Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-08-07

q literal sheet of flame flashed on the strug gling horscmen, who fell back ns best they could, only to give place to tho solid masses or 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 hls llfc upon the battlefield. Harry stood by his side when the death-blow was dealt him 1 It happened thus: A man throw up his arms to surrcndcr-an appeal that was never made in vain to Brcwer-and, even as he lowered his sword, shot him through the heart.
 This gave tho command of the regiment to Harry.
 In the days that followed they had many brush with Moseby's gucrillas, who hoy cred round them, over ready to harrass them and impede their movements. In fact, be- tween Custer's brigade and these Virginian irrcgulars bitter vendetta existed, which cntailed deeds of relentless cruelty on either side that the pen of the historian would fain pass by in silence. It was noth- ing strange to find a comrade dead on tho ground with q ticket marked "Blood for Blood" pinned on his coat; though 1t is said that Moscby did acknowledge the sign of Frcemasonry, and many a man owed his life to tho fact that he belonged to tho brotherhood.
 
 to Charlottesville, but found tho gaps so full of the enemy that the attempt failed
 One day q man crossed the river, and seeking audience with Custer, told him that he was Union refugee, and that at the back of neighboring hill was 0 rebel sup ply-train almost unprotected.
 Harry was ordered to take his regiment and capture 1t. He crossed the fort and rode mile along the river bank
 Suddenly he pressed forward to speak to the guide, who was riding beside the ad- vance guard. AS he did so, the man dropped from his horse and made q sue cessful dash into the wood, but not so quickly that he could not recognize in the fleeing peasant the figure of the treacher- ous Canadian, Alphonse Lccroix. Instinct lively he halted his men to retire, but q whole brigade of the enemy was pouring down tho hillside to cut him off from the ford
 Custer saw his dilemma and advanced to the rescue. Just then q colorcd man in rags and tattcrs ran to Harry and cried:
 "Dcrc's ford up dc ribcr, boss, not two miles away. Clar to goodness, boss, it's truc-l'ze no lyin'."
 Forward! Trotn was tho command
 And surely it WAS Us the negro had told him. They reached the spot in safety, got back to their own lines again, and moved towards tho cast.
 Oh, the stern necessity of War! To pro tect tho city of Washington, all tho fair valley of tho Shenandoah must be stripped and laid dcsolate, houses and bnrns burned, crops and stores destroyed; till, as Sheridan himself said, '' if Il crow wants to fly down tho valley he must carry his own provisions with him." Harry Winthrops heart ached as he saw tho ruin around him.
 So. with Early nt ia hpnlc tho Jy,;,, ,,,,,,, fell back to Fishers Hill where Sheridan turned at bay. The village was in flames. and half the tlmc tho men were fighting fire, so that tho position was untcnablc They withdrew to Woodstock, and there Shcri- dan, 1illc lion tracked to his lair. rushed upon his foes. With d roar of rage the Union army dashed forward whcrc tho ranks were thickest, the enemy resisting with tho stubborn courage of men fighting for tho last spot of ground. So impctuous was tho charge of the Federal suuuGrons that they stopped not till, piercing the q, nsc mass of rctrcating columns, they reached tho open ground beyond, and Early's host was "scnt Whirling up tho valley of tho Shenandoah"
 Ono piece of tho enemys artillery alone remained to rain death on tho victors. Hnr- ry Winthrop heard Shcridan's cry: "T The man who captures that shall have six months leave and years payr' and rushed with his gallant troopers to the charge, sabcrlng the heroic gunners as they stood to the last nt their post
 Then nll was quiet for time, and Shcri- dan, called by important affairs, went to Washington, leaving General Wright in command. It was during his absence that Early, who had been rc-cnforccd, marched oncc moro to tho conflict
 Winthrop and his men were on picket duty, and were the first to realize this un expected attitude of the enemy, whose ad- vancod guard suddenly charged upon him and put his mon to flight. And in tho melee this story was nearly coming to an end as far as its hero was concerned, for Harry's horse in it's mad career leaped right into tho race of mill-dam with him, dislocating his shoulder and half drowning him. Even as his pursuers were on tho bank, he crept to tho miller's house, where, luckily for him, q Northern woman reigned as mistress
 "QulckH' shc cried, "into this barrel with you!' and In minute, as he law crouchcd there, she poured over his head tho contents of big bolster of hens feath- CTS. twas not very heroic attitude for q hero to bo i'll, but it served Harry's purpose as place of concealment and never a Christmas passes to this day but that good damc receives substantial evidence of tho Northern soldiers gratitude. Tho worst of the adventure was that Harry lost his fa- vorite charger, "Selim," which, had nearly said who-was as dear to him as n human friend.
 Back to the command again and Cedar Creek was reached.
 Morning broke. A dense fog hung over the valley, so thick that you could scarce dis cern objects a few yards distant and through the sullen vail of mist Early's host poured like an avalanche on tho Union lines. Hour after hour tho battle ragged, but the Federal troops could not recuperatc from tho shock of that first terrible charge, and at last, with one hopeless effort for vic tory, broke in flight.
 But harkl Along the road from Win chester-fourteen, not twenty miles away, as the history books say-came clattering the iron-shod hoofs of horse, and gallant Phil Sheridan rides nt headlong speed to the rescue, with tho cannouading of tho bat tic ringing in his cars He meets the hur- rying fugitives, and, waving his sword, cries:
 "Back, men! Back Turn with mo and you shall sleep in your own camp to- night, swear"
 What magic there is in his presence! The dcmoralized force halts, reforms, and, led by that splendid soldier rushes on the
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