Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1898-10-01

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During the night of the 18th we were
getting ready for the defense and heard
the sounds of preparation in the camp of
the enemy for the attack on the morrow.
Father Butler went around among the
men and blessed them, and they rever-
emily uncovered their heads and received
his benediction. At 8 o'clock on the
morning of the 18th the drums beat to
arms, and the terrible struggle COM
menced.
The enemy's force had been increased
to $4,000 men and thirteen pieces of artil-
lery. They planted two batteries in
front, one on the left, one on the right
and one in the rear and opened with a
terrible fire, which was answered with
the utmost bravery. Our spies had in
formed us that the rebels had intended to
make one grand rout and bury us in the
trenches of Lexington.
The batteries opened at o'clock, and
for three days they never ceased to pour
deadly shot upon us. About noon the
hospital was taken. 1t was situated on
the left, outside of the intrenchments.
They besieged the hospital, took it, and
from the balcony and roof their sharp
shooters poured deadly fire within our
intrenchments.
1t contained our chaplain aud surgeon
and 100 wounded men. II could not be
allowed to remain in possession of the
enemy. A company of the Thirteenth
Missouri was ordered forward to take the
hospital. They started on their errand,
but stopped at the breastworks. A COM
pany Of the Fourteenth Missouri was sent
forward, but it also shrank from the task.
The Montgomery Guard, Capt. Gleason,
of the Irish Brigade, were then brought
out. The commander admonished them
that the others had failed, and with
brief exhortation to uphold the name
they bore, gave the word to charge"
The distance was 800 yards. They started
out from the intrenchments, first quick,
then double quick, then on a run, then
faster. The enemy poured a deadly
shower of bullets upon them, but on they
better than steel, human will. They
stormed up the slope to the hospital door
and with irresistible bravery drove the
enemy before them and hurled them far
down the hill beyond.
AT the head of those brave fellows,
pale as marble, but not pale from fear,
stood the gallant officer, Capt. Gleason.
He said, Come OH, my brave boys" and
in they rushed. But when their brave
Captain returned it was with a shot
through the cheek and another through
the arm, and with but fifty of the eighty
he had lead forth. The hospital was in
their possession. This charge was one of
the most brilliant and reckless in all his
tory, and to Capt. Gleason belongs the
glory.
After this charge the fire of .the enemy
Jagged. We were in terrible situation
Toward night the fire increased, and in
the evening word came from the rebels
that if the garrison did not surrender be-
fore the next day they would hoist the
black flag at their cannon and give us no
quarter. Work was sent back that "When
we asked for quarter it would be time to
settle that" 1t was a terrible thing to
see those brave fellows mangled, and with
no skilled hands to bind their gaping
wounds. The surgeon was held with the
enemy.
Capt. Moriarty went into the hospi-
tai, and, with nothing but a razor, acted
the part of a surgeon. We could not be
without a chaplain or a surgeon any
longer. There was in our ranks Lieut..
Hickey, who was dispatched from the hos
pital with orders to procure the surgeon
and chaplain at all hazards. Forty min
utes later aud the brave Lieutenant was
borne back severely wounded.
On the morning of the 10Th the firing
was resumed and continued all day. We
recovered our surgeon and chaplain. The
day was signalized by a fierce bayonet
charge upon the enemy, which served to
show them that our men we're not yet
completely worried out. Through that
day our little garrison stood with strain
ing eyes watching to see if some friendly
flag was bearing aid to them.
But no re-enforcements appeared, and,
with the energy of despair, they deter
mined to do their duty at all hazards.
The 10Th was terrible day. Our water
cisterns had been drained. and we dared
not leave the crown of the hill and make
our intrenchment OH the bank of the
river, for the enemy could have planted
their cannon on the hill and buried us.
The day was burning hot and the men
bit their cartridges; their lips were
parched and blistered. But not a word
of murmuring. The night of the 10th
two wells were ordered to be dug. We
took ravine and expected to reach water
in about thirty hours.
The morning of the Goth broke, but no
re-enforcements appeared, and still the
men fought on. The rebels had con-
structed movable breastworks of hemp
bales, rolled them up the hill and adj
vanced their batteries in a manner to
command the fertilization. Heated shot
were fired at them, but they had taken
the precaution to soak the bales in the
Missouri. The attack was urged with re-