The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1900-12-20
1t was General Washington, the


commander in chef.
The horse did n move. Tue rider
was mOtlonlcss in tho saddle. He mere.
~ sat there regarding US with that
calm, icily cold gaze which we feared
more than bullets.
we rccolled as If the enemy were
before us and not behind US, and for
the moment we forgot the fire that
had driven us on. Then he spoke:
MAY l ask what this regiment is
doingT'
Ills tones were calm, icily cold, like
his look, but full of scorn. We heard
them distinctly amid the cracking fire
from The British, although he had not
seemed TO raise his voice. We made
no reply, merely looking at one anoth-
or, each waiting tor some other to
speak.
MAY ask what this regiment is
doinS?" he repeated, but in louder
voice, and then he continued: "Is
TINS the regiment that l commended
after Princeton in the presence of the
whole army for extraordinary gallantry
in the face Of the enemy? Is this the
regiment that showed even greater
| 'A''NiJ oI wi
There was cry in the rear of our
huddlcd crowd. The fire Of the enemy
had grown hotter and had come closer.
1t was scorching terribly, and the regi-
ment by an abrupt convulsive move
men heavcd forward directly toward
the general. The flight was about TO
continue in spite Of h,m.
But he rode suddenly toward us, his
lace red with wrath, and he shouted
IN voice that rose far above the crash
OF The British muskctry "Where ls
your colonel? Where is Colonel Car
ruthcrs?n
"Thc colonel is killed. lie foil
carry IN the attack" replied some one.
"A nd his body--wherc is il? What
have you done with il7" shouted the
general.
at is back yondcr," replied,
among the bushes ON the hillside. He
WIS left where he fcll.n
"Do you mean to lay that YOU have
, Abandoned your rOlonel's body to the
ehtmf1' shouted the general to the
"hoic regiment rather than to me.
: 'D"cs any American regiment aban-
doh lis officers dead or alive in such Il
mahner2 ~ retreat before superior
numbers can be pardoned, but not
lhat. Go back and bring away your
coloncl's body!'
, Ills voice was large, like everything
cke about him, and its tones rolled
among us like thunder. The men
"aVered and turned tlcetlng glanccs
toward The enemy. They thought of
lhc BODY OF our beloved colonel living
BACK there among the bushes and in The
, hands of the foe. He wa: not alone
| the colonel, but he father of the rcoi.
. ment, aud it would be repeated bv
every other regiment in the army as
f long as any OF us lived that we had
r abandoned him.
| They still hcsitated, and CAPTAIN
hunler, running among them, shout
ed, "For Gods sake, men. turn back
u anu orlhS OIL the coloncl's boiy!''
| lhcn we junior officers, inspired agmn
| oy ms example, took up the cry, and
5 presently the soldiers themselves be.
gan to shout it. 1t swcllcd among us
3 lkc refrain, "Savc the coloncrs
= bodyn
"Comc, Gordon!" shouted Captain
Hunter to me. "The way Is not there,
but here. Thio rode takes us TO the
colonCls bodyW And turning about
; he ran toward the British followed
nm, and suddenly our men, Wheeling,
TOO, ran upon the British vanguard
shouting that refrain, "Save the colo
} nci.s body! Save the colonci's bod, ~
There ls something terrible in The
wrath of men who b,vo b.on ,hro.,,
INTO pane tcrr n and then, under the
influence OF sudden and great emo
ai"n, recover completely from 1t.
ihcy nave SO much to atone for that
lhe natural courage in them burns like
hre. Our turn was 80 quick, our rush