Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-04-07
AYANKEEI IN GRAY
By CHARLES B. LEWIS IN. QUAD.
Copyright, 1884. by American Press Associa-
toni
CHAPTER I.

CHAPTER I.
The day and date is the 21st of July,
1861.
The scene is the battle-ground Of first
Bull Run. Il field made memorable for
ever.
From daybrcak to high noon the Fed
eral army under Mcdowell has been
( moving down on the Confederate posi-
/ tion selected weeks ago by the generals
| old in the strategy of war. On the flanks
| hrigadeS have grapplCd in the open
/ firlls. regiments have dashed at each
other in the forests and thick, Is. Here
4 little ground has been gained. there a
little lost 1t has been the >kirnIiShing
which prec-des every battle. locating the
enemy. testing his readiness, drawing
his strength and uncovering his designs.
The hour is high noon. The Confed-
crate front has been pressed back. the
left wing shattered. Men looking down
on the battlefield from the hills of Cen
terville have every movement in plain
view. At - o'clock the battle is won
for the Fcdorals. Bee, BarstOw and
Evans. who have held the Confederate
center. have been beaten back by Burn
side. Sykes and Porter. They give way
slowly and g1udglngIy, fighting as they
/ break back, and they are trying to rally,
when there is clatter of bayOnets be-
ing fixed to muskets, and thousand
men rush forward at the double quick.
1t is the New York Twenty seventh, and
Colonel Slocum leads it, the first bayonet
charge of the war Forward! For
1,-I1- 1y,t,N floa
Confederate center and rolls the frag
ments right and lett.
The cheering is heard a mile away
above the noise of battle. The Federal
center moves forward to pursue the shat
tered enemy. and couriers ride away
with the news. We have pierced the
Confederate center and Won the day"
Behind the flying Confederates is
plateau of 800 acres, comprising two or
three farms. There aIe two or three
farmhuuses. orchards, meadows, thick
cts of pine. barren fields. Here is Stone
wall jackson with ). 900 men in reserve.
The Fragments of brigades, regiments
and companies are hurled back to the
slopes of this plateau to he rallied
and reformed behind the reserves. Cou
rI.rS ride away to Beaurcgard to ask for
more artillery, infantry and cavalry,
and while the Federals pause to replen-
i>h their cartridge boxes and grid up
their luinS fer last struggle 1000 fresh
CunfvlvrateS are hurrying forward to
the plateau.
Noon becomes o'clock. The Skin
mishers are at work all along the front
of the plateau, Int there is no fighting.
Another hour slips away. Tho Fed
erals have waited too long. At noon they
could have carried the position with a
rush. Vt o'clock they would have met
with stubborn resistance. but victory
would have perched ON their banners.
Now as the FcderalS are ready to move
the Confederate :. 900 have become TO-
600. and their 10 pieces of artillery
have lrcome 20.
y majority Of the troops are fresh
and their nerves mistaken. and all are
ready for the grapple.
Thirteen thousand Federals move
against the plateau at different points
almost a. one man. and the battle opens
with great crash. Under General
Jackson : immediate orders are five or
six regiments. On the right of his line
is a Virginia regiment. On tho right of
that regiment is n company from the
Shenandoah valley. They have not bSen
i'll action Vet. AS the Federals move
up t. the attack Ricketts, Federal bat
terry, supported by a Minnesota regi-