Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1892-03-31
Saint Narg's Beacon.
BENRDICTTON OF BATTLE.

Isolated, obscure, among black
jack ridges, more Of . duel than .
battle, having in its factors birds Of
prey whose down was about to be
exchanged for beaks, this battle
went into history as a skirmish-
1t was one Of the saddest out
groupings of the civil war that any
man or woman knew in all Nilsson
ri. The combatants were just fresh
from the pursuits Of peaceful life.
You could hear the song Of the har-
vest singing amid the trees. The
water, as it ran, wanted to 90 where
the sunrise was, the dawn and the
dew. You could smell the very
earth, it was so perfumed with green
and growing things. The lazy tap
ping of the woodpeckers sounded
far away, and as the ghost of
Drummer boy drumminga tune"
just look at the bronzed, boyish
farmer faces. Who knew there what
sort Of q tragedy war would soon
put upon the stagef Some laugh
ed lightly az though q country dance
was being danced. Some went from
mess to mess, as people 60 to
old-fashioned quilting parties
Some sang a little. Some did not
sing, but they felt that they were
in love with the earth, the air,
and the sky. The bare breast Of
August was painting amid the corn.
Summer lay along the hills, q
crowned queen, because of the red
in her cheeks aud the red in her
hair. Some few bronzed men fit
ted in and out among the farmer
boys. These were the sable fingers
on the blood-red tide of the coming
battle.
Some few laughing women were
about, most Of them sweeshearts,
and q few of them wives. These
were the crucifixes men held in their
hands when they went down holly
to the coming battle. Do you know
that q battle is q benediction War,
lifting its mighty hands above those
who advance and those who retreat,
says: "Holily l absolve all who
die in the fore front of the fight.
No matter for what cause, or king,
or creed, or country the poor SOL
der falls, so only he Is sincere, bury
him in holy ground.
Attention ! All the bugles rang
out suddenly; all the drums beat |;
all the fresh, farmer faces blanched
suddenly, and then grew hard all
the men dreaming of home, farm,
household, and little things, naked
to the knees, children fashion, rose
up giants.
Thereafter, there was hell. The
Missourians died there. So did the
Iowa people. So did the Kansas
people. Bloody Hill was so wet
with blood that crimson roses might
have been grown there. The pow
der cloud made a gloom from which
spectres emerged. Lyon was one of
them. He rode down to the fight
like a man who suddenly felt some
sort of inspiration come out of the
sky. He appeared three or four
times through the gloom, with his
hat of and his men all behind him.
When generals come face to face
with death most generally they de-
sire to head the column. 1t is there
that dirges are sung, and the laurel
trees give up their earliest and
greenest leaves. 1t took three bull
lets to kill Lyon. Another evidence
OF the old Vikings blood which
was in him.
1t also took three bullets to kill
Weightman. This man. was fair
haired. 1t is known that he pray
ed at times. Over him was the
scene of q terrible tragedy ut Santa
lie. New Mexico. he had q brigade
Of Missouri boys-say an average of
sixteen years for the whole lot-and
they worshiped him. He took them
to the crest Of Bloody Hill, and
when the bugle blew it was doubt
ful whether there were enough left
living to bury the dead. Poor
Weightman! The ball which kill
ed him was a bsil between the u.
and the S. on his sabre belt. Was
this prophetic Of everybody who
tries to destroy the Union ?
No matter /! Let the old survi-
vors meet at Springfield. Let them
grasp hands. Let them remember
when one soldier gives another sol
der his hand, no matter the flag,
there is q friendship and q comrade-