The Somerset reporter., 1900-07-26
THOROUGHFARE GAP
Copyright. 1900. by c. B. Lewis.
BY n. QUAD.

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:
81 do not know how many Confeder-
ates are holding that gap, but be the
number 800 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 detach 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 gloom-that was Thorough
fare gap. AS the skeleton regiment of
600 Confederates entered 1t and pressed
forward to its western mouth, its rug
gedness and gloomy solemnity brought
a feeling of awe. 1t reminded them of
a 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 a stone now and then
to come Gathering down from far
above. When a blue brigade came
gathering up. 1t was to find the 600
In possession and the position one
which the dullest private must see was
we'll nigh impregnable. Every hour
was worth a thousand lives to the Fed
eral army, and the Federal brigadier
lost no time In beginning the attack,
In the open he would have gobbled up
that skeleton regiment at a dash. Be-
hind 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 man got within five rods Of the
wall. Grape and canister and bullets
tore the lines 90 pieces. 1t was tried
again and again. The orders were to
break through the gap. A thousand
dead and wounded would be a cheap
price for the information to be had at
the other end. Artillery was brought
forward to batter down the wall, but
1t 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 brigadier 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 as a 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
to every other man. but they formed up
and charged and cheered &nd-died.
After half day of bloody fighting the
Federal brigadier rested. He was still
bleeding from a wound when he open
ed a dispatch and read:
"You have one of the best brigades In
the corps. and II Is certain you are OPP
posed by only a handful of Confeder-
ates By 8 o'clock In the morning you
must have authentic news of Lee"
The brigadier had sacrificed COO men
that day, and he could not believe the
Confederate loss to be over 80. There
was but one way to reach them on the
morrow-over that stone wall. He
would drive them or die with the last
man. There was no jollity In the Fed
eral camp that night. Men will sing
or Joke as they swing into battle line In
the open, but these men peered into
the darkness of the gap and thought
Of the dead In front of the stone wall
end spoke to each other In whispers.
1t was q brave sight to see them swing
Into line as the sun gilded the tree tops.
Every face had its pallor. and every
eye looked into the midst of death, but
there was no tagging or faltering. You
saw them tightening their belts and
setting their jaws as they waited, and
you held your breath for the signal
which was to send them to death.
On the other side of the stone wall
there was no exultation. The dead
and the 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 II. When
the blue lines, ten deep, came dashing
forward, they met with such hail Of
iron and lead that the first three or
four were blotted off the face of the
earth. Then, under the smoke cloud,
some of them wounded and all desper
ate, the other lines crept forward, and
the wall was reached. 1t was hand
to hand fight now, and every man was
devil, and after quarter Of an hour
Of bloody fighting the Federals held
the position. The dead lay three deep
below the wall, but the living stood
upon its crest and cheered and cheered