The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-10-07

command of the Second brigade Of the
Second division OF the Second corps.
He had been with the color guard Of
the Seventy-second Pennsylvania vol
unteers, of whom every man was eth
er killed or wounded. General Webb,
when he left the stricken guard. went
across the front Of the companies to
the right Of the Sixty-ninth Pennsvl-
vania, all the way between the lines.
in order to direct the fire Of the latter
regiment upon a company of rebels
who had. under the leadership of Cen
eral Armistead. sprang over the low
stone wall behind which they had been
ambushed, and were starting for
charge. He brought on himself the
fire OF the rebels, and received wound
in the groin. He remained in the sad
die directing the men and holu,ng
them up to their work until more than
One-half were killed or wounded. Cen
eral Meade, in his letter presenting a
medal to General Webb, mentions this
act as one not surpassed by any gen.
eral in the field.
Colonel David Clendenin. of the
Eighth Illinois Cavalry Volunteers,
| was. In soldierly bearing and dash in
action. an ideal cavalry officer. His
regiment had been recruited by himself,
and his men We're all devoted to him.
| His regiment was noted in the Army
| of the Potomac for gallantry in action,
| and in every engagement, whsre 1t
gained renOwn Colonel Clendenin's own
conduct was conspicuous. 1t was In
the denfense of Washington against
the raid made for its capture by Cen
eral Jubal Early that Colonel Clenden-
in won his chief credit for personal
bravery. Colonel Crendenin's regiment
became engaged in hand-to-hand
| fight with the famous Seventeenth Vir-
ginia, and Colonel Clendenin, who was
in the thickest Of the fray, plucked the
Seventeenth's flag from its color bearer
| with his own hand, and, holding 1t in
his left hand, welded his sword with
| his right in such an effective manner
| that he beat off several Of the confeder-
ates who with desperate courage
| sought to recover their cOl6rs. In his
report of this memorable contest Gen.
eral Lew Wallace says Of Colonel Glen
denim: He was as brave cavalry
| officer as ever mounted a horse" Cen
.eral Clendenin was member of the
| military commission which tried and
convicted the assassins Of President
Lincoln.
At the battle of Fort Fisher Ensign
among those who volunteered to go
ashore with the storming party. When
he troops were landed Rhoades was
detailed to take charge of party Of
the men from the Susquehanna and
join the party of sappers and miners
under Lieutenant Preston. who We're to
dig rifle pits at the front of the fort.
RhOades and his men started off al
most Immediately and worked their
way to the front from one rifle pit to
another The last pits were dug quite
close to the fort near the sea end. In
the charge made by the sailors they
went W. the beach directly to the sea
angle Of the fort without occupying
the pits. A fire was opened from the
fort on the stormins party. the men
| who were digging the rifle pits got their
share and all of Ensign Rhoades' party
were killed save himself and young
seaman, James Shannon. When the
storming party was beaten back En-
sign Rhoades and Seaman Shannon
were left alone. and. seeing the Feder-
ais had returned to the attack on the
west end of the fort. Rhoades picked
| up shovel. and with this held along
side of his head and followed by Shan
non with boat flag unfurled and the
staff over his shoulder they ran the
whole length of the land face of the fort
to where their own men We're fighting.
Reaching their goal in safety they each
picked up rifles and belts from dead
soldiers and fought their way into the
fort with their fellows. The boy sea-
man, Shannon, was given the honor of
being the first to place the stars and
stripes upon the parapet