Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1890-01-02
OUR LITTLE REBEL.

When the Confederates came swarm
ing across the Crew farm to reach us ol
Malvern Hill we knew that they wer
coming to death and defeat. We hat
been driven back from the Chickahomi
ny step by step and day by day, fighting
fierce battles at every rallying point, bu
this was the end. Malvern Hill, crown
ed with troops and bristling with can
non, was impregnable. l was posted OF
the point looking toward the Grew
House in the dry bed of a creek. 1t wa:
capital rifle pit, and we were packed
In so thick that we scarcely had elbow
room. As the legions in gray attacked
our rapid fire, assisted by the batteries
above us, was enough to demoralize the
Ii les without the infantry, higher up
firing a gun.
Magruder must have been insane that
afternoon to send his men to their death
across that open as he did. We could
see them come out of the forest in Splen-
die formation, and as they got the order
to advance their step was like clock
work. There was meadow, with hard
/ ly a stump in it, stretching away before
us for half mile, and the ConfederateS
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 put down
his musket and prayed God that the
rebels would go back and thus put an
end to to the horrible work. Then,
when they pushed on and got within
range, there was a flame all along our
miie front-1ame after flame and not
rebel got within stones throw.
The last charge, made just at twilight,
was the most desperate of all. The
lines started with yell and charged on
the run, and, though hundreds went
down, other hundreds kept On. We
shattered and scorched and withered
them with our musketry fire, and final
ly heard them sound retreat" We
sprang up, gave them last volley, and
then dashed forward a few rods with the
bayonet. Out of the smoke and dark
ness suddenly appeared figure on my
front. There was blaze, and the man
on my right went down, shot in the
shoulder. There was awhi-z-z! and the
butt of musket just cleared my head
and knocked the man on my left flat
to the earth. l had my musket at a
charge, when voice called out:
Hold On | surrender
l went forward and took hold of him,
and who or what do you suppose he
was? A boy not yet Is years old, and
as pale-faced and gentle-spoken as a
girl. More than that, he was wounded
in the side, in the leg and the head. We
had driven them back to 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 a groan.
1 heaped two or three blankets together
and made him a good bed, but could
get no one to do for him. There were
dead and wounded men almost without |
number around us, and that last desper-
ate charge had hardly been driven back |
before Mcclellan issued his orders to
fall back to the river under cover of |
gunboats. AS my brigade was nearest
to the rebels 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 |
1t was plain that he was fatally hurt,
and when he realized this he said:
IL don't care for myself, but moth
old motherl And Sister Mary
and little Jim-it will break their
hearts"
By and by he fell into sort of stupor
that lasted for quarter of an hour
Then he reused himself and exclaimed:
ut was glorious charge. We knew
that we were going to death, but never
a man hung back-never man lost the
stepl Were they driven back?"
"Yes."
"But we reached our lines?"
'Yes, few"
"And l am One?"
"Yes, poor boy. Never a one came
nearer than you"
"That's grand! They said would be
afraid, but l wasn't. l didn't feel it
when l was hit. We were on the double
quick. l was cheering. Hnrrah! Hur-
rahw
Half an hour later he was dead
There were three of us bending over
him, when he suddenly sat up, waved
MS arm and sought to cheer again, but
The blood choked him, and he fell back
lead.
Twenty long years after, one day in
Georgia farm house, found his mother,
I'D and bent and gray, and little Jim,
low grown to manhood, and sister Ma
y, now woman, wife and mother
They knew he fell at Malvern Hill, but
le had been buried among the unknown.
md how he died they knew not.