The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-04-25


| The tide of battle is against them and
| they can not Withstand it's irresistible
| force.
| And who are those two horsemen
galloping at headlong speed from the
extreme right, with their horses heads
turned toward Chattanooga?
General Rosecrans and Garfield, his
chief of staff! What does this mean?'
Colonel Hopkins cried to Frank in stern
dismay as they rested at a crossroads
to allow their scattered men time to
gather round their standard.
''They find the road they are taking
impracticable and are coming this
way Besant replied, as the riders
wheeled their horses and made for the
crossroads.
| AS they reached the spot where Hop
| kins and Frank stood they halted.
'sHark, STRIP Garfield said to his SUI
perior, and pointing with his sword to
the left, whence came the regular firing
from Thomas division. '"That does not
sound like defeat!''
81 tell you,'' was the petulant reply,
sit is rout--we are beaten, man; and
I am off to Chattanooga to telegraph the
cursed tale to Washington
''May I remain?'' almost pleaded Gar
field.
Gas you WILL" was the ungracious
assent, as the hero of a hundred
fights, seized with fit of panic so
difficult TO understand in one with SO
brilliant a record, drove his spurs into
his horses flank and dashed away.
sEollow me down this road, Colonel,
as soon as you can get your men to-
gether: you will find General Thomas
in sore need of your help" Garfield
cried, as he too rode away.
In half an hour they were ready to
advance, though their ranks were but
thinly manned.
"Forward, men. At the double
quick' and once more the Fighting
Fourth ran painting to the struggle.
They found Thomas oppressed by
superior mum bers but standing firm as
rock, with Polk battering his center
and left, and Longstreet harrassing his
right. Assault after assault was made,
vet those immortal heroes never wav-
cred.
And now another danger threatens
them: for Longstreet has discovered a
gap in the mountain in Thomas rear,
through which he is pouring heavy
column. Surely all is lost now-but no,
Granger comes up with seven Thousand
raw troops, who have never even seen a
battlefield before, and, though the hope
seems vain, the reinforcement gives the
veterans encouragement. ''Only d par
eel of boys, fresh from the plow,' -
sneered an aide de-camp, as he galloped
forward to direct their movements. But
see those plow boys fight! Had they
carried arms for years, and been Injured
to battle scenes from childhood, they
could not have shown more deter
mined bravery. Over and over again
I.ongstrcet charges, but he can not
break those solid ranks, and at sunset
Thomas, driven back but not defeated,
recedes to the shelter of Chattanooga,
whittier Rosecrans' scattered men have
preceded him carrying CONSERVATION
with their wild stories of defeat.
And nearly thirty thousand men
from North and South lay killed and
wounded on the blood stained banks of
''The River Of Death.''
I said the Union army was not beaten
well, perhaps not in a literal sense.
for the object of the contention, Chat
tanooga, still remained in their occupa-
ton, but the Confederates justly claimed
"Chiclxamauga'' as victory for they
had forced their enemy from the field,
and now held him shut up in his en-
trenchments with all communication
cut off.
Bragg had new al1y-invincible by
human hands, impervious to human
daring-the gaunt, fierce fend: Starva-
ton.
Once Rosecrans made an effort at a
sally, but hunger had killed SO many of
enough to drag battery into action.
and so thick lay the carcasses of dead
mules on the muddy roads that men
stepped on them from one to another to
avoid the mire.
Hard times indeed had settled on the
luclaless garrison, the coarsest kind Of
food being precious as rubies in the
eyes of the fanlished soldiers. Charlie
Fulton's satisfaction may be imagined
then, when one day Jack Gregory whis-
pered in his ear the joyous information
that he had secured a hind-quarter of
lamb, which he had contiscated from an
Irishman in his company, who was car
! rying it off to his quarters.
| II can't give you any mint-sauce, .
said the jovial Captain, ''but there's a
quart of whisky won at cards from an
Iowa man, and by Hickory! old. chap,
we'll make night OF it"
Gall right, Jack, I'll be there; but
don'task too many for lambs leg isn't a
very big bird, and q quart Won't go far
| in crowd"
ssNever fear, man-just Ferguson,
Ropes, you and I-sharp six o'clock,
/ you know-be on time.''
Charlie was on time, and SO were
] Jacks other two guests. a