"
BY and by he fell into a sort Of a
stupor which lasted for a quarter Of
all hour. Then he reused himself and
exclaimed:
1T was a glorious charge! We
knew that we were going To death,
but never a man hung back-neyer a
man lost the stepl Were they driven
back.'
Yes"
"But we reached your linesT'
Yes; a few
"And | was oneI'
"Yes; poor boy. Never a one came
neaIerthan you"
That's grand! They said | would
be afraid, but | wasn't, / didn't feel
it when | was hit. We were on the
double quick. | was cheering. Hur-
rahl Hurrah!'
Half an hour later he was dead.
There were three Of US bending owe
him when he suddenly sat up, waved
his arm and sought TO cheer, but the
blood choked him and he fell back
dead.
Twenty long years after, in a Geor-
gia farm house, | found his mother,
old aud bent and gray, and little Jim,
now grown to manhood, and sister
Mary, now a woman, wife and mo-
Their. They knew he fell at Malvern
Hill, but lie had been buried among
the unknown, and how he died they
knew not. - Detroit Free Press.