The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1891-07-04

make him master of Nicksburg.
The confederate army was not asleep.
There was an anxious, painful eX-
pectamcy of something terrible about
to happen; II vague apprehension of
danger that thrilled their nerves and
drove away the drowsy temptations of
the hour.
Anticipating disaster, the 9th regi-
ment of Missouri infantry, which was
holding Fort Hill, was all withdrawn
of companies A, was posted directly
in the rear of the fort.
These companies were made up
principally of young men hailing from
the counties of Lafayette, Jackson and
Cass, and were among the most in
trepid and gallant of that glorious host
of 10, 900 Missourians that had crossed
the Mississippi river to do battle in the
cause of southern independence.
Just across the entrance to the fort, as
second line,a slight traverse work had
been constructed, and behind this lay
the regiment with its gallant Colonel
Eugene Erwin on the alert.
In advance of the traverse and more
rs corps of observation than anything
else, were the detachments above
alluded to.
Apprehending approaching disaster,
the company officers of the regiment
had made requIsitiOn for side arms and
Lieutenant Crenshaw, of Osceola, had
just called on Captain Burr, in COM
mand of the outpost, for his orders.
Up to the last hour, it had been pos
sible to hear the work of the federal
sappers rs they burrOwed under the
very feet of Burr and Crenshaw, but
now all was still rs the grave.
"Burr,' said Crenshaw, 81 believe
this whole concern is going TO be
blown to atoms in less than ten min
utes!''
Prophetic words!
Hardly had the speaker ceased than
there was terrible upheaval. The
earth-the entire body of the hill on
which the fort was built, seemed to
shoot straight upward, breaking off into
particles as it went. The mangled forms
of men, debris, crashed comrades
timbers and guns mingled in the mass.
A great cloud of dust sailed heaven
ward and floated off on the breeze.
The sound rs of an earthquake rent the
hills and caused the window glass in
the city, n mile away, to rattle and
shatter by the force of the conclusion,
Fort Hill was i'm total ruins, and where
il had stood was yawning chasm.
Crenshaw's body was never recovered.
Burr was blown in the air and thrown
down the embankment, where he was
picked up for dead.
Erwin, who was the very incarna-
ton of the spirit of bartle, saw the cX-
plosion, and the wreck and havoc il
had created, and knew that an assault
of Grants battalions would follow.
TO think was to act, with Erwin, and
Immediately the loud tones of his voice
in command were heard ordering his
men into the breach.
"Forward men, forward to the res
cue!'' was the rapid command-an eX-
hortation in its pathos and energy
With Il mad dash the regiment, with
fixed bayonets and arms at trail, ,sprang
forward to their work. 1t was grand
sight, that gallant rush to the rescue !
There in the center of the line iloated
the colors of the regiment, and just in
front of it the dauntless Erwin with
flashing blade waving high in the air,
and eyes all ablaZe with the fire of
battle. Over the intervening space, up
the crumbling earth-works they clam
ber, with one will, one spirit, one pur-
pose-to hold the position or die in its
defense. As rapid and determined rs
were their movements, rs great as
needful was the necessity of prompt
endeavor. just over tfie ridge, there,
ilutter the battle flags of some of Grant S
finest regiments. Side by side with
these wave the starry fields and grace
full folds of banners that had ne:er yet
gone down in defeat. Under these
flags swarm thousands of gallant union
Soldiers-soldiers who feel that the
eyes of Grant and Mcpherson are on
them-soldiers who became veterans
at Donaldson, heroes at Shiloh and
who had met the chivalry of Missouri
and Texas ut Corinth and held the
field against the most desperate charge
, in history.
I Despite the storm of shell and lead.
en- hail that bursts full in their faces
and decimates their ranks, Erwin
men charge home upon the federal sol
diers just gaining the top of the dis
mantled parapet, and drive them by
sheer impetuosity to the other side o
, the bank
Now began one of the most desper
r ate as well as novel battles of the war
The contending forces were separated
, by ridge of earth, and though no
more than ten feet apart, neither deem
; ed it possible to dislodge the other
I Men would, by elevating the breeche
of their guns and depressing the muz
t zle, shoot over the bank ut each other
e Many of the union troops brought hant
$ grenades and hurled them over the
5 bank at the confederates. Some o
= these bursting, scattered death aroun,
4 or manned and mutilatcd others by
, their fragments. Many that struck tn,
soft earth failed to explode and wer,
B. seized and hurled back at the othe
2 side. One by one the gallant officer
: and men went down, but still the un
| equal conflict was maintained. FINAL,
A the confederate ammunition was eX
a pended. They could no longer return
A the fire of the enemy, and to preven
e these from firing, threw over on then
= such shower of earth that loadin" o
their guns became practically impoSsi
b BILE.
d Reinforcements were hurried To Er
t wins support, and Gen. Grant seem.
e that the assault had failed caused TIN
b retreat to be sounded and his mel
Were withdrawn to their former posi-
| ton.
e A dead silence followed the recall O
: the assaulting column, and Col. Erwin
e experimenting another attack, chamber
: ed to the top of the earth-bank an,
b., calmly gazed over into the federal field
) But scarcely had his soldierly form rs
# slmed an erect position than he be
t came the mark of the unerring aim q
4 the federal sharp-shooters. Five ball
struck him almost simultaneously an,
= he sank to the ground. A member o
company A, seeing his beloved com
e mander falling, caught him in his arm
e and laid him gently down, but the in
= domitable spirit had fled, the soul o
t Eugene Erwin had gone to its God.
II would be difficult To estimate TIN
n loss of this most daring and gallan
e officer. Though but thirty years @
d age, he had attained Il high place il
+ the confidence of his men. OF all th,
a regimental commanders in Pcmber
Y tons army, he was, perhaps, the mos