Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1898-02-12

many in the fight This was in 1862, a
| few months after the debut Of the boy
adjutant. He was not guyed any more,
and after the next battle bloody Chick
amauga the regiment looked up to him
as feature it couldn t do without and
remain the same
Then at the battle Of Mission Ridge
he capped it all by deed Of personal
heroism and presence Of mind only to
be expected Of true soldier. The
Twenty fourth, under Sheridan's lead,
started on the signal to go up the slope
at double quick, for the emergency
called for rapid action on the line. They
carried the first Of the enemy's defenses,
and after short breathing spell orders
came to go ahead. 1t was up hill work
in the double sense, for the men had to
fight for right Of way and struggle up
the steep and rugged hillside under fire.
Finally the color bearer dropped down
from physical exhaustion while the line
was strung out, wayering as to which
course to take to avoid the enemy's fire
and the distractions in the path. Nc
Arthur, still adjutant, was at the front,
and Selling the flag in the hands Of the
PROSTATE bearer unfurled it and rushed
forward, the actual leader of the whole
line.
For the deed at Mission Ridge the
boy adjutant was promoted to the rank
of major, field officers position, two
grades below that Of colonel. A major
commands battalion of the regiment
when in action, and often when the reg
iment is small there are but two field
officers, and the major is second in com
mand. The Twenty fourth had become
so depleted that there were but two
field officers after Mission Ridge. Dur
ing the Atlanta campaign it was led by
lieutenant colonel, and at the storm
ing of Kenesaw that Office was held by
young Macarthur. He was not yet 10
years old, for only / u years had passed
since he piped his feeble war notes at
battalion dress parades.
McArthur's soldierly action at Kene-
saw has been noticed in the story of
Sergeant Dunn, and that is only little
Of what might be said of the boy leader
and his gallant command in that battle.
1t fought in the brigade of Colonel OPP
dyeke, side by side with the Thirty sixth
Illinois, which brave young Miller led
until he was shot down with mortal
wound. And Macarthur got himself in
the path of the bullets, according to
The Times Heralds "reminiscences by
Sergeant Dunn.
"But for bundle Of letters and doc
uments, said the sergeant Il guess
the little colonel would have given some
one else chance to command the TWEEN
ty-fourth. A bullet struck him over the
heart. Ia the bundle of letters and pa
pers was his commission as lieutenant
colonel, received a few days before. The
commission was marked by the bullet
that was steering for the boys heart. "
But the span of charmed life was to
end for the boy at last and did end at
the battle Of Franklin, Nov. 30, 1864,
Led by Colonel Macarthur the Twenty
fourth was one of the seven regiments
which made history that day ON Car
ter's hill in the famous charge of OPP
dyoke's brigade. That, too, is well
known story, but one to bear recalling.
The main line of breastworks i'll front
of Carter's hill was preached by des-
perate and overwhelming charge of Gle
burne's Tennesseeans. Opdycke's bri-
gade lay in reserve behind the breach.
The men had been in action out at the
front for SO hours and were resting and
taking coffee when the Confederates
burst through the line in front. AT the
quick command of Opdycke, First