Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1889-01-31
CHAPTER VI.
DnOR DADCVAv

The violets haG began to lift their heads
in the Virginian dells, the trees to blossom,
the birds to herald the approach of spring,
when once more the hills reverberated with
the storm of battle.
Burnside had been transferred to Tenaes-
see and General Hooker was in command of
the Army of the Potomac. Leaving Sedg-
wick to carry the intrenchments at Freder-
icksburg, he pushed forward the main
army, a hundred thousand strong, across
the Rappahannock to meet Lee at Chancel
louisville, where the scouts had brought word
he was lying with sixty thousand men.
All night long Harry Winthrop had been
in the saddle on a accommodating expedition,
and at dawn had flung himself to rest beside
the campfire. The heavy tramp of infant
~, the clash of moving sQuadrons, the dull
roll of artillery made sleep impossible; but
it was something to be grateful for to
stretch the weary limbs and rest.
Then as the hours rolled by there came
from the woods the sharp decorating re-
ports of musketry and the booming thunder
of artillery, and Winthrop knew that the
battle was begun.
Suddenly there was the sharp crack of a
rife in the opposite direction, and in a min
ute Or two one of Harry's own men dashed
in mad haste among them with the cry:
1.-THE rebs in force in the woods yonder are
closing upon US ~ The command was in the
saddle almost before the words had left the
mans lips. In reckless haste they rode to
carry the unwelcome tidings, but the warn
ing came too late; for hardly had they
reached their lines than the enemy was
upon them twenty thousand strong, and
though the men foug ht like heroes, the Union
right was routed.
1t was another of Lees master moves
on the chess board OF battle. Relying on
the dense woods to conceal his movements,
he had risked the perilCNs chance of send
ing jackson with one-thixd of his army to
attack the enemy on the rear.
That night Hooker took a new position.
The next day the battle ragged with renewed
fury.
AS General Hooker stood leaning against
pillar of Charlottesville House cannon
ball crashed against it and hurled him
senseless to the ground; and for more than
an hour the Northern troops fought with
out leader. But Winthrop saw none of
this. He was riding in hot haste on the
road to fredericksburg, seeking for aid
frorA Sedgwiclz.
Nor had he far to go, for that gallant
General had taken Fredericksburg, and was
now flinging himself on Lees rear, at the
moment that the Southern forces were
forming for grand attack. The tide of
driven across the river, and the army of the
Potomac withdrew to its old camping
ground.
1t was during the heavy march in the
night that Harry Winthrop, in command of
the rear-guard, worn with the two-days'
fighting and loss of Sleep hstlessly followed
his troop along the dusty highway. BY
his side rode his friend and comrade Frank
Barclay, who was even in a more exhausted
condition, for not only was he half dead
with fatigue but he suffered from saber-
cut on the arm and the faintneSS consequent
on much loss of blood.
"Cheer up, old fellow,'' Harry said af-
fectlonately. 1--WE shall soon be under can
vas again, and a long rest will put you all
right
II don't know about that was the cheer
less reply. "Of course don't think that
this little scratch l'-e got is going to be my
death blow, but I've clean lost heart and
my mind wanders OF to the wife and BARNS
at home. a man with 4 family carries a
heavy mortgage on him when he goes
a-Soldiering"
"You are worn out and discouraged
that is ALL Harry claimed, while his COM
panion relapsed into moody silence.
They were approaching part of the road
which lay at the edge of deep ravine,
weeds and scrubby bushes. Every now
and then they had passed some struggling,
foot-sore infantry man. who had fallen out
of ranks, and was dragging his weary
limbs along as best he could. 1t was just
such a figure as this that they overlook as
they reached this dangerous spot in the
rugged road. 1t was not utterly dark, for
the stars were out, but it was not light
enough to distinguish the uniform the man
wore: in fact, Winthrop never gave him
second thought beyond turning his horses
head Il little to the left SO that he should not
trample on HIM.
As they got abreast of him the man
turned upon him, grasped the bride of his
horse, and the flash of the pistol blazed
straight at Harry Winthrop's face. In
stincnvely he stopped to grapple with the
assassin, and the action saved his life, for
the bullet plowed through the housings of
his saddle and buried itself in the breast of
his comrade, who fell with groan to the
earth. Poor Barclay his premonitions were
soon realized.
In an instant the murderer flung himself
down the steep dech7ity, and though
score Of brave fellows dashed recklessly
after him, he was lost in the darkness.