Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-11-26

them as thick as leaves falling of an
autumn day, and the gun held the gap
and saved a brigade. And though the
whole army was pressed back and the
foe gained another victory, those OF
us who lived laid our grimy hands on
gun or wheel and accepted it as a COM
rade.
When Joe Hooker went down into
the wilderness to flank Lee out of Fred
ericksburg, the Second Brigade was
with him, and Company "H' gathered
wild flowers by the wayside dnd in the
forest and made wreaths to hang upon
the muzzle of Shuman's gun. We were
in the path of Stonewall jackson as
he advanced silently through the woods
in the dusk of the evening and fell like
tlnrderbolt on the Federal army.
Surprised and panic stricken, we gave
way aid became fugitives, and of the
artillery Shuman's gun was almost one
of the first pieces captured. The SER
geanI fell back with us, crying and
Tr.nging his hands, as men do when
death has taken all they love.
They've got No. 5, boys-they've got
my dear old gum" he kept wailng, and
W. could say nothing to comfort him.
For half an hour it looked ike a rout
os the whole army. Then the Federals
halted in their tracks and turned at
bay. Shuman was still with us, and of
sudden he swung his hat and cheered
and exclaimed
Don't you hear her boys-old No 81
There she goes again! The rebs have
got her. but she's right ahead OF Us
and We'll have her again!"
And above the crash and the roar we
caught the peculiar tones of Shuman's
gun, and Company III cheered and
cheered and pressed forward until it
became wedge for the brigade. Yes,
down there at the edge of the forest,
where we had cut down a few score
of trees as an abattis, the enemy were
using old No. against us. 1t was the
weakest spot in their line. A thousand
men seemed to define the fact at once,
and paying no heed to orders, thou
sand men pressed forward. But Com
pany H" was first Of all. Shumans
| gun was the magnet. We leaped over
the wounded and dead-we cheered and
| should've dashed forward and the
| gun was ours. An when 1t was ours
| again we Rugged it and called it pet
names, and We cared so little for the
| cyclone OF death sweeping over those
fields that we lifted the sergeant up
and paraded him around. Hooker was
! driven back in disgrace, but we sang
songs as we marched back to the river
We had not been defeated-we had re-
taken old No. 5.
There came day, before Grant
| marched down over the same highways
in search Of the same old gray lion.
| when Sergeant Shuman was commits
| stoned lieutenant. He had earned his
promotion and more, but he would not
accept it. AS sergeant he would be in
charge of No. S. As lieutenant he
would be in charge Of section. And.
too, there came day when the over
worked guns we're ordered to be turned
| over and new ones issued. piece OF
artillery is not like man. When it
has been fired about so many times the
metal is weakened. When Company
"H' heard Of that order every man
talked mutiny. and the crew Of No. 5
were ready to desert. We went to our
captain, and he to the colonel, and
|; somehow 1t was fixed to keep No. 5 IN
the battery. Gun and caisson showed
fifty-two scars Of bullet and ball, and
every spoke Of the wheels had been
stained with blood over and over