The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-12-03
THE IRON BRIGADE
STORY OF THE ARMY OF TIE POTOMAC
CHAPTER XIV.

have happened TO sample" this Western
command-Heth's division, with the bril-
gades of Archer and Davis in the foremost
line. The former has started his Tonnes
seeans down the slope, Alabama support
ing, and is feeling his way to the front,
for that wood looks ominous. Skirmishers
say CANDLES dismounted troopers, who
have held 1t two hours against their best
shooting, are strengthened now by in
fantry, thrown forward by old Cutters
first lire. which can be seen stretching out
over the pike, relieving Devin's worn men,
and letting them scurry back to their wait
ing horses. But Archer sees that in so do
ing Cutler has thrust it's right flank Into
the air"-that Davis, with his Mississippi
battalions, is sweeping upon and around
1T, and is already in turn far in advance
or his own fellows; SO, most eagerly,
Archer orders forward, forward. and the
gray lines leap at the word. Beautifully
the battle opens for the cause of the South.
Cutters men. in their eagerness to relieve
Buford's thinned and wearied defense, have
rushed full 600 yards out into the open,
and Davis catches them in flank with his
yelling Southerners; wheels his Mississip-
plans TO their right-Cutler barely having
time to slip his skirmishers out of the
clutch-then onward come the Johnnies.
full tilt for the guns of Hall. numbered
in place of Calef, on the Cashtown pike
Then two wonderful things happier and
two new feathers go to the cap of the Iron
/ Brigade.
1t is Fred Benton's luck this day of days
to be riding with Reynolds as the corps
commander spurs to the front. His own
| staff is scattered all 0Vpr the field. some
gone to hurry up Howard and Sickles. some
to lead Doubleday's brigade through the
tangle of lanes at the foot of the ridge.
some out to the right where Cutters New
Workers are most sensibly falling back to-
ward the ridge at the rear. So Reynolds
has borrowed an aid, and Benton. burning
with joy and excitement, rides after him
into the grove just in time to see Archer's
foremost line come CALAMITY sweeping
down the opposite slope straight at the
shivering wood, for under their volleys
leaves and twigs are showering the heads
of the few defenders, and these latter are
nervously squirting about them in search
of supports. Hang on, men! Keep up
your fire. Meredith's right behind you!"
shouts Reynolds as he darts swiftly in
among the trees. Hang on, men," goes
the word from center to flank, but things
look risky out there to the right where Cut
ler's ranks are drifting back, and the crash
of Mississippi volleys enfilading the front
and the shells shrieking from the slope of
Oak hill echo the volleys of Archer's quick
firing, fa~st-coming lines. Through the
thick veil of sulphur smoke, pierced by red
flashes. grim faces are peering square into
the wood and eager young captains are
urging onward their men, and in all the
crackle Of shots and the hoarse-shouted
commands no wonder they hear not the
dull, muffled sound of the dancing footballs
as fourteen hundred strong the charging
ranks of the Iron Brigade come on with a
rush. The east edge of the wood is reached
by the leaders on the right of the line just
as the Southern force bursts through the
battle smoke and into the brook; but even
as these latter reach the wood and Archer
is cheering them forward he is amazed to
see his wing Keeling back and a blue
capped, blue-bodied human wave curving
round the southwark end of the struggling
timber, rolling over, engulfng, sweeping
before IL in amaze and confusion-by tens,
twenties and then all together-the right
of the line. Before he can issue an order
or strengthen a single battalion Fairchild
and the Black Hats lave burst through
the sheltering grove i'm his front. and
sprung like tigers on his halted and aston
ished line; while Badger, Hoosier and
Wolverine, swinging round him from the
SOUTH, complete the demolition of the bri-
gade. He and his men are swamped In a
twinkling. He and half his force, six hun
dred at least, are prisoners of war, while
the rest are chased to the rear by Mere
dith's men. First facer for Heth as he
glares from the opposite woods. where Pet
tigrew and Breckenborough are aligned in
support. For him, however, there is COM
fort to the north of the pike, for there has
Davis swept the field and is bearing down
on the Union guns. Now is the time to
support him, but Wadsworth is too quick.
Archer disposed of; the Iron Brigade halt
ed and reforming under Reynolds's own
eyes-in grim business fashion, too, as
though the gathering in of six hundred
Johnnies was not much of an exploit-with
Meredith fronted now to stand off Heth,
should his second line sweep to the aid of
the first, the general commanding turns to
succor the right. He has seen the trouble
in a single glance; has seen, too, the way
out of it; and as Fowler. with the old
Brooklyn Fourteenth-they that kept up
with the cavalry on the first forced march
to Fredericksburg-now change front un-
der fierce fire and faces the new attack
from the north, Fred Benton, all athrin
with excitement, goes squirting over TO
where the Sixth Wisconsin stands in re-
serve, and in another minute, obedient 10
orders, that stalwart battalion, at his
chargers heels, is .'d~ouble-quicking" away
over the fields to its right in support of the
men from the City of Churches, now i'm
sore need. for those lank Mississippians
have swept forward into the long cut of the
unfinished railway, and, fiat on their bel
lies against the southwark slope. are pour
ing their fire into Fowler's men, hoping TO
crush them as they have we'll night exter-
minated Harney's New Yorkers-the One
help can
come.
A fatally good place is a railway cut to
| shelter a line, when the foe stands fast
and contents himself simply with shooting.
A fatally bad place it is when the foe
won't stand at bay, but somes charging
full tilt in spite of the fire. and that, to
the amaze of Davis, is just what these in
famous Badgers are doing this day. With
an inward rush no mere muzzle leaders
can possibly check when. firing ''oblique,'
the Sixth comes sprinting down the slope
from the southeast. its right companies