Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1897-04-15
NUMBER ~.

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route. There was . company of Volti-
geurs not far away, with some noun
tain howitzers. not just then IN action.
He ran to sub-offcer of the battery
and induced him and few men to take
one of he guns aud hastily follow him.
He left no intimation of his plans or
purposes. All The open roadways
were either in possession of. or COM
mauded by. the enemy; hence Grant
and his little force had to pass through
fields and marshes. cut up with bitches
and filthy lagoons. waist deep in water,
and grown over with water-plants.
Through these, and by many tortuous
ways, Grant hurredly led his little
force, taking the howitzer to pieces TO
cross the bitches.
At length, wet to their shoulders,
covered with moss aud weeds and mud
from the bitches and lowlands they
had traversed, they reached the church
door. happily to find it undefended.
Grant knocked at the door with the
hilt Of his sword. The door was soon
unbarred and opened. There stood
Grant with the point of his sword rest
ing on the stone step, and a squad of
Yankee soldiers armed TO the teeth,
dripping with water and mud. The
priest was alarmed and would have
hastily closed the door had he not
been prevented by the butt end OF a
musket. thrust in the opening. The
roar of battle was resounding near at
hand, but Grant and his little army,
isolated aud on an independent cam
paign, we're unobserved as yet by the
enemy. Minutes were precious with
Grant, and he was impatient to gain
the belfry. His companions at the
front were being slaughtered by the
guns at San Cosme gate. He hastily
told the priest in such Spanish as he
could then command, that he wanted
to take his howitzer up into tho tower.
The priest expostulated, but while
Grant was explaining the law of
might" rs. right TO the priest, his
men were making ready to hoist the
gun into the belfry. and thither it was
taken with due haste.
Leaving a few men below, Grant and
the others ascended and very soon had
their gun clean. mounted and charged
for trial shot at the Mexican batteries
from this unsupported and unthought
OF point of vantage.
The point to be struck was pointed
out by Grant, the gun was sighted. and
"a puff of fiery smoke shot out from
an opening high in the air, which COM
pletely enfladed the Mexican position;
and, horror of horrors to the Mexicans,
there suddenly came from the sky, as
it were, a screeching she'll that burst
in their very midsti Their consterna-
ton was intensified as the shots from
the howitzer came pouring into their
works. General Worth did not know
of Grants expedition. He was stand
ing at the best point to observe the
battle. with his staff about him. He
was scanning. through his glass, the
battle-center about San Cosme. Sud-
denly he too was startled, for there
burst upon his ears the sharp report of
a gun from a new position in danger
Gus proximity TO the right of his Iinel
Could that be Mexican gun? II so,
new dispositions of his army would
need to be made, and made quickly!
The glasses of his entire staff were in
stantly turned to ascertain the locus of
the new battery. Another report, and
the smoke shot out from yonder mas
sive church steeple! Were the gods
joining il the murderous fray-and on
which side?
"Where are those shots directed?"
asked Worth of staff officer. Another
and another shot followed, more rapid
ly than before. There; look at San
Cosme; the shots are entering the
Mexican batteriesi See?n exclaimed
one of the staff. And then there arose
a cheer along the American line, far
beyond Grants hearing. as the army
saw that the Mexicans were being pam
ic stricken.
Reports followed one another with
the marvellous rapidity possible only
with trained gunners. Soon the Mex
lean riaemen we're driven from the
house-tops and the parapets; then
their cannon slackened fire. Some OF
their guns soon ceased firing and the
gunners fed from the shot and shell
that came with such rapidity from
that vicious gun IN the church belfry.
General Worth wondered how that
gun found its way skyward, and by
whose audacisy. He ordered one of
his staff to ride oyer TO General Gar
land. whose position was nearest the
church, and ascertain concerning the
singular occurrence. The officer came
dashing up to Garland, where he. too,
stood watching the phenomenon. No
one seemed to know. No one had Civ
en- any orders. He rode on TO where