Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1892-02-11

they drive them back ana break lcir
line. IN vain Hopkins and j, ant
rally their men to superhuman :'o,t
The tide Of battle is against thrr AZ 4
they can not Withstand is irrcs s,.ble
force.
And who are those two horsemen
Ralloping at hcadlong speed from the
extreme right, with their horses heads
turned toward Chattanooga
General Rosecrans ana Garfield, his
chief Of staff What does this mcan2"
Colonel Hopkins cried 20 Frank Ia stern
dismay as they rested at crossroads
20 allow their scattered men time TO
gather round their standard
"1hcy find the road they are taking
impracticablc and are coming this
way" Iicsant 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.
"llark, srl" Garfield said 10 his SUI
perior, and pointing with his sword 10
the left. whence came the Pr 1'lar ~
from Thomas division THAT does not
sound like dcfeat!"
81 tell you" was the pctulant reply,
ait Is a rout--wc are beaten, man; and
am of to Chattanooga 20 telegraph the
cursed tale 10 Washington"
MAY rcmnin?" almost pleaded Car
field.
AS you win" was the ungracious
assent, rs the hero Of hundred
fights, seized with a. Of panic so
difficult 10 understand in one with 80
brilliant record, drove his spurs into
his horsc's flank and dashed away.
"Follow me down this road, Colonel,
as soon ns you can get your men to-
gcthcr: you will find General Thomas
In sore need Of your help" Garfield
cried, as hc too rode away.
In half an hour they were ready TO
advance, though their ranks were but
thinly manned.
Forward, mon. At the double
quickl' and once more the Fighting
Fourth ran painting 10 the struggle.
They found Thomas oppressed by
superior numbers, but standing firm as
a rock, with Polk bnttcring his center
and left, and longstrect harrassing his
right. Assault after assault was made,
| yet those immortal heroes never wav-
| cred
And now another danger threatens
| them: for Tonghtrcet has discovered "a
/ gap in the mountain in Thomas rear,
/ through which he Is pouring u heavy
column. Surely all Is lost now-but no,
I 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 u par
eel Of boys fresh from the plow,"
snccrcd AN aidc.de-camp, as he gallopcd
forward to direct their movement. But
sec those pillow boys fight! Had they
carried arms for years, aud been Injured
to battle scenes from childhood, they
could not have shown more deter
nincd bravery Over and over ngain
Longstrcct charges, but he can not
break those solid ranks, and at sunset
Thomas, driven back but not defeated,
rcccdcs Ia the shelter Of Chattanooga,
whittier Rosccrans' scattered men have
preceded him carrying CONSERVATION
with their wild stories OF defeat.
And nearly thirty thousand men
from North and South lay killcu and
wounded ON the blood-staincd banks OF
"Ihc River of Death"
said the Union army was not beaten
well, perhaps not in literal sense,
for the object Of the contention, Chat
tanooga, still remained in their occupa-
ton, but the Confcdcratcs Justly claimed
"ChiclSamauga" as victory, for they
had forced their enemy from the Geld,
and now held him shut up in hi, On.
trcuchmcnts with all communication
cut OF.
Bragg had II new ally--invinciblc 10y
human hands, impcrvious to human
daring-thc guunt, fierce fiend, Starva'
ton.
Once Rosccrans made an effort at d
sally, but hunger had killed so many oi
his animals that he had not horses
enough 10 drag u battery into action
and so thick lay the carcasscs Of dca,
mites on the muddy roads that mcI
stepped ON them from one to another I,
avoid the miro.
Hard times indeed had settled on tho
luclSlcss garrison, the coarscst kind o
food being precious as rubics IN tn,
eyes OF the famished soldiers Charli,
then, when one day Jack Gregory whis
pored In his car the joyous information
that he had secured hind.quartcr o
lamb, which he had conflscntcd from Al
Irishman in his company, who was ear
rying II Off TO his quarters.
Il can't give you any mint-sauce,
said the jovial Captain, but there's
. quart Of whisky ! won at cards from a
Iowa man, and by Hickory! old char
wen make a night Of It,"
, "All right, Jack, I'll be there; bu
don't ask too many, for lambs leg isn't
very big bird, and quart won't 20 ia
, In crowd"
"Never fear, man-just Ferguson
Ropes, you and l-sharp six o'clocl
, you lSnow--be on time"
, Charlie was on time, and so wer
A jacks other two guests.
A You're admiring that stove, boys,
c Sec jack said, making preparations fC
o the coming meal, meat but not gaud'
D and not quite the thing TO adorn palnc
drawing-room. There's history abo,
n it, too, Three of my fellows brought
v in the other day, red.hot, with bate
J. Of corn bread in the oven. Fact, a
5 sure you. They'd found IL In som
; body's kitchen and presented II TO m
i rs token Of their high esteem and
d consideration for two pounds OF Car
a lima cut-plug"
!, Guess it's done" Ferguson sal
= opening the oven door and peeping 10
IA ingly at the luscious joint.
:, t,It isn't IA worry hiu ono Wsighed II pt,,