The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-06-27
FIGHT FOR THE FLAG.
A Thrilling Struggle between Blue
and Gray Troopers.


at Ashland Station.
The panic in the rear Of tho column of
cavalry while marching to Ashland Sta
ton to destroy the railroad and thus cut
Richmond off from supplies, alluded to
at the close OF the narrative of Carl
Lentz's experiences in the'ciyil war, print
ed last Sunday, was caused. 10y a'@squsdron
of Confederate cayalrymen. The rebs
had made detour, and coming on the
brigade pack had poured volley into
them from their oarbines The animals
had stampeded, and in rushing On TO es-
cape from the tumult in their rear had
plunged into Lentz's company. which
was at the extreme rear Of the fighting
column. The occasional shots told the
troopers plainly enough what the ma tier
was--tne brigade had run into trap and
its retreat by the way it had come was
cut off. I he main column still moved
to give ti,ae for Is skirmishers to beat
up the enemy and drive it back, go that
for the rear company, unable to make
much progress forward to relieve the
pressure behind, the crush was something
fearful.
The troopers became entangled in the
ambulance and ammunition wagons and
pack trains and the fury of the maddened
pack mules and horses spread to their
own steeds. damned in together in one
wild, struggling, plunging mass, the
troopers could do little to defend them
selves and the Johnnies ra1ned meroi-
less fire upon them. fortunately, how
ever. the road was narrow and the en-
bankment high, SO the rebs could only
attack by tours, and the first four or SO
only was able to discharge their carbines.
Frightful scenes were enacted in that
road, and all the hedlam had come like
d bolt from clear sky, for but few
moments before the troopers had been
riding gently along in the peaceful sun
light OF bright June morning.
At last the troopers, who pushed on as
rapidly as the jam in the road ahead
would permit. came 60 place whore an
other road joined the road they were on.
This meant space enough to deploy
twenty or twenty five men in and thus
make formidable barrier to the enemy's
advance. LEM drew up his company az
best he could, having allowed the pack
trains to pass on, and prepared to settle
the discussion with the Johnnies right
shen and there, all alone in the woods If
necessary. Luckily the company was
enforced by the color company of the
pgiment and another company. These
- an ~ Torroad al1outIs T,autzjc
COMPANY. The rebels came on like saw
ages and they fought like demons. 1t
was faarfUlly desperate struggle. The
Union troopers, oheered by the coming of
reinforoements and by the sight Of the
aoicrs, fought with all tbs energy of
desperation. 1t was charge and counter
narge, and the eonbatants were mixed
. so that it was hard to tell friend from
f8e The rebels made a frenzied dash for
lke oolors, cut down the oolor-bearer,
heat back the color guard and i'll q twink
ling had captured cod Glory" The
maddensd Union troopers became even as
Ineniacs at this, and with hoarss oaths
they threw themselves on the foe. Swing
ing their sabres fercely, they cut their
with wild yells of exultatiGn brought
s'Old Glory" back again. Then the rebs
made another onslaught and,got'the flag
onoa more. Three times In that fight
were the colors of the First Connecticut
Cavalry lost and reospbured, the last tins
remaining with the blue troopers.
The fight lasted about thirty minutes,
k< hos
hours. The battle about the colors was
scarcely as long as it has taken to de-
scribe it. If there had been spectator
all he could have seen was the flag way
ing wildly in Ia tangled press of men,
trembling, shivering and shaking, while
sabres cleaned like lightning flashes
about it, the occasional blush puff with
the accompanying ruddy flash from a
pistol, the grunts of the men as they
swung their heavy sabres or brought
down their dubbed carbines, the curses
and harsh, meaningless cries from BATTLE
split throats. Men were giving their
lives for the old flag, literally, every in
slant. To take that flag away meant to
them, for one brief moment in the wild
IfouAy Vi DabbiS, 10 bdhd away ESllAlOu,
country. home, wife, children, everything
1t was as natural for those men at that
time to throw themselves upon the oolors
as 1t was to breathe, to think.
In thirty minutes, as has been said, gthe
bloody little scrimulage was over. and it
was not until they had time to call the
roll did they realize what it had cost to
keep the flag out there at the junction of
the roads n the wood. Two captains had
been killed and three color sergeants
two color corporals wounded and six lieu
tenants. In all twenty men had been
killed and the number of wounded was
very large. The colonel of the regiment,
who had come up in the heat of the en-
gagsment. had been wounded also. OF
the details of the fight Lentz remem-
bers little save that he SAW rebel major
fall from his horse directly in front of
him. He fell between Lentz's horses
feet, dead. AT such a time events come
so cr7;okIv that vou knovv but 1itkla