Omaha daily bee., 1897-11-21

were making heavy inroads into the two
days rations that had been served the day
before.
"Thanksgiving breakfast, boys!' shouted
one, as he drained his black cup through his
teeth.
"And the last breakfast of some OF us!"
laughed Harry Stanton of Covington, who, be-
fore the MONDAY sun looked down on Sher-
mans left. was to lie dead beside his horse,
amid the wreck of confederate battery.
| was gloomily eating my own breakfast
when young horseman, with a dispatch bag
hanging from his shoulder. reined in beside
the fire and taking a slip of paper from
between his teeth called out my name. The
paper from Captain Thompson and had
on it these penciled words:
Der AL write at Aliens request. He
lies far up the mountain. No use TO take the
Qoor boy down. Good luck to you today
dick l."
The rider dashed "a with dispatches for
General Grant, but he said not a word about
the night battle. | reasoned we had been
driven back and that Allen Gordon was
wounded sad in the enemys hands. My -p-
petite left me and there was a lumo in my
throat as | gave the order to Saddle up, for
knew the time for rough riding and hard
fighting had come.
The clouds overhead glowed like giant
opals. The shadow of Mission Ridge grew
shorter, but still the cloud cloak covered
Lookout mountain. Then the sun flashed On
smoke pillars marked the sites Of the enemy's
campfres. The men stood by their horses
all faces turned to Lookout. The cloud
dfapery, like mighty stage curtain began
to roll up. Higher and thinner higher and
thinner, and still, as it rose, we could see
the gleam of bayonets and the dark blue of
federal uniforms showing strongly against the
dull red of the works occupied by the enemy
of the day before.
THE CURTAIN OF MIST.
How our hearts throbbed and how the
fierce battle light glowed in the eyes Of the
men watching the mountain. Higher end
higher rolled the cloud curtain, and still
cleaning bayonets and men in blue in the
enemy's works! Higher, still higher, and
ever the same thrilling revelation Then
the cloud mist gathered into heap, swept
away from the crest of the mountain, and
catching the rays of the rising sun. melted
and was gone! Lookout stood revealed in its
every outline. But We gave no heed TO It's
grand setting against the cold blue OF that
perfect November sky. From the crest,
where, when the last sun vanished, the cross
of the confederacy waved, we saw, beating
like an angels wing against the blue of
heaven, the stars and stripes of the republic.
At the sight the men set up wild cheer.
II rang along the river. 1t swelled into a 4
mighty roar when Hooker's men on the right
saw the flag and go, 900 men-men of the
armies of the Cumberland, of the Tennessee
and of the Ms5.ssippi-tossed their hats on
folds of their tattered flags fnd cheered. as
men never cheered since war made widows.
Report, as quick as your horses can carry
you, to Sherman on the left"
That is what Dayton, the handsomest ma
on Sherman's etaf, or on any stan, said to
me as he rened in for moment, then
spurred his black horse for the new pontoon
to the north.
OF course / obeyed, but as we urged our
lean horses to the north, where the ground
rose, my thoughts were with Allen Gordon,
dying on the crest OF the mountain; he had
doue so much to win
Thank God, he saw II all With bullet
through his spine, just below the neck and
so shutting off the avenues of pain, and leay-
ing his brain clear he from the crest OF
Lookout saw such a panorama as never
before passed before the sight Of mortal
man.
Allen Gordon, with dozen confederate
flags under his head, placed there by Thomp-
son OF Kentucky and Barnum OF New York,
looked down on the brown plain, stretching
from the Tennessee to Mission Ridge AS
the ern rose he saw the gallant men In gray,
standing below the ridge, or grouged about
| the endless guns along the slope. He saw
| 10000 men in blue and he heard their thrill
| ing cheers, as under Hooker, Thomas and
sherman they advanced, as II on parade,
! against the batteries croWning the ridge.
WHAT A DYING MAN SAW.
| Allen Gordon was patriot and a poet.
| He saw, away below him. as his "lfe-bloOd
ebbed away" the men who had forced the
Mississippi from Cairo TO the gulf. He saw
! the Ettle horsemen OF the west men who had
learned to shoot on the buffalos trail, or In,
hand 90 hand conflict with the nomad Indians
1 OF the plains. He saw the men. on the right.
Who had held the right at Gettysburg. He