The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1900-09-07

| loG eueCteu "lluout annoy duCe. lue
principal street which conducted to the
bridge, lay completely exposed to the
fire ola two-gun battery, which the
enemy had erected about the centre of
their position; and instantly on our
showing ourselves that battery opened.
1t was we'll served: and the guns were
admirably laid. The very first shot
cost us three men; one killed, and the
other two dreadfully wounded; and the
second would have been in all proba-
| bility, not less fatal, had we not very
wisely avoided it. We inclined, at
once to the right and left of the road;
and winding around the houses, made
our way without any farther loss, as
far as the last range; when We were
commanded to lie down, and wait for
the column.
In the meanwhile, the main body
being informed how matters stood, re-
sumed its march, and approached the
town. 1t was saluted, as we had been
saluted, by heavy and well-directed
cannonade; but being warned by some
of our people, where the danger lay, it
so far avoided it, as to close up its
ranks and effect all the arrangements
f,>r 1,o o,,1f
of the green mound Whilst this was
going on, Charlton, Williams and my
self, having got our company as we'll
together as might be, were lying be-
hind a house, in momentary expecta-
tion of the word. Cannon shot, after
cannon shot, continued all the while,
to pass through the thin brick walls
about us; nevertheless we felt it derog-
atory to our character to move, and
we treated these visitatons with no
other notice besides an ill-applied rail
lery. At last ball struck a soldier
who lay between Williams and myself
and carried off leg. The boy looked
at me, as much as to ask how, under
such circumstances, he ought to behave;
and though, dare say, his courage
was quite equal to mine, really could
not help laughing at the peculiar ex
preston which passed over his coun-
tenance. But no great while was
granted for consideration. The acci-
dent just recorded had hardly happen
ed, when Colonel Thornton, riding up,
exclaimed, "Now, my lads, forward!-
You see the enemy; you know how to
serve them" So saying, he spurred
on, and the whole of the advance,
springing, with the celebrity Of thought,
into their places, rushed towards the
bridge. 1t was gained in a moment;
but couple Of guns, which had doubt
less been lain with special care, instant
ly opened, and seven men were swept
down. No pause, however, occurred.
"Forward, forward was the only word
heard, and forward we hurried, as fast
as the excessive fatigue which we had
undergone during the last cight-and-
forty hours would allow.
l had forgotten to mention, that
whilst our bank Of the river was bare
and exposed, that occupied by the enc
my WAS covered with pretty thick
belt of wood, which they had very
judiciously filled with host of rifle
men. These, taking cool and deliber-
ate aim from their lurking places, soon
began to gall us with their fire. Not
a few of our men fell beneath it, but
the bridge was instantly cleared, the
advance was quickly scattered into
skirmishing order, and in five minutes,
or little more, the belt was emptied of
its defenders. Never did men with
arms in their hands, make better use of
their legs. Though we did our best
to kill few of them l question wheth-
er one American lost his life in that
copse; so rapid, or if you please: so
judiciously conducted was their re-
treat.
We had hardly cleared this little
wood, when the S5th regiment, and
the light companies of the 4th and 44th
came pouring up to our assistance.
TO these we now attached ourselves
and the whole Of the light brigade, in
to one extended line, advanced to the
attack. 1t was our fortune to act up
on the left of the road, where the copse
happened to he more thick, and the
ground considerably more uneven,
than en- the right. The consequence
was, that we moved on for several min
utes without seeing any enemy; but
the wood suddenly ended. an open
slopng field lay before us and in the
rear of high paling, which ran across
the centre of that field, the enemy's
first line presented itself. | have stood
under many heavy fires of musketry
in my day; but | really do not recol-
lect to have witnessed any more heavy
than that which they instantly opened
upon us. Had we been numerous
body, and in compact array, our loss
must have been terrible; but we were
few in number-certainly not more
than one hundred in all; and our or
der was that of fskrmishers, each file be-
ing full ten PAGES apart from the 9th
er. The Americans, on the other
hand were in line, wcdged together as
closely as they could stand; their
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