The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1899-11-17

ing. Snaftle, a 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 a
repeating rifle.
"Wh-wh-at's up?
"Johnnies, lots of them, down the
road, coming right along"
1--WE only h-h-h-andful of men,"
"And I've only a guard"
81 tell you what, Lieutenant no bet
ter man than Snafile ever drew n saber
you go back and get ready to run,
and I'll take my little command and
make a 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 ravine in the ridge and fight"
lie had scarcely spoken the last
word before was out of hearing. APP
preaching the plantation, | was sur
prised to see the yard full of armed
men. Not knowing but that they were
confederates, ! pulled up, but in an
OlltI luOlufHb 'uNRul SlRHA VI Nlltll
flag. 1t was no stars and bars, but the
real "Old Glory" and ! confess | had
never seen il look so beautiful. DASH
ing on and into the gateway, | shouted:
THE johnnies are on u.s." but before |
could give any explanation there was a
Gathering of hoofs, and Snaffie 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
handing a regiment of 200 men-not a
fourth of its original strength, for it
had been thinned by war. Next was the
remains of regiment-its complement
had been killed or captured at Chiclta-
mauga-under jolly, roistering Irish
man, Lieut.. Col. Rourke. On the left
of Rourke's Irish boys was somber,
bushy- whiskered German, Mai. Ping,
who had studied the art of war in Prus-
STA, and whose men had studied the art
of plumber in Missouri. Snaffle's men,
painting like hungry stays, were hastily
formed on the extreme left. All eyes
were turned to the general, to learn
whether he would surrender or fight.
He waited till force equal to our own
was in the yard, leaving as many out
side, then, drawing his sword, gave
the order
"Charge!"
The initial force was with our men.
The enemy, being on the defensive,
half formed, surprised at an attack
when they supposed we were waiting
to surrender, soon became entangled
with one another. Those nearest the
gate tried to get back through it.
Those on the outside, seeing their com
rades charged, endeavored to join
them, those within trying to get out,
those without trying to get in, those
in the passage packed like pigs in n pen.
/ maintained my place by the general
so far as | could, but it was impossible
to keep close to anyone. was jostled
and knocked about, and narrowly es-
capped being sabered or shot by our own
men. Then l was turned round with
my face to the house. Borne backward
by the conlederates and our own men
mingled, | saw Margaret Beach at the
window of her mothers room, unmind-
full of the stray bullets that occasionally
struck near her, watching the fight
Her eyes, noticed, were following the
general wherever he went. Raising
mine to the room where she had been
confined, there at the window, a ghost
from another world, a melancholy at
tendant on death at the carnival,
presiding ghoul over the massacre of
men, was pale face with eager sunken
eyes-the same | had seen before.