The Princeton union., 1899-11-09

ing. Snafle, short, fat, red-faced
man with corkscrew curls, could never
get through sentence without stutter.
ing, except at giving the word of COM
mand, when, strange to say, his orders
came clear and regular as shots from
repeating rife.
"Wh-wh-at's up?"
"Johnnies, lots of them, down the
road, coming right along"
i've only h-h-h-andful of men,"
"And I've only a guard
II tell you what, lieutenant no bet
! ter man than Snafle ever drew saber
-"you go back and get ready to run,
and I'll take my little command and
make show on the road up there.
When you're ready, send me word and
I'll fall back. Then maybe we can get
up into a ravine in the ridge and fight" ."
He had scarcely spoken the last
word before I was out of hearing. Ap-
preaching the plantation, I was sur
prised to see the yard full of armed
men. Not knowing but that they were
confederates, I pulled up, but in an
|
flag. It was no stars and bars, but the
real "Old Glory" and confess I had
never seen it look so beautiful. Dash
ing on and into the gateway, I shouted:
1.-THE johnnies are on us!" but before
could give any explanation there was a
gathering of hoofs, and Snaffle with his
men came tearing along. followed by
the enemy.
Our men, having just come in, were
all in the saddle, and soon formed in
line of battle. On the right was Col
Wilton, tall soldierly man with beak
nose and a black, cleaning eye, com
manding a regiment of 200 men-not q
fourth of its original strength, for il
had been thinned by war. Next was the
remains of regiment-itsc complement
had been killed or captured at Chicka
mauga-under jolly, roistering Irish
man, Lieut.. Col. Rourke. On the left
of Rourke's Irish boys was a somber
bushy-whiskered German, Maj. Ping
who had studied the art of war in Prus
of plunder in Missouri. Snafae's men
j painting like hungry stays, were hastil!
formed on the extreme left. All eye
were turned to the general, to lear1
whether he would surrender or fight
He waited till force equal to our owl
was in the yard, leaving as many out
side, then, drawing his sword, .gav
the ORDER
, "Charge!"
: The initial force was with our men
I The enemy, being on the defensive
: half formed, surprised at an attac
: when they supposed we were waitin
, to surrender, soon became entangle
gate tried to get back through i
j Those on the outside, seeing their CON
k rades charged, endeavored to joi
them, those within trying to get ou
n those without trying to get in, thos
1 in the passage packed like pigs in a pei
maintained my place by the gener'
it so far as I could, but it was impossibl
e to keep close to anyone was jostle
and knocked about, and narrowly e
capped being sabered or shot by our ow
men. Then 1 was turned round wit
d my face to the house. Borne backwa1
by the confederates and our own me
mingled, 1 saw Margaret Beach at IL
window of her mothers room, unmin
d full of the stray bullets that occasional
struck near her, watching the fgh
n Her eyes, I noticed, were following Il
ID general wherever he went. Raisi1
st mine to the room where she had bee
10 confined, there at the window, gho
er from another world, melancholy a
or tendant on death at the carnival,
ir presiding ghoul over the massacre
ID men, was a pale face with eager sunke
m eyes-the same had seen befo1
i. Then some one dashed against my hor
ne and set him spinning like a teetotum
Or Confusion worse confounded reigne
of Our men could do nothing but shoe
,g hack, pummel, each man fighting {
. &lgI. -s