The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1893-03-02

be seen. proved the salvation of the
mountaineers.
The Confederates numbered about a
hundred men, cavalry or mounted rifles,
as could he seen when the clouds rolled
away aud the sun came out. The enemy
were green and undrilled, as were most
Of the troops on both sides at that time,
but the officer in command evidently
understood his business. Leaving 0
guard with the horses grazing in the
valley, he advanced his men in open
order, and evidently with orders to pro-
tect themselves as best they could till
they came within rife reach.
II recall" said Miss Peters, that l
saw all this without any increase of fear,
nor was at all shocked at seeing my
father on his knees with his rifle pro-
truding through an opening in the rocks.
Indeed it appeared to me like an act of
habitual devotion. WANTED to do some.
thing, and if there had been an unused
rifle within reach l am sure I should
have obeyed the impulse to use it.
II never admired Strong Dick Brad.
ley so much before. expected that he
would rave and swear, but instead he
went softly from man to man, uncaring
for the exposure, and whispering, Low
and stiddy. boys; low and stiddy, and
not too doggone highr"
As the Confederates advanced with
out drawing the fire of the man on the
hill, they began to feel that the task was
easy, for they yelled in that peculiar
Indianlike way that afterward distin-
guished them in battle. They became
more reckless and began to expose them
selves, when an irregular fire opened on
them from the rocks.
1t was not till dozen men had fallen
that the Confederates began to get a
true estimate of the enemy. This was
the first conflict in which any of them
had ever participated, and so the cour-
age of the bravest began to cool at the
sight of blood. They threw themselves
on the ground and opened q mild fusil-
lade at the rocks on the Ill.
''One of our men got shot through
the fleshy part of his left arm" said Miss
Peters. 1.-The sight of the blood made
me shudder when | came to tic the
wound up in u handkerchief that had
been used as a flag of truce; but con-
fidence and hope returned when the
young fellow said, with a laugh. as if he
rather enjoyed it, 'Lor bless you, Ella,
that amt nothin to what did TO one of
them sinners ez was fo' climbin up this
HILL
THE young man had just returned to
his place. and l was about to rejoin
mother, when / was startled by a low
cry. Then / saw father reeling back,
with an awful look in his eyes. ran to
him and reached out my arms to helm
him, but he fell-fell at my feet-dead.
''God forgive me! but at that instant
did not fully feel our terrible loss. The
impulse came to me to take the rifle that
had fallen from his hands and to fill his
place, and am sure that should have
done so had not mother tainted.
81 recall that Dick Bradley quickly
and tenderly lifted the body back to
where the men could not see it, and he
whispered, Don't take on loud: don't let
the boys know our loss till we've licked
them hounds down the hill"
And during that morning and we'll on
into the afternoon the mountaineers
fought without knowing that Father
Peters was dead. 1t was evident to Brad
ley that the enemy had been REINFORCED,
and he began to fear for the coming
night, when, to his great joy and sur
prise, he saw the Confederates hurrying
down to their horses and galloping away.
Soon after this u bugle sounded the
advance up the valley, and two squad
rons of the First Kentucky cavalry came
into view. The young men sent out
that morning had brought the re-en-
forcements.
Father Peters was buried on the hill
where he fell. and there he lay till,
through General Garfield, the body was
taken to the western reserve after the
war
The subsequent record Of Bradley was
entirely characteristic, and some day
when my data are more full | will write
them out. 1t is known that he killed
Het Magoone after that desperate had
offered TO surrender. And it is also
known that he tore the colors of the
Third Middle Tennessee from the staff
at Chickanauga and carried them in his
breast till his escape from Anderson
vile, eighteen months afterward.
THE END.