The Red Cloud chief., 1895-03-29
IbY GV1. EA.MVTGNEI


Wv
But Mark Maynard was "a veteran
land had seen all this before. He gave
the ambulance corps % single glance,
and then, looking toward u group Of
Union officers partly concealed from
hiiT by tho smoke Of the battery, saw
ono OF them, with tho stars of % briga.
dicr general on his shoulder, peer north.
ward through, n fleldglass. Turning his
eyes III the same direction. he could see
q light cloud rising west Of Ringold.
He watched IL and observed that ono
end Of 1t was trending toward q ford.
north of Reeds ridge. The officer soon
shut up his glass, and in another mo.
ment aids were g~alloping away to give
orders To- retreat. a column Of Confed.
crates, extending for miles, were march.
Ing TO the ford To turn tho Union left,
AMI no time was to he lost in getting
thu little force back to the bridge.
There is n quick limbering of guns,
nd skirmishcrS, cavalry, gunners, all
hurry back over the ridge. At the bridge
they find W regiments ready for any
duty to which they may be assigned.
They arc directed to hold the ford to
which the column Of dust is moving.
Protected in that direction. tho forco at
the bridge awaits moro confidently the
coming OF the advancing Confedcrates.
They have not long to wait. The Skin.
mish"r', n thia limo OF gray, arc soon seen
s%curryirg over the ridge like light scat.
t,leC clouds before "a "whitc suuall."
In" main Lac Of g:Gy is still tramping
over the Pea Vino valley, keeping the
slow pac" o. their heavy guns. The I'm.
ion men do not wait for the stronger
forco. They turn upon these skirmishers
and drive thom back through tho gap
to their moro slowly moving comrades.
Mark Maynard, following with the
rest. soon again found himself on the
ridge. There. in the valley below, was
tho limo of battle he had seen, but near
or, u crescent shaped line extending
from the banl. Of the creek above the
ford across the northern end of the ridge
into the Pea Vine valley. Battlehags
appeared above tho limo ut regular inter.
walls Each ono OF 10 flags Maynard
counted. indicating n regiment. He
knew that the little Union force east of
tho ~Chickamauga could not stand
against what appeared to be Mt least %
division of infantry. with u very strong
force Of cavalry. Nor was he wrong.
The scythe swung round as if moved
by the arms OF u Titan, moving with
its sharp edge the opposing Unionists.
They were sent flying back to tho bridge
and hurriedly put themselves into u 20.
sition to defend it.
They are ready for the storm when il
breaks, meeting il with artillery and
charges OF cavalry. The C%onfederates
are driven. but by this time their artil.
iery has been got forward and posted ut
q point north of the bridge, where 1t can
sweep tho valley Of the creek. the bridge
and those whose purpose it is to defend
1t.
Now there Is imminent danger. Will
the little force on the east bank get
over, or will it be cut Off aud captured
by these overwhelming Confedcrates?
1t can only be saved by one portion
charging the enemy while tho others
are moving by twos (the bridge will
stand no more) across tho structure.
Among those who charged and re.
ohargeJ to keep Off the gray coats swarm
ing upon them on that %Oventful morn.
Ing, always in tho advance, in tho spit.
hing limo of foam that precedcs the bill.
low rolling upon the sand, Mark MAY.
nnrd was ever present. AS each wave
tolled from tho margin Of tho Chicka.
mau2a broke upon tho southorners and
receded a number Of the Union troops
had passed the bridge.
Maynard waited till every man was
over. Thon, stepping on the bridge, he
Joined u party who were tearing up tho
flooring to prevent tho enemy from fol.
lowing. At last these loft for tho shore,
and he remained alone. As board after
board came mp the C%onfederates pushed
nearer, but still he worked OH. Bullets
sang to each other as they passed from
east to west and from west to east
while the air was thick with intermin.
able explosions. At last all was done
that could DO done. Whether his action
had 80 excited the admiration Of his enc.
mics that they had no heart 10 shoot
MIN or whether an everything power
would not let him die. no at last turned
unhurt and Joined his comrades.
lie had been exposed as never before,
as he might never DO again, but no had
not met death