The National tribune., 1898-11-10

with the rebels, who tare held at bay IN
front of their Capitals The final and de-
cisive battle is at hand. Unless you
belle your past history, the result cannot
be for moment doubtful. If the troops
who labored so faithfully at Yorktown
and fought so bravely; and won the hard
fights at Williamsburg, West Point. Han
over Courthouse and Fair Oaks now
prove themselves worthy of their ante
cedents, the victory is surely ours. The
events of every day prove your superiority
wherever you have met the enemy you
have beaten him; wherever you have used
the bayonet, he has given way in panic and
disorder
81 ask of you, now, one last browning
, effort. The enemy has staked his all on
the issue of the coming battle. Let US
| meet him, crush him here, in the very
center of the rebellion. Soldiers, | VIII
dangers with you. Our confidence in each
other is now founded upon the past.
Let us strike the blow which is to re-
store peace and union to this distracted
land. Upon your valor, discipline, and
| mutual confidence the result depends.
Every battle fought on the Peninsula
fearfully reduced the strength of the Army
OF the Potomac, and proved to demon
StratiOn that the enemy far Outnumbered
the Union forces. Still, there were no
| reinforcements, Notwithstanding McClei /
lan's daily urgent dispatches to the Presi-
impending battle in front OF the rebel
Capital SO near at hand.
The next day Mcclellan sent another
dispatch, as follows:
please inform me at once what rein
forcementS, if any, | can count upon
within the next three days, and when
| each regiment may be expected to arrive:
1t is of the utmost importance that
| should know this Immediately. The
losses in the battle of the 3lst and Isl
will amount to 1000. Regard this as con
| fidential for the present. After the losses
| in our last battle / trust that | shall ne
| longer be regarded as an alarmist.
believe we have at least one more des
perate battle to fight"
MY BATTLE TROPHY.
The day after the battle of Fair Oaks
| splendid sword was presented to me
| 1t had been struck from the hand of {
| rebel Colonel while in the act of raisint
| it to strike one of our officers after he hae
fallen from his horse. Oh, how proud
| felt of that beautiful silver mounted
trophy from the bloody field of Fair Oaks
which had so recently been welded by &
| powerful arm, but powerless now, for he
| lay in the agonies of death, while his
s ,lendid sword had passed into my feeble
hands. l presume If he had known this
it would have added another pang to his
already dgOnIZcQ spirit.
The sword was presented by Gen. K
| to whom | gave my rebel pony, with the
comforting assurance that he was only
intended for ornament, and not for use;
for Generals were too scarce on the PENN
sula to risk their precious lives by coming
in contact with him.
REB'S PERFORMANCES.
The General was delighted with him
and without paying the slightest at
tention to my suggestion, deliberately
walked UP to the pony and commenced
patting him and handling his limbs as il
he were the most quiet creature in the
world, while 'RebY stood cycling his new
master with apparent satisfaction, and
seemed to rejoice that he had passed
from my Insignificant hands, and was
henceforth to be the honored bearer Of
Shoulder-StrapS.
After thoroughly examining him, he
said: HE is certainly a splendid horse,
and worth $500 Of any mans money; all
he requires is kind treatment, and he
will be as gentle as anyone Ould de-
sire
But "Reb" very soon gave him to I'M
derstand decidedly that he was overrating
his good qualities, for no sooner had the
General turned his back toward him than
he struck him between the shoulders
with both hind feet, sending him his full
length upon the ground; and as soon as
he attempted to rise he repeated the same
performance until he had knocked him
down four or five times in succession.
BY that time the General was pretty
thoroughly convinced that "Reb's" social
qualities were somewhat deficient, his
bump of combativeness largely devel-
oped, and his gymnastics quite i'm
DreSsive.