The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-09-14
BRANEST
DEEDS ~
WAR.
.. j ]: j. ! !!
HE lines of the
>@2 Union army
tim were clio 5 / n &
E<41tz# around Peters
y M5E# burg Xix a
shroud of iron,
when General
Lee resolved to

break and drive
them back, if possible. To that end
he ordered an attack in force to be
made on General Grants line of cir
cumvalation on July 10, 1864.
The point selected for assault was
in the vicinity of an old country inn
called ''The Yellow Tavern"
The order was that the attack
should be made just before the dawn
of day, the time most favorable for
surprise, when deep sleep falleth on
man" Tt was the experience, how
ever. of many Confederate officers
charged with the duty of attacking in
the gray of the morning that it was
difficult to bring their troops into line
at that early hour. Although they
and not yet hardened into the bone Of
manhood they were in one sense, at
least, not of the rising generation
Hence it was that General J Johnston
Hagood, whose brigade of South Caro-
linians was assigned to the right Of the
attacking force found that daylight
had broken before he could align his
command. General Hagood was as
true a soldier as ever drew a sword in
battle; to him the path of duty was
the path Of honor, and although he
saw that his brigade was in plain view
of the Union troops, who had already
manned their intrenchmen ts, he or
dered it to advance to the assault It
had to cross a space of about 25O yards
in width, which had an undulating
surface, and the broken nature of the
ground afforded some shelter until it
debOuched upon a level highway,
within seventy yards of the works
:. q.
artillery and rifles, but it was com
posed of seasoned veterans and never
faltered Where the dead fell the
living stepped; and their leveled bay
onets soon sparkled within twenty
feet of the line of intrenchments.
There the brigade came to an invol-
untary halt, for before it lay a wide,
deep ditch, half full of water, which
it had no means of crossing. Unable
to advance, yet unwilling to retreat
without orders, every soldier deliv-
cred his hopeless fire with the energy
of despair.
As a merciful suggestion, no doubt
PROMPTED by admiration for body of
brave men, doomed otherwise to GER
tain slaughter, the Union soldiers
called out to them to surrender; but
the call was unheeded- At that
deadly juncture a mounted officer
was seen to emerge from the sally
port of an earth work a a re-entering
angle of the line of intrenchment Is,
nearly opposite to the center of the
brigade. He galloped up to the color
bearer of the South Carolina
regiment, and, holding out his right
hand, demanded the surrender of the
colors- Although mounted, the uni
form and shoulder straps of the dar-
ing Union officer indicated that he
was captain of infantry. He was,
apparently, about thirty years of age,
with a noble and handsome face, and
tall, heroic form.
The color sergeant, seemingly
dazed, or perhaps paralyzed by the
sublime effrontery of the demand,
surrendered the colors.
The flag was especially dear to the
regiment, for it had been presented
by the ladies of the district in which
the regiment was raised, and it had
been borne a1oft with honor on many
battlefe1ds. It was a state flag with
the arms of South Carolina upon it.
and a counterpart of that which the
famous Palmetto regiment in the
Mexican war had planted the
walls of the capital of Mexico, the