Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1895-12-19

a ball crashed through his left arm
and his work was done.
Pickett's charge on the right,
though gallantly made, was alike
disastrous, and Lees lines were
withdrawn. During the whole of
the 4th day of July he waited for
the threatened attack that never
came. 1t was necessary now to
move back to the South of the Po-
tomac; further attack were mad
ness. The hostile forces could gath
er fresh supplies and additional
troops. Lee could have none such,
and the long retreat began. Such
of the wounded as could bear trans
pcrtation were. borne with such care
as could be rendered them. along
the rugged mountain paths, liable
to attack and capture at the hands
of the active Federal cavalry Young
Blackstone accompanied the train
IN which were a number OF the
wounded officers of his own COM
mand. Devoting himself to the
care Of those more severely hurt
than himself, his exert:ons proved
beyond his strength. When re-
monstrated with on the subject, his
only reply was: "While can rem
der aid, | must do it,
At one point the train was under
fire and the hostile cavalry was close
at hand. The teamsters were seized
with sudden panic and they were
about to abandon their. charge and
cut loose the teams to seek safety
in fight. Young Blackstone as
sumed command, and Selling a re-
volver, presented it at the most dis
orderly of the frightened crowd,
and threatened death to the first
one who should attempt to detach
a team. The disorder was stayed,
and the train at length reached
Hagerstown. Here it was found
that Inflammation had set in upon
the wounded arm, and it was thought
dangerous for him to proceed furth-
er on, and so he was directed by one
of hi commanding officers on the
train to remain and seek proper care
and treatment. In the hospital at
that point, he received all possible
attention, his case exciting much
interest even in his late opponents.
His friends from Baltimore and
Lower Maryland were at his side,
but all was of no avail. The pest
of hospital fever, came to play it's
part, and on the 3rd of August,
1863, his bright, young life went
out.
One of his comrades thus wrote
of him in his diary "Among the
men who charged with Pickett, or
those who followed the flag of Ma
ryland in the charge on Culp's Hill,
there was no Drawer than Tom
Blackstone. He was one of those
men whom Genl. Lee was ashamed
to see, in camp, because of their
ragged uniforms; but whom he
was not ashamed for the whole
world to see on the field of battle"
A tribute none too great to one who
left behind a record of every duty
well and faithfully performed.
But his, alas . was not the only
sacrifice. His mother fastened to
his side from st. Mary's. Watching
there and tending, she too was
stricken, and in little time after,
in the full maturity of beautiful
womanhood, passed from earthly
care. Beneath the shades in old
st. Andrews churchyard the two lie
side by side. Gothere, We who cher
ish the sacred names of liberty and
freedom and independence, and
standing beside the mound that
covers the dust of this young hero,
think of him with tender reverence,
remembering that he died for You
and yours. Should you be asked
who it is that lies there, then make
reply:
"He was one of that incom para
BILE Southern Infantry, which, tenn
pered by two years of battle and
hsbituated to victory, equaled any
soldiers that even followed the ca
giles to conquest. He was one of
the men, the threads of whose fame
are interviewer with that of the
great commander of the Army of
Northern Virginia. A fame, great
when he drove Mcclellan from be-
fore Richmond, great at Antietam,