The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-07-20
ssi.Essssssis:5 ! ~ 1. &

- &c.,.
eral:
1--WE must have news of Lee at every
hazard. Unless you break through
at once your resignation will be accept
ed"
A dark and narrow ravine, up which
only eight men abreast could make
their way at once; at the turn a stone
wall, defended by two guns; behind
the guns the muskets Of the infantry.
"You must break through" repeated
the brigadier over and over again. He
knew that he could not do It. He knew
that the best he could do was to pile
up more dead in the dark ravine.
When morning came, he stood on a
knoll and looked down upon the sun
bronzed and waiting veterans, and it
was like knife In his heart to give the
order to attack. A single bugle call.
and the column dashed forward. There
was never n cheer nor a shout. Men
who feel that they are going to certain
death do not cheer. They draw a long
throat and rush forward with heads
down In ten minutes II was all over.
The wall had been reached and fought
over, but it could not be held As the
last few living Federals came limping
back the brlgadler sat down and wept
Orders, orders, orders! And yet he
felt himself murderer. More Confed-
crates had fallen. but the force was yet
strong enough to hold the gap If he
could not carry 1t, he would be dis
Eraced. Like the brave man he was,
he took the one way out of it. At high
noon the column was formed again,
and the brigadier put himself ut the
head Of It. officers groaned and prl-
Yates murmured to see him there but
he was firm. He led in the dark he
was the first TO reach the wall-he
mounted II and chccrcd his men in the
fight which won it. But when ii was
won he lay among the dead, and the
Confederatcs retired less than half a
mile to a third wall Two days had
passed, and yet the Fedcrals had not
broken through Then another brigade
came marching up, and there was an
other brigadier to take command. He
saw the situation as the dead general
had seen it, but he had less feeling.
Column after column was formed up
and dashed against that third wall and
driven back, but In the end he won. 1t
was 20 lives for one every time. but
under his orders he could have doubled
the sacrifice.
on N IF I.I
day the last Confederate infantryman
had passed the gap on his way to the
Potomac. and the head of the column
was in Pennsylvania. Lee had played
his card and won. Not gap had been
carried, and the news OF his where
abouts had come from other sources.
There was a last stone wall in Thor
oughfare gap. Behind II 100 Confed-
crates crouched and waited. Their two
heldpieces were useless for the want
of ammunition, and their muskets were
alone to be depended on AS the sink
ing sun filled the ravine with deeper
gloom 500 Federals made last charge
They had TO tread the dead under foot
to do it. That was the fourth charge
or the day, and 1t was checked as the
others had been. 1t simply meant
more dead and wounded to choke that
narrow way. Hundreds had been
dragged out, but hundreds still re-
manned. When night came down, 80
men with powder stained faces, who
had scarcely broken their fast or closed
their eyes for 10 hours, silently march
ed out Of the gap and headed for the
north in the wake of the invading
army. There was no colonel no cap
tains, no lieutenantS. A sergeant com
mandcd the remnant, and his com
mand was:
"Out Of h-ll and into Pennsylvania
forward march,
And when the long night had passed
and daylight come again the Federals
found the stone wall uudefended and
clambered over it and ran to the mouth
Of the gap to shout to each other:
lee has passed, and we are too
Later