The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-05-28


roared. Drink every drop of it on the
spot. or III blow the roof Of your head
off. So Billy had no more calls for
castor-oil.'
! 4 roar of laughter rewarded the mar
rator, which was checked by the hasty
advent of an orderly. who said:
is Lieutenant Besant here, gentle
men?"
Here am.' cried Frank, stepping
forward. what is it?''
major Hopkins says, will you take a
file of men and cot to the picket by
the creek bridge to fetch in a wounded
officer? Quick as You can, SIR
Il told you SO, boys" muttered the
man who had called attention to the
doctor, while Frank hurriedly got ready
for the sad duty.
| On nearing the little bridge, which
spanncd the muddy creek, he found DR..
! Saunders kneeling over PROSTATE fig
ure, while soldier held lantern for
him. and the sentry stood resting on his
musket and gazing at the painful scene.
Beside them was horse, whose hang
| ing head and heaving tanks told Of hard
usage.
"Who is it, doctor?" Frank asked.
anxiously.
"A cavalry mana mere lad--cut all
to pieces-but we must get him into
field hospital as quickly as possible.
See, here's dispatch took from him.
I'D hard work to get it, poor boy, he
clutched it SO tightly. l guess you'd
better hurry off with it to the Colonel
and leave your men to help me in will,
him." q piece of advice which Frank
promptly acted on.
As Colonel Fulton tore open the blood
stained nissivc his eyes flashed and the
color mounted to his check. by heav.
en-" he said, this is glorious news
We are ordered to reinforce Grant al
Fort Donelson. Order taps to be beaten
and all lights out in the camp; for the
boys must have some sleep before they
take the road again"
On the evening of the 18th of Febru
ary the Fighting Fourth, wcaried with
a long days march over swamps ant
brushwood, joined the Union forces
now increased to thirty thousand men
The fort itself, occupying about on.
hundred acres, stood on bluff a hun
drcd feet high, with sixty-five gun.
threatening approach by the river, but
almost unprotected from the land side
save for the inaccessible ruggedness o
! the ground and the heavy trees which
! had been felled. and which proved to b.
formidable abatis. Already Grant ha,
made an unsuccessful attack upon
hat 70 N "a
he was trying to move.
But who among the thousands VIII
} lay down to rest that night before tn
l doomed fort will ever forget it's misery
As the men lay on the bare groua
! without tents, without fires, man
4 without even blankets, a cruel storm Q
sleet and snow swept over them an
: the thermometer fell to IL degree
/ above zero, while some Of the poo
: wounded heroes literally frozc to deaf
: on their ley resting-places
Next day the battle was resumed wit
j, alternate success and failure.
a In the afternoon the deafening car
+ nonade Of the fort guns told them tina
: Foote'S gun-boats were already in az
vance.
: At four o'clock Frank found himse
in command of his company, for h
G Captain was wounded and had bee
r carried to the rear. Twice they Ia
y charged, and once again he was rail-,
d ing them, when n sharp voice cried
S tone of command:
Halt. sir! Give your men breathin
y time. DO you not see that your line
G not half formed?"
h Turning with impatience ut the II
= buke, he saw man with rattle
s slight, ungainly figure with SLOUGH Il;
S and undress uniform. lie knew not the
c that he was gazing at that son of de
n tiny, Ulysses Grant.
$ But ere the angry reply rose to tt
/, lads lips an aid-de-canp rode up an
y saluted Franks impertinent critic.
v TO BE CONTINUED.