The Springdale news., 1889-10-04
SPRINGDALE NEWS.
SrRINGDALE, ARK, Ger. 5, lsSG.
Our Little Rebel,


 they wore coming to death and de- feat. We had been driven back from Ch;cahominy step by step and day by day, fighting fierce battles at every rallying polnt, but this was the end. Malvern HIll, crown ed with troops and brlstling with cannon, was impregnable. ] was posted on the point looking toward the Crews hpuse in the dry bed of a creek. It was il capital rife-pit. and We were packed in there so thick that VIC scarcely had elbow room. As tine legions i'll gray at- tackled, our rapid tire, assisted by the batteries above us, was enough to demoralize the lines without the infantry, higher mp, firing a gun.
 Magruder must have been insane that afternoon to send his men to tholr death across that open as he did. We could see them come out of the forest m splendid formation, and as they got the order to advance ,helr step was like clock work. There was meadow with hardly a stump in it stretching away before us for half a mile, and the Confed- crates hadn't the slightest cover. Being so low down, we could see under the smoke. and it was enough to make your flesh creep to see the havoc worked by our shell before the lines got within musket range. The man on my left laid down his musket and prayed God that the rebels would go back and thus put an end to the horrible work. Then when they pushed on and got witl. in range, there was flame all along opr mile front-flame after hame-- and not a rebel got within stones throw.
 The last charge, made just at twilight, was the most desperate of all. The lines started with q yell and charged on the run, and though hundreds went down other huu- dreis kept on. We scattered and s0orehed and withered them with our musketry fire, and l finally heard them sound "retreat.' We sprang up, gave them last volIey, and then dashed forward few rods with the bayonet. Out of the smoke and darkness saddenl y appeared figure in my front. There was a blaze, and the man on right went down shot in the sholder. There was 2 whiz-s-z! and the butt ot musket just cleared my head and knocked the man on my left flat to the earth. I mad my musket at q charge when voice called out:
 "Hold on, l surrender"
 1 went forward and took hold of hun, and who or what do you sup pose he was? A boy not yet l5 years old and as pale faced and gen. tle.spoken as a girl. More than that, he was wounded Tn the side, in the leg and in the head. We had them driven back 10 stay. and our boys were cheering and yelling, and took the boy on my back and carried him beyond the creek and into our lines. He must have been suffering painfully with his wounds but he never uttered groan. 1 heaped two or three blankets to- z thef and made him a bed. but 1 could get no one to do for him. There were dead and wounded men almost without number around us, and that last desperate charge had hardly been driven back before Mcclellan issued hls orders to fall back to the river under cover of the gunboats. As my brigade was nearest to the rebels we were the last to move, anu it was long after midnight before we got the word.
 Meanwhile l had inspected the boys wounds and soothed him as best I could. It was plain that he was fatally hit, and when he realiz- ca this he said.
 m-I-don't care for myself, but mother-poor old mother And sister Mary-and little Unit will hraak hair baarts p