The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-03-31

whatever weapon they could wound or
kill. 1t was the fight Of Il mob. II was
a mob which went cIrcling round and
round the battery long ago disabled by
the killing of all its hoyses. The Thirty
eighth New York, followed byapurtlun
If the Fire Zouayes, went forward yell-
ing and cheering, but they came too late
IL save all the guns. The Cunlederates
held the ground and retained three Of the
pieces. As jackson rides forward the
company from the Shenandoah valley is
dragging one Of the captured guns To- the
rear.
"Who commands this culupany"'
asked the general looking in vain Tor
commissioned officer.
The men halted aud stared AZ him,
but no one replied.
"Whero is your captain; Where are
Your heuteuauts;' he demanded.
Cant tell W, general, - answered
a private who was bareheadsd and coat
less, but the boss We are wurkin un-
der Jest now is that ar Yankee with
the tlag.
jackson was about to speak further
when an aid delivered an order and he
rode huINedly away. There is no more
fighting On this front To the right and
left the Fedegals charge again and
again, bu; always 10 be beaten back
Did they number twice as many they
could not dislodgJ the Contederatts from
the plateau. Nature made il for the key
Of q battlefield.
Ii is 5 o'clock, and the fight still
RACES tierctly. Ii is clock, and the
Frderals are still battsring ut tht slopes
Of the plateau. Half al hour later the
yJlleys Of muSketry suddenly increase
in volume, the artillery redoubles its
lire, there is wild cheering all along the
Confederate front. Johlstou's troops
have come up from the valley, He
throws them into the battle, and the
Fcderais arc driven back. The Conted-
crates push forward in pursuit, and the
troops who were giving way slowly and
retiring in good order suddenly become
panic stricken.
An army panic is like unto nothing
else in its fUOlishuess, III its madness, in
that feeling Of terror which makes sery-
lie towards Of brave men for few
hours. In 80 minutes from the first
wild shouts Of alarm the highways lead
ing hack 10 Centeryille were choked
with the shattered, disorgauized and
fleeing Federal commands. Here and
there feeble attempts wele made to
check the terrified mob but each effort
only increased the panic.
WHAT were they fleeing from: Death;
If so, almost every man Of them had
faced death for hours that day without
finching. They faced it now, as terri
fed men discharged their muskets and
threw them into the bitches, as remnants
Of cavalry commands dashed into the
mass, as feldpieces and Hmbers and
] caissons, drawn by horses which seemed
to have caught the spirit of terror,
turned in from the fields at a mad gal
lop and rode down every obstruction.
Men fee like shadows from a plague,
but they know from what they flee.
Rushing into the highways, fighting
each other as they struggled to reach
the van, stumbling, falling, a chill Of
fear upon every heart, the army which
had fought 50 well and long streamed
into the hamlet Of Centeryille. There
was no pursuit. There WASH brigade
in the Confederate army in condition to
pursue, nor was the extent Of the Fed
eral disaster known to Confederate OIL.
cers. Here was a strong position, and
here it was that troops who mad not been
in action were formed across the high.
way leading to Washington to check the
panic stricken thousands. Mounted Of
fCers rode into the mob ard shouted
commands and appeals. The painting
fugitives paused for a moment, but il
was not to listen, not TO obey, not to
feel ashamed of their silly fears. 1t was
to draw a long breath and then dash al
the wall of glistening bayonets. The
wall menaced them, the bayonets point
ed at their breasts, but with one mighty
surge the living wave dissolved TIT
vail, hurled it down, flung the frag.
mcnts to right and loft, and the stream
Of humanity poured on over the hill:
and flowed the faster for its temporary
check. 1t could not be checked again
until it reached the Potomac.