Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1901-05-18

General Morgan says it's cheaper to
have the river behind us and make 'em
fight than to station regulars in the
rear to shoot down the towards. .
Presently / saw General Morgan him
self passing among the men and prepar
ing for the expected attack in the morn
ing. This was one of our real heroes,
fighter and leader and no politician,
man whom the great Washington es-
teemed and loved To reward. | had seen
him at Saratoga and elsewhere, and his
figure as well as his name always drew
attention. Over six feet high and built
in proportion, with a weight of 900
pounds and a large. fine. open face he
was type Of the true American. the
best Of all men in mind and body
There was plenty OF provender in the
camp. and gave Old Put the first solid
meal that had come to him in several
days ! wanted him TO be in good trim
for the morrow. for he and | were to
take our proper place with Washing
toms cavalry. to which we belonged,
only handful of men, but able and
true and capable of doing great things
ia the nick of time There had been
some question about the bandage on my
head, which | wore as precaution
against taking cold in the scalp wound.
but ! showed that it was only trifie,
and Colonel Washington rightfully re-
marked that such slight wound would
only increase mans efficiency on the
battlefield Then he presented me with
a fine saber, which | needed badly, and
told me to lie down on the ground and
go to sleep. but | could not sleep just
then. and with the freedom of our colo
NAL armies roamed about the encamp-
ment
The campfires fiared up in the cold
January darkness. The men sat around
them, talking and playing cards with
old greasy cards or singing the songs
of the hills and the woods. Some of the
soldiers were asleep on their blankets
or the bare ground, for we were always
q ragged and unhoused army at the
best, and only few of the officers had
tents.
A sharp breeze came from across the
river, and the flames bent to it, their
light Pickering over wild, brown faces
that knew only the open air, wind,
rain, hail or whatever came Most of
them still carried their curved and
carved powderhorns and their bullet
pouches, inseparable companions over
their shoulders, and their long, slender
barreled rifles, so unlike the British
muskets lay at their sides
Smoke rose from the fires and blew
III the faces of the men, deepening the
brown and giving them another shade
of the Indian A curse mingled now
and then with the singing and the talk
of the card players, and from the bor-
ders of the camp came the stamp of the
horses and an occasional neigh In the
darkness half lighted by the reeling
fires, the camp became camp of wild
men, whose faces the wavering light
nodded into whatever grotesque images
it chose
We were but little army, only 900
strong, but many of us had come great
distances and from places wide apart.
An arc of 1000 miles would scarce cover
all our homes There were the militia.
DOull AdIO1lulnllS anu ieillS, ItsN
troops, whom one can never trust; then
the little remnant of the brigade that
De Kalb bad led on the fatal day of
Camden, splendid soldiers whose line
the whole British army could not break,
the survivors now eager to avenge the
disgrace their brethren suffered on that
day; then the stanch Virginia troops,
= hot lrta n foil ar6
them our two or three score of cavalry
men under Washington little army.
| say again, but led by such leaders as
Morgan, Washington, Howard and
Pickensl Down the slopes the sentinels
were on watch, but there was no fear of
a surprise, for the scouts were Just
bringing in word that Tarieton could
not come before daylight, and then,
owing to the slope and the open ground,
his approach would be seen for great
distance
The new men talked the most, some
about the coming battle, eagerly, volu'
bly,. others about things the farthest
from it, but In the same eager, voluble,
unreal tone The veterans were silent
mostly. and already with the calm ana
hardihood OF long usage were seeking
the rest. and sleep which they knew
they would need A tall. thin man,
with a wild face, whom took to be
one OF the preachers at the great revival
meetings SO common ON the border,
rose In the midst Of the camp and be-
yam to speak Some listened. and some
went on with the talking and card play
ing. Icould hear the rustic of the paste
board as the cards were shutfled. He
was fighting preacher, for he exhorted
them to strike with all their strength
In the coming battle and if they must
die to die like Christian heroes. He
prayed to God for the success Of our
arms, then stepped down from the
stump ON which he had stood and dis
appeared from my sight. He fought in
the front line of the South Carolina
militia the next day.
I cOnUbt INV OxuT1 Y,lana IN OYlr fr00p