The National tribune., 1901-08-08
CHARGE OF THE IRISH NINTH.

Lieut.-Col. Quincy, who was then in
command (Col. Cass who had been gal
lantly fighting all day, and who was unit
| for the saddle from exhaustion, having
turned over the command to his Lieuten-
ante Colonel, Immediately ordered the
color-bearers forward, and gave the COM
mand, "Men, follow your cOlorsw Upon
this our brave little line dashed forward,
and delivered CALLING and destructive
| fire, and then, coming to the charge, i'm
mediately dashed upon the enemys lines,
broke, chased, and routed them; and again,
when we succeeded in driving the enemy,
we holly pressed upon his heels into an
open field. This success, however, was
| but temporary; for the enemy, by fierce,
enfilading fire, caused our poor fellows to
fall so fast, that it was deemed expedient
to retire. The firing was continued with
out intermissiOn, and our regiment was
against forced to fall back; yet again and
again they rallied, and once more dashed
forward like giants, and closed with their
opponents in a desperate struggle, at the
same time cheering, as only lrishmen can
cheer, their idolized emblem still at their
| front waving its folds amid the torrent
of bullets and clouds of smoke which en-
| veloped it, and driving the enemy back,
step by step, they regained more ground
than they had lost.
But our gallant regiment, decimated by
the shot and shell of the enemy, exhausted
| by the rapid fighting of eight consecutive
hours, without food, many of them falling
from thirst and exhaustion, paused in
| their victorious career, yainly striving to
| advance against the overwhelming lcglnns
of the enemy. But all their valOr was in
vain. They fell back, step by step, send
ing to their foes the leaden messengers of
defiance. Human nature could do no more;
but at last, in the sullen savagcness of de-
a. matt
rallied again, and rushed once more on
the astonished foe; again they fell back;
these terrific encounters were repeated
nine times in succession. General officers,
separated from their commands fired with
enthusiasm by the gallant conduct of our
men, joined with them in these fearful
conflicts. Thus the fierce struggle went on
with alternate success until darkness came
on, and the enemy withdrew from the con
test.
Dusk was fast approaching, and our
men, weary and worn out, taking advan-
tage of the lull which ensued, threw them
selves carelessly down upon the hillside,
striving to forget in sleep the gloom and
disaster of the day. Gloomy, indeed it
was; the dead and the living intermingled,
while, occasionally, a moan or cry of an
guish from some poor, manned, bruised,
or dying soldier, as he strove to ease the
pain of his gaping wounds, begged for wa
ter to moisten his parched tongue, or cool
his throbbing brow; again the frenzied cry
of a sufferer, the intensity of whose pain
had hurled lordly reason from its throne
all these would rouse the tired soldier,
though but for moment, and again he
slept on, strange though it may seem.
Meanwhile, the night progressed slowly,
its monotOny only broken by the deep
breathing of the sleeping men of our regi-
ment, or the agOniZed cry of the wounded
around us then followed by an Cypress
ing silence. The night had far advanced,
when, looking toward the valley before
mentioned, we discerned what seemed to
be compact masses of troops approaching;
nearer and nearer they came, until they
reached the hill whereon we lay; then, in
the feeble light, we gladly hailed the
green and gold" banner of "Meagher's
Immortal Brigade" They had come to
relieve us. They greeted us with rousing
cheers which we as heartily returned, and
resigned TO them the position we had held
during the day.
In a report of this battle by " Prus-
sian Officer" the credit of the action has