The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-12-28

the next day squad of picked men
from the conscript camp was tog goto the
front in charge of Private Chadwick,
the enemy having shown q purpose to
make Il winter campaign.
would you like to go?" the captain
asked.
Little Billy seized the CAPTAINS arm.
Don't fool me-" he cried. ''Jf I'm fit
to 60 let me go. That's what I'm long
ing for
The captain felt about in the dark for
little Billy's hand. and grasped it, You
shall go" he said. and walked from the
dark tent into the starlight outside.
The nights are long to those who
sleep with sorrow. but, after all the
days come quickly. as little Billy soon
found out. The next morning he found
himself whirling away to Virginia,
where some cruel business was on foot.
The days went fast enough then, and
the railway train, with it's load of SOL
diers, puffed and snorted as If it wanted
to go faster. too; but 1t went fast
enough-just fast enough to be switch
ed off to the right of Richmond and
plunge it's load of conscripts and raw
recruits unprepo~ed into q furious bat
lie that hed just reached the hic.h- tide
of destruction. E'riy3ra Chadwick wGs
swept airag with tie rest. and he rried
hard 10 keep his aye on l,itle Hiily. bu,
iOund IL i!upoGjib.c, since thty were
soon mixed with men who We're wound
ed and with men who were running
away. Some of the latter turned again
when they saw the reinforcements
rushing forward 'pell-mel.
Little Billy was far in front of the
others. He heard the crackle of mus
kerry and the thunder of the cannon.
and ran toward the smoke and con-
fusion. A shell dropped in front of
him and spun around. splitting fire, but
he ran on. and never even heard the ex-
plosion that shattered the trees around,
and played havoc with the reinforce
ments that were following. He jumped
over men that were lying on the
ground. whether dead or wounded, he
never knew. Some one, apparently in
command. yelled at him with savage
curse, but he raid no attention to 1t.
Directly in front of him he saw a bat
terry of three guns Two were In action.
but one had no one to manage 1t. ON
each side of this battery. and little to
the rear, the line of battle stretched
away.
Seeing little Billy running forward,
followed by the recruits from the train,
the line of battle began to cheer. and at
practiced with an old FOUNDER at
the conscript camp and he now ran, as
If by instinct, to the gun that had been
silenced. The confederates charged,
but had to fall back again. and then
they began to retire slowly at first. and
then with some haste. Little Billy
paid no attention to this movement at
all. He continued to serve his gun and
fire 1t as rapidly as he could. Shot and
shell from the federal batteries plowed
up the ground around him. but never
touched him. Presently tall man with
Il long brown beard rode out of the
smoke and ordered little Billy to re-
treat, pointing, as he did so, to the
bristling line of federals charging up
the hill.
Take hold of my stirrup," said the
tall man. He spurred his horse into n
rapid trot. and little Billy trotted by his
side, nightly helped by holding on to
the stirrup In this way they were
soon out of sight. and in q little while
had caught up with the main body,
which had planted itself couple Of
miles farther back, while the brigade in
which little Billy had fought was hold
ing the enemy at bay.
Little Billy's face was black with
powder, but his eyes shown like stars.
He knew now that never again would
danger or the fear of death cause him
to finch.
What regiment do you belong to-"
asked the tall man. as they went along.
None replied little BILLY, simply.
Then he told how he was just from n
conscript camp in Georgia. When they
arrived at the confederate position the
tall man called to an officer
This is my rear guard said he. "Scc
that he is cared for, Then 10 little
Billy: when this affair blcwa cv:r,
brush UP and call cn General i.cb
Stuart. He needs a courier, and you
are the man.
AS there was no sign of fight the
next day, little Billy went to General
Stuart's headquarters and was ushcred
in. That famous fighter who happened