The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-10-10

Of regulars lsd BY Col. Blake, the Fifth
cavalry on the extreme right, thelr COM
radios OF tho. sixth PAnnsylvania-..Ths
Seventh RegulRra.n ns We uyed to call thsui
"A few yards TO thsiE left. Then tho beau
i Fiiss s re- r. .s oak s.i 49, f fs%Ssinis. f 3. s sss
fats OF those precious guns, now battling
ali unsupported to their right front, these
40 horsamen Of the Fifth arc quivering
with earnestness for tho word that lots
them 90. A fresh brigade, Texas, ~ burst
t9sn ss1 r3gst' t ana y v;'s s on aoas ssIis fosoi n,
mp tho slope toward those riddled batteries.
To cease firing for an instant and Timber
mp II simply to invite n rush Into thar
midst and the inevitable lons Of ovory gun.
In vain tho commanders look for support.
Nos 8oo yards away nov the req ba.sis,flass
appearing along the stained rifs-bArrels.
Forward. forwardv' are the shouted or
ders, and despite doub!o rounds OF canister
on they come. Three minutes moro OF such
determined assault and tho union guna are
gons--those priceless reserve batteries;
Now comes the. supreme moment! Some
thing must DO done to check ths onset and
give the Qunners cover under which to haul
their cannon to the rear. Cooke has gal
Hoped forward and said a few q1ick worda
to tho commander OF tho Fifth cavalry.
which in column OF squadrons - now fac
Auk W8ptWdlA VA VAV 1o0vADlA hkSROs 4= ~ ~
Captain Whiting who receives the order.
He il a veteran soldier who has led many a
wild charge against Comanohe and kiowa
on the Texan frontier, protecting the peo-
pie OF the very state whose men are now
surginR across the low valley In their front.
is on him as he rsins about and casts ono
quick glance along the line. There in front
Of their men sit half a dozen gallant COM
rades Of the old western days. Captains
McArthur and Chambliss, Lieutenants Arm
old, Sweet and Watkins. Like their leader.
Pointers. Chambliss and Watkins won
their spurs from civil life. Maley was a
gallant sergeant in the Fifth from the days
Of its organizations; wRa quartermaster OF
tho splendid Sixth Pennsylvania, Seventh
Regulars" as We have said they called
those Keystone cavalrymen in the army OF
the Potomac, but had baen commissioners
in his old regiment, and now rides this day
with the regimentai commander az adju-
dant. No better troop and sqadron leaders
ever took their men in action. And now the
time has Gomez.
"D1aw SABRE is the quiet order. fol-
sounds 'trot.S And with Whiting and
Maley in the lead, with Macarthur, Cham
bliss, Arnold, Sweet and Harrison in the
squadron, out they 90 over the springy turf
Of the sloping hillside; on they trot across
the low ground under the plateau. Splash
goes ths foremost line Though the miry
bottom Of the little stream, its right scrap
ing the smoking guns. Look we'll upon
those leaders now, for only Il Of their
number rides back scathless when the
charge Ia done.
And now they are past the shoulder Of
the bluff; and now before them lies the
smoke-shrouded, fre-lashing valley, the
yelling swarms Of Texas Just breaking into
the run; the red battle flags waving in the
lead. A half wheel to the right brings
them squarely headed for the foe. "Gallopv'
sounds tho trumpet, and almost before the
eager steeds can obey the ringing call,
''Chsrge!'' is the prolonged call from
Writings bearded lips. And with N Rlo-
rah OF the union, with thunder Of hoof and
clash OF steel. down they 60 upon the as.
tonished hordes in gray. Through ths first
line they whirl like madmen, checking
it's ~triumphant advance, downing scores OF
officers and men. Then on they
crash into the second. though many a sad
die is empty, though manya riderless horse
is tearing madly about the field. And, at
last, torn and bleeding, the remnant retns
up at tho skirt Of the woods, their duty
done. Then comes the backward ride for
home. sabrinE their way; every man for
himself now. They have to hew q path
through the swarming foe. md ten minutes
Arthur under the slopes from which they
came in rear Of the sheltering lines of their
comrades OF the F~irst-one-fourth their
number gone. Whiting dragged from un-
der his dead horse by the Fourth Texas.
Chambliss ridd1ed like a sieve with musket
balls, yet falling alive into the hands of his
old friend and comrade, Hood. Brave
young Sweet shot dead. Arnold, Watkini
and Malsy severely wounded. Fifty OF
their gollant followers killed, manned, OF
prisoners. But they have halted Hoods
Texans in full career when another moment
would have borne their battle flags in the
very midst of our guns. They had charged
and bled and died to glorious purpose. for
the gums on the left-most of them at
least-are saved.-Capt. Charles King in
San Francisco Examiner. "