The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-12-05
CHAPTER XVII.
LoUNsBERRY-s LAST STING

LOUNSBERRY'S LAST STING
Gettysburg had thinned the grand old
First Corps into the proportions of a small
division. Consolidation became the watch
word. and, with Reynolds dead and his
successors devoid OF influence, it had none
In power to preserve It's autonomy The
Second. Fifth and Sixth corps retained
their badges and their name The Eleventh
and Twelfth. sent to the West were "tele-
scoped" and called the Twentieth The
Third had lost its grip, with Sickles's leg.
at Gettysburg-its way, with French's head,
at Mine Run, and finally it's place and
name-being distributed to fill the gaps In
other organizations. AS for what was left
of the First, most of it, under gray-headed
Wadsworth, went as the Fourth Division to
the Fifth Corps our old friends Of the Iron
Brigade ruefully shedding the blood-red
disk and decking their caps with the NAL
tese cross. And so, faithful to the end,
they hewed their way through the Wilder
ness, hard hit many time, but ever land
ing, cat-like, on their feet, even though
so many of the old leaders were gone
Brave. silver-haired wadsworth. after he
roic effort against Longstreet, died at their
head in the crash of the sixth of May
Cutler taking the division, and Bragg an
other graduate of the Sixth, the brigade
and holding ii longest OF all. Few they
were when they reached the James, mourn
ing with all their hearts for Haskell killed
in command of his new Badger regiment in
the awful attack at Cold Harbor With
Warren they rounded the gray line at Five
Forks-Hallon Richardson, heading the
Seventh, receiving the shot meant for their
major general-and finally, bursting from
the southwark woods below Appomattox.
they helped to bar the last gateway of
Lees beaten army. Then they marched
back TO droop their riddled, crape-laden
colors for the last time before the head of
the Nation in the grand review at Washing
ton, and, with final handclasp from
Hoosiers and Wolverines at the parting of
the ways, went home to lay those tattered
flags within the walls of their own white
Capitol, with never a stain or shadow on
the record of their defenders
But the story of several who set forth
with them was still unfinished. Fred BEN
ton. who had ridden with their battling
line on may bloody day. came not home
ward with the few survivors. strange
fortune had been his after Wadsworth fell.
There had been many a reason, as has
been told, for believing that the tall Vir-
gnian, Jennings. had played double
game from first to last--that he had served
federate government even while receiving
the pay and protection of the United
States; and. though IL was he that re-
vealed to the secret service the fact that
two young officers, Chiffon and Ladue OF
the Confederate army, could be captured
by sending cavalry TO the fishers hut be-
low Matthias Point. and though IL was
through this information that Ladue had
been caught, Stanton had abundant ground
for suspecting the guide. had had him
watched and latter arrested. Benton's evil
dence had little helped the prosecution.
however, and when the young officer was
again summoned TO the War Department
and again questioned to his relations
with the Chiltons. he finally fired up
as the President himself expressed II later
and declared the line of inquiry a reflection