El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-11-01

the company. He was the possessor of a
very fine regiInental flag, and he seemed
not to know how it became his, but his
devotion to it was so absolute that we had
learned to respect it, and whenever we
were ready to move we always saw Teddy
roll up his flag, cover IL carefully with
canvas and secure it with stout cords.
He was never willing to be parted from
it moment, and slept with it by his side.
The Confederates were early astir and we
could hear the horses champing their bits
and the men exchanging words about the
preparations for the day. OF course they
tried the bluff game on us of raising shouts
every now and then as if re-enforcements
had come. We were ready for the hard
day to come, resting on our arms, waiting
for the signal of battle
Suddenly, about O'Clock, "a furry was
felt in the air, and n crash came. General
Cleburn's men had struck our right
wing, and that awful rebel yell sounded
in our ears, sharply reverberating through
, the pass, and we knew that something I'M
expected had occurred We had no time to
question W hat that might be, but later we
learned that General Buckner's men had
strengthened our neighbours force and
that we were in for the conflict for good
or i'll. We were surprised, for we had not
expected it to occur until much later in
the day. The din became horrible. Some
be desired by us was mt hand.
AT this desperate juncture Teddy was
seen to run to the rear and plant himself
on hillock some 200 yards away. Here
he unfurled his flag. l shall never forget
the thrill that swept my soul the folds
of that splendid banner fioated to the
breeze Was it his appeal TO high heaven
in our behalff
wondered then: | think SO now. The
sun seemed to wrap it's stars and stripes in
a very glory of brightness Then the band
played, as if answering the call of it's col
ors, 1.-The Star Spangled Banner" and a
shout to match that of the rebels rose on
the morning air. The spirit of that flag
filled our hearts with new courage, and
shout upon shout arose. Higher and high
err, il seemed TO u.s. that heaven sent omen
scared.
The flag with the cross of the south was
plainly to be seen in the advancing line
Suddenly the maddening cries of the Con
federates ceased, and we saw their columns
WAIVER, tie flag come down. and there fol-
lowed a clear determined retreat. 1t is "a
matter of history to those who bore the
brunt of that unexpected attack that if
the enemy had carried out their original
intention to engage us before the second
division came to relief the history
of that 'battle among the clouds would
have had different telling. After all, it
is but the repetition of the fact that we
are the creatures of circumstances. An
officer taken prisoner at the fight told us
that when the Confederates saw the flag
and ''knew that we had been reinforced
they thought it best not to force the fight,
as without Buckner's help it would have
been a terrible disaster.
And SO it was that Teddy's flag the
mascot of Company II, had done the work.
I You may call it special providence if
! you will, but the facts are as tell them
and as many bluecoat whose nostrils
were blackened by powder that day at
Gortion's Mills Will testify. After that you
may well believe that Teddy and his flag
we're more than ever the envy of the whole
! reginent.-Mary Patton Hudson in Gin
CHM att Post.