The Progress. (Shreveport, La.) 1892-1900, 1897-02-13

the |
monotony of camp life was broken by Captain |
Hogan's battery. an independent New York J
organization attached to the Irish brigade.
Hogan happened tc have two lieutenants who |
were probably the most highly educated and |
accomplished young 1rashmen In the Second !
corps. Rorty md Donohue who had been cap
tured early :, the war. escaped from Libby
prison and reached the Potomac after thrill
Ing and hairbrsadth experiences. They stud
led hard and vainly tried to open Hogan's
mind to . ray OF tactical light. but he had ono
coupled with n personal dignity only eQualed
by that OF General Boum. One Of the hrst ex-
ercises we witnessed WAS Instruction to drivers
and chiefs Of pieces In drawing sabers- 'Now.
thin. min (ho WAS Erandly above the favorite
volunteer salutatton, 'boys''), whln say
'dhraw' yoz dnn's dhraw. but whin I say
his frog sticker. Now, thin. Attentsoni
Dhraw soordsi"
But his chief delight was to set his battery
in motion at q gallop, In column Of pieces,
give the command. "Dhr0w soortls!" and then
with q Wild whoop and flourish shout. by
piece from the right front into battery!'' BY
this time the chief OF the FIRST section was
usually so disguised that no did nothing. and
tho movement ended in . hopeless tangle.
which it took tho rest Of tho drill hour to
straighten out
After time the Immortal Hogan's
battery" as Captain Field calls It. was
broken up and the three sections attach
ed to the regular batteries of the divi-
sion. Both the ieutenants, the gallant
Rorty and O'Donohue, were killed in
battle. Meanwhile the Irish brigade
won laurels fighting in the famous Seo-
ond corps under "Old Bull'' Sumner.
Sumner was q soldier Of strong aud rug
ged personality, devoid Of sentiment,
but quick to recognize valor. The Irish
men were with him when he saved the
country from disaster at Fair Oaks
Says Captain Field, describing the crisis
of the battle:
Tho first brigade Of our division was being
driven In. General Sumner sent In the next
rigade-Hownrd sand with this foxoe the
IRE again resumed ite full volume, reaching
the climax OF this battle. nearer approach
Of the Are, another lull In our direction and
wild yeIfs meant \ sec10d fepufee, and now
We Jaw General Sumner ride up to tho lftsh
| brigade our right front. We saw his hat Oh
and his gray locks barred. ~ be evidently made
q short speech. probably tho only ono in tho
| old heros life. We learned afeefward that he
| told them they were his last hope; II they
failed him. all was lost. but said he: "I'li 60
| my stars on ,Jou,'' pointing 10 his shoulder
| straps. 81 want to SEQ lrishmcn fight, and when
you run III run too"
| A hearty cheer greeted his words, and the
| brigade moved into the woods with tho air OF
| men who were going TO stay. "A fresh crash
| showed when they struck the enemy. For
| few minutes the fire was deafening; then Il
| began to retire. The yells gave way 70 long.
continuous cheers. An aid gnlloped MP 70 or
| der a section of artillery to follow our adj
! vancing line, aud the battle OF Fair Oaks Yves
| won. It was an inspiraDg opening Of . heroic
history, and from that Gay General Sumner
! swore by the irish brigade
While eulogizing the leaders, OF the
brigade, Captain Field does not overlook
the rank and file. Describing q very
noted affair at Malvern Hill, he says:
An interesting episode in the history OF tbs
| brigade wes the encounter at Malvern Hill bo-
tween the Eighty eighth regiment (lrish1 and
| the Louisiana Tigers. The Tigers fought with
knives and pistois, and tho 1r1shmen. ignoring
their bayonets, dubbed their muskess. true
/ Donnybrook fair style, and SO in the dark nnd
| thick timber tho savage grnpple went on.
It was In this battle that o very young mar
named Donovan, afterward a captain In The
| Forty second reserve, WINS wounded by o bull
let through one eye and captured. he wal
taken before General HILL who. finding tha
he was an freshman, reproached him for betnt
there at all "what business said he. "hav,
you got down here fighting against us9 It's NJ