The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-07-12

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our unfortunate brothers. Moreover,
the situation was not over-conducIve
to fun or frolic. General Wheeler was
with us and In command Of our de-
tachment, 1900 in number, which
made the sum total of our effective
force. With him on hand everyone of.
us realized that a lively fight was sure
TO take place. He impressed upon as
the necessity Of holding the enemy at
bay, no matter at what cost, until the
train of wagons could clear the bridge,
and added that General Forrest was
coming to our aid. We were greatly
encouraged~ghen we heard that For
rest with his command was not far eff,
for we knew that, no matter how weak
we were, il we could only hold our
own until General Wheeler's famous
subordinate, who had already achieved
@ reputation as q successful fighter,
could arrive, we could then beat back
all the cavalry that could be sent
against us.
For at least q mile i'm front Of the
position we occupied, which was upon
a slight elevation, all the timber had
been telled in order to expose to view
the approach Of any attacking column.
Along the road and out of the strip of
timber TO the north OF this open space
there came in sight a long array OF
Federal troopers, a deep blue fringe
upon the border of the green forest
beyond. There were so many Of them
il did not seem possible for us to stand
up before them longer than it would
take them to put spurs TO their horses
and ride ove US; but, fortunately for
US, the dashing tactics which they had
employed at Guys Gap earlier in the
day they did not practice now.
Wheeler's bold front had evidently inn
pressed them with the idea that we
were there in strength, and were prob
ably trying Co lead them into q trap.
t they had ridden down upon us then
our destruction would have been COM
plete, for we had no avenue 20 escape
except by one narrow bridge two miles
in rear. Instead Of smashing US
then and there, as they could easily
have done, and al they did after sew
eral hours Of desultory fighting, in
which time they lost the great prize
they were fighting for, they dismount-
ed the Seventh Pennsylvania under the
brave Captain Davis, who deployed
them as skirmishers and advanced to
engage our front. As this regiment
advanced, another, the Fourth Michi.
gan, moved from their heavy column
in the turnpike around the left Of our
line, in order TO turn our flank and
force US back. simultaneously the
Third Indiana was deployed in the
opposite direction to overlap our short
line upon the right. Immediately in
rear Of the Seventh Pennsylvania the
famous Fourth United States Regulars
came up directly before US. and behind
this double line Was a noisy section OF
artillery, which began to make ie
presence felt.
"a cavalry fight we'll sustained on
both sides is lively enough when one
takes part in it, but it seems exceed
ingly tame on paper. This one did moi
lack in spirit. OF about a score Of
such Scraps some Of which, of larger
growth, have passed to q place or the
bloodiest pages of history, the writer
does not recall a contest which, fol
downright pluck in giving and taking
hard and heavy knocks through sew.
eral hours, surpasses this Shelbyville
eff air. The carbines and rifles were
flashing and banging away, at times
in scattering shots when the game was
at a long range, and then when 6
charge came on, and the work grew
hot, the ~spiteful, sharp explosions
swelled into a cracking roar, like thai
of a canebrake On fire, when in q single
minute hundreds of the boilerlike
joints have burst asunder. Add to this
the Whizzing, angry whir Of countless
leaden missiles which split the all
about you; the hoarse, unnatural
shouts Of commsnd-for in battle al
sounds Of the human voice seem out Of
pitch and tone; the wild, defiant yellG
and the answering huzzas Of the oppo
sing lines; the plunging and rearing OF
frightened horsesS the charges here
oud thoro OF C0mNanies OF r0uadPons
or more than these which seem to be
shot out from the main body, as flames
shoot out Of q house On fire; here and
there the sharp. quick cry from some
unfortunate trooper who did not heal
one leaden messenger-for only those
are heard which have passed by; the
| hanur snpnv shrikinp OF the halnlaaE