The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-01

were weli-drilled and the simultaneous rat
tie OF sabe-s showed that We were all in
the saddle. "Frcm the right by fours, gal
lop; march, In a moment, the whole col
urnn of 200 or 500 horsemen shook the earth
in their gallon towards the battlefield. The
dust was 50 thick that We could not see our
file leaders. but our horses kept us right
and We rapidly covered the distance be-
tween our camp and the Lewis House Be-
fore We reached that point our galIep had
been changed to I trot. SO that We could
pass the regiments OF infantry which were
also making their way 10 the scene OF bat
tie. A regiment Of Tennessee troops at
tracted my attention as We passed. They
were Of the race O. "Anak," tall. muscular
men, with mouth firmly set. nostrils ex-
panded and faces lit up with the light Of
battle: they gave us lofty inspiration for
the work we expected to be called upon to
perform In few moments. ] must net for
get TO say that In one set of ..fours'' a let
black negro, as large as the white giants
with whom he marched. filed his place
with all the dignity and determination of A
born soldier
After passing the Lewis House we BEGAN
TO see the effects of the battle The wounded
men on the "stretchers' and in the "aubu-
iances. with cheerful voices. would encour-
age u.s. I'VE are whipping them" said they.
go on and make the victory a complete
rout" The stragglers. however. dirty and
dusty. and with downcas. and rueful looks
told rs their regimsnt mad been cut all to
pieces, and they were all that were left.
We rode rapidly forward and halted IN
column on the north side Of Holkum's
nf
command. and under shelter OF the interyeu-
ing hill.
The rising clouds Of dust had given cur
movement and position to the enemy's bat
teEies. and. Immediately. they began to fire
on us from the north. from the northeast
and from the northwest Shells burst on
our hanks-our left TANKS as we stood In
column being toward the northwest.
After using shells for some time. they
tried to reach US by solid shot In ricochet
firing. These would strike the brow of the
hill on our left and, rebounding over our col
umn. would bury themselves with q duI,
;hud In the hill beyond the branch. As we
heard The Kissing and screaming OF the balls
and shells. nearly every man would duck
his head instinctively down behind the neck
Of his horse. which stood with that subdued
standing out In a thunderstorm or in the
battles rage.
1t seemed that We stood in that spot for
many hours. but know that it could NOT
have been actually much more than half an
hour Then the firing of musketry from
Jacksons line began. 1t would begin on the
right. not in volIeys. but in succession, and
sounded as the grinding of co.fee-only mag
nifed thousand times. Before the wave
of reports would reach half way to the left
flank, IL would begin again on the right-the
cannon of both armies playing a bass to the
tenor Of the musketry. Suddenly there was
a yell-as unmistakable the tocsin OF the
rattlesnake the vindictive tone of the
bumble-bee as he thrusts his sting into You
and we knew the Rebels were charging
the Army OF Coercion. The terrible ordeal
was soon over and We had to duck" our
heads no more. In a short time We began
to march back toward the Lewis House.
As our rear was approaching the top Of the