Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-07-16
THOROUGHFARE GAP
BY M. QUAD.
I Copyright. 1900. by C. B. Lewis.


and PENNSYLVANIA. The mountains hid
his marching columns from sight of the
Federals, and at every gap in the Blue
Ridge he left force with instructions
to hold out to the last and give him
all the time possible to reach and cross
the Potomac. 1t was the aim of the
Federals to break through at some
point and penetrate his movement, and
there was fighting on every mountain
trail and at the mouth Of every noun
tain gap. The major general had said
to the brigadier ordered to proceed to
Thoroughfare gap:
II du not know how many Confeder-
ates are holding that gap, but be the
number 500 or 10000 you must break
through. That is the order-break
through. If only one man of your COM
mand is left alive, he will bring us the
news we want"
And the major general on the Con-
federate side had said to the brigadier:
you will dctach one regiment Of
your command to hold Thoroughfare
gap. 1t must be held against the Fed
erals for three days. We can spare
only single regiment. If there is but
one man left alive at the end of that
time, he will follow on and overtake
u.s."
A narrow wagon road, twisting and
turning between walls from 20 to 100
feet high, with alternate spots of sun
shine and gloomthat was Thorough
fare gap. AS the skeleton regiment of
800 Confederates entered 1t and pressed
forward to It's western mouth, its rug
gedness and gloomy solemnity brought
feeling of awe. 1t reminded them Of
tomb, and they shuddered TO think of
dying in the semidarkness. Two field
pieces rolled along with the regiment
of infantry. and the jar of the heavy
wheels loosened n stone now and then
to come Gathering down from far
above. When n blue brigade came
Gathering up, 1t was to find the 600
In possession and the position one
which the dullest private must see was
well nigh impregnable. Every hour
was worth a thousand lives to the Fed
eral army, and the Federal brigadier
iobI uO tiinC III tnt dttlCh
In the open he would have gobbled up
that skeleton regiment at a dash. Be
hind n rocky wall hastily thrown up,
with no way to get at the enemy ex-
cept In front, his surplus of men did
not count. At the sound of the bugles
they dashed forward with cheers, but
not a man Got within five rods OF the
wall. Grape and canister and bullets
tore the lines to pieces. 1t was tried
again ana again The orders were TO
break through the gap. A thousand
dead and wounded would be cheap
price for the information to be had at
the other end. Artillery was brought
forward to batter down the wall, but
II could not be placed to advantage
The pieces had only been fired once
when their crews lay dead or wounded
and the carriages were shattered. The
Federal brlgadier rode back and forth
and stormed and swore and almost
wept.
"Whether 500 or 10000, you must
break through" were the orders, and
IL he failed to carry them out his ca
reer ms soldier was at an end. An
army Of 100000 men was waiting to
checkmate Lee. A whole nation was
waiting to hear the splash of Confed-
crate feet in the waters of the Potomac.
The men In blue could hardly form
company in the mouth of that defile.
A charge against the wall meant death
70 evesy other man, but they formed up
and charged ana cheered and---died.
After half day of bloody fighting the
Federal brigadier rested. He was still
bleeding yrom wound when he open.
cd a dispatch and read:
/ "You bavr one of tho best brigades in
the corps, aud 1t is certain you are op-
posed by only handful of Conteder'
, ates. R.v 0 o'clock in the morning you
n'.'. have authentic news of Lee"
Tho br,spdicr bad sncriticed coo men
/ tAst day, and he could not believe the
Confederate loss to be over 90. There
wSs bit one way TO reach them on the
mn,rcw--oyer that stone wall. He
woGll drive them or die with the last
man. There was no joili;y in the Fed
eral camp that night Men viii sing
/ or Joke as they swing into battle line IN
the oasn but these mon pcered into
,Aa astkosss ~ the gap and thought
| nf the Ac3d In front of tha stone wall
and tpake 10 each ethel ~ whispers.
Il vas n brave sight to Gee them swing
Into .ins ne lhe spn gIlded the tree tops
Erssy fnca had is rsIor, and every
eye looked ,uto the .lidN OF death. but
there WAS no ingsia5 or falteriDg, You
sag thsp tightening their oelts and
setting their jaws as they waited, and
YOU held your breath for the signal
which was TO send them 10 death.
ON the other side OF the stone wall
there was no exultation. The dead
aod ths wounded were comparatively
| few, but every hour would add to the
number and only one day OF the three
had passed. The colonel knew what
was coming and prepared for 1t. When
| the blue lines, ten decn. came dashing
forward they met with such hail of
! iron and load that tho 1rst three or
four were blotted or the face af the
car.A. Then, under thc smoke c'cud.
some II them wounded and nll dosper-
ate, tho other lines erept forward, and
the wall was reached l, was hand
TO hand nght row, and every man was
u devil, AMI after quarter of an hour
Of bloody hShtirg the .'ederals held
the position. The dead lay three deep
| below tho wall, but TIE living stood
| upon its c:est and cheered and chcered