The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-03-04

| figure ride away, there was a dull pain a
| the girls heart.
| The lieutenant had barely got his gun.
! in motion when another orderly came gel
| looping up instructing the officer to post hi:
| battery on the heights overlooking the
| creek only few hundred yards distant
| from the Purvis dwelling. Heavy bodies
! of Confederate infantry were reported Il
| be advancing through the woods. Lee had
deceived the Federal commander by the
celebrity OF his movements and the struggle
/ would take place not about the village o.
. Sharpsburg, but on the banks of the creek
By noon the guns of Willoughby's bat
terry were making thunderous echoes among
the hills clad in the following foliage OIL
early fall. But as yet the real action was
delayed. At day break on the morning Of
the 10Th, however, the heights on both sides
of the creek were crowded with the oppos
ing forces, and from every wall. fence, stone
and stump flashed the red volleys, whit
over the hitherto peaceful valley hung
! thick clouds of sulphurous battle smoke.
All that dreadful day Margaret Purvis
sat in her room, her heart quaking at every
boom of the cannon and her soul sickenina
at the sight of scores and hundreds of SHAT,
tered, dying wretches borne to the rear
Yet, woman az she was, her dread was less
for herself than for the gallant young sol.
der in the scorching forefront of the battle.
And when night, with its holy and com.
pelling calm, put an end to the struggle
still she sat at her window, marking the
lurid CLEAN of the watchfires on every hill
hoping that he might perhaps hurry tc
her side for a few moments at least. But
ne did not come, and through the long,
solemn hours she kept her post at the win
dow, waiting, hoping, fearing, until, with
the first CLEAN of dawn, great gun broke
the hush with its hoarse challenge for the
renewal of the combat, and the answering
thunders roared from all the heights
around.
AS the day advanced it seemed to hel
that the discharges of cannon and the rat
tie CT musEetry were drawing nearer,
growing louder and more distinct. Now
and again shell screamed through the
tops of. the tail oaks on the lawn, bursting
in the fields far beyond Yet more dense
came the mournful train of the wounded
and dying. And now, tired, covered with
dust and blood squads, companies, whole
regiments of troops were hurrying past in
disorderly array, casting terrified glances
over their shoulders and trampling each
other like focks of panic smitten sheep.
Could it be possible that the Federals were
being pressed back? Was victory after all
about to declare for the enemy?
For more than an hour the retreatine
troops poured on; then came a heavy roll
and clang, and battery gallOped past the
gate. His batteryl She recognized the
uniform and the number on the mems
caps. But he was not among the fleeing
artillerymenl Was he dead? Had he been
deserted, wounded and dying, by his cow
ardly comrades?
With blanched cheek and trembling
limbs she threw a long mantle over heI
head and shoulders, and giving no need
to her fathers terrified protests she start
ed down the road toward the creek. All
about her were wrecks of the battie-can-
teens, broken muskets, pieces of tern uni
forms, naversacks, cartridge boXes-fung
aside in the desperate haste of retreat; aye,
and as she mounted the hill toward the
creek, human forms, silent, twisted, bloody,
shot mangled, and others that groaned and
begged for water, or for kindly hand TO
put them out of their torture.
Sick, almost fainting, she pressed on till
she came to the brow of the hill. Here
and there, all along the bluff where the
battery had been, were dead men; some
looking as if asleep, others as if still in the
grip of the fatal wrestle; all terrible,
loathsome, pitiful. Far off, on the oppo
site side of the creek, white clouds of smoke
were waiting gently upward in the clear
air, and from their hearts sprang yellow
spOuts of flame. Every second, overhead
or at either side, she heard the spitefuI
hr.o lii IF ltafc Ily7f -l,
heed to herself, for there on the crown of
the bluff stood the old iron siege gun,
abandoned in the retreat, and within a
dozen feet of it, his head supported upon
castoff knapsack, lay Junius Willoughby,
his shoulder broken by fragment of shell.
As she knelt over him his eyes opened
and smile crossed his CHASTITY features.
You here, Miss Purvis-Margaret?" he
murmured. Then he struggled, groaning,
to his elbow. ''We are beaten" he moaned
at is all over. My men retreated and took
my guns with them and left me here to
die"
But you shall not dieP cried Margaret
passionately.
Poor little Maggiew said the young
soldier, smiling again in spite of his pain.
How will you help it? Those fellows will
be here in ten minutes, and some one of
them will put me out of my misery with
good bayonet thrust. But you-you," he
exclaimed with sudden vehemence, you
must not be found hereI Run back to the
house, harness up your swiftest horse and
go-go as fast as you camp
And leave you here to die?" cried the
girl mo; | would rather die myself,
Junius, for love you. Why should deny
it now? Oh, is there nothing can do?"
Yes" replied the young soldier; ''if you
could fire that old gun once more believe
die happy"
With these words he fell back insensible
Margaret looked about her wildly and
wrung her hands. The firing from the op-
posite side of the creek had almost ceased.
Far of, on either hand, she could see the
Union lines swaying to and fro as the
cloud of battle rose; here, the CLEAN of
bayonets as charge was made or re-
PEELED; there, the CLINT of lifted sabers as
a squadron Of cavalry rode fiercely int |
some fiery gulf; and again, the red light |
ming of battery hurting its storm of death |
through pail of white smoke |
Immediately IN front of where she stood, !
and some 1900 yards distant. the face of |
the hill was swarming with dense masses /
Of gray uniforms, topped with forest of |
dancing bayonets and waving colorS The |
Union center was crushed and broken by |
the terrific fire of the Confederate batteries, |
though the wings, desperately fighting, |
still held their ground. The farseeing eve !
Of the brilliant soldier in command OF the |
southern forces detected his advantage and |
prepared TO make use of It. He ordered a |
heavy column to occupy the abandoned !
Union front, and cutting the lines In two