The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-03-30
SCENE OF THE ATTACK.


fair. They wouldn't move out. They
skulked away on the road and across the
fields. Finally the leader of the first DASH
who had once ridden up TO the farm gate,
mustered few squads from several com
panies and spurred on through the lane
once more. The gate was not more than
20 feet from the porch, where a grenadier
paced back and forth on his guard beat as
grimly important as though the assaulting
party were the commanding general and
staff on tour Of inspection. The Elite
Corps at the gate saw how weak the attack
was given and calmly picked off their men.
The troopers on their part fired at the win
dows, and some officer in plain view and
hearing called out, Cease firing--we sur
RENDER Such an order, right or wrong,
brings confusion The defenders of the
house dropped their muskets and the troop
ers their carbines. But instantly another
voice cried, "Shoot that coward" and
the bullets from both sides ratified once
more upon the house and among the pal
ings. Five Contederates were down; five
horses plunged and fought for room in the
crowd which choked the narrow lane.
Once more the men backed away on their
own hook. and the whole enterprise was
at n standstill.
Most leaders would have quit and peck
eted the shame of the great fiasco, but the
blood of the cold army was aroused.
The colonel leaped his horse over the lane
fence and slackened pace just long enough
for dozen volunteers to join him, then
started on a wild ride around the house to
attack the rear as he had planned at the
outset. The house, the trees, the yard
fence gave shelter to a hundred riilemen.
! The pathway of the troopers and their val
liant leader was n semicircle fringed with
the blaze of guns On they sped through
the crossfire from the line at the front pal
ings and along the direct range of the left
yard fence around to the gate in the rear.
The Elites rushed from their stations in
front of the house, and making short cut
arrived at the rear fence before the rash
troopers had time to gather impetus for
the grand stroke Captain Langner and
Lieutenant MARTINEZ singled out the cblo-
mel and a captain wha rode with him, and
leaped the fence to cut them down But
a chance bullet fired by some marksman
in the grounds struck Colonel Robinson in
the thigh as he was squirting his horse on
to crash through the palings. He reeled,
and his horse suddenly veered short, throw
/ ing the rider to the ground Langner and
/ Martinez thrust their drawn swords be-
tween him and his companions. Once
more cut off from the leader who to them
was as good as lost, and lacking the inspi
ration of his example, the men backed
away, abandoning in some cases horses,
accouterments or whatever could impede
! their flight.
Baron Eggloffstein witnessed the exploit
of the brave regular from the beginning
| Being an old Indian fighter himself, he
| could recognize daring deed without the
| help of prompter. His official report OF
| the affair praised the luckless officer fol-
his holiness and declared that he merited
! a better fate. True valor is never churlisf
! at meeting its equal, and the baron sent q
dispatch to the wounded colonel's wife
which brought her through the lines to the
side of her husband "a hours after he was
! shot
The casualties of the brief and pictur
esque struggle were II. Heroes "fell sho
through the heart by bullets that spec
true" gallant troopers were "unhorseC
and disarmed in the fierce melee" and scar
gained there are "battle scars" despite tn
fact that Gillett's Farm cannot be twisted
to spell Gettysburg.
GEORGE l.. KILMER.