Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-10-19
They reached the bottom. and at the

They reached the bottom, and at the
| Sergeants command went in skirmish or
der-one half retreat ting while the other
| fired into the ranks of the Chinese, now
| close behind them; then in their turn
passing on up the hill while their COM
| rades kept up the unequal fight; and so
came at last to The Boy and the well
| come shelter Of the rocks. But the dead
bodies of twenty of their number marked
their course.
They were just in time. Even as they
dropped breathless on the summit the
main body of Chinese. frantic with rage,
came in view on the farther slope of the
hill. For five horrible minutes of sick
ening suspense Company A poured volley
after volley into them at point blank
range. till the baffled foe fled panic-strick-
en- before their deadly ann.
The cowardly Orientals had learned to
fear this formidable handful of desperate
men now. They turned in fiendish glee to
the three wounded soldiers In the redoubt
who were lying in plain view on the top
Of the powder magazine. All eyes were
turned to them-and it was seen that one
of them was signalling with a wig-wag
flag. Five hundred yellow devils ran
shouting up the hill, and this is what was
signalled:
Save your shots-we will fire powder"
A cheer blew across the valley-Harl1!
The bugler again High and clear as the
triumphant demons came closer-a hun
bred and fifty yards-a hundrcd-uity-
use gwine back to Dixie,
Use gwine back to Dixie!
My hearts turned back to Dixie
I can't stay here no longer"
Company A stood bareheaded and pray
ed to the God it had scoffed:
Il hear dem children calling
I see dem sad tears falling,
NY hearts turned back to Dixie
And I-must go.''
The Boxers swarmed over the wall. An
appalling sound a. Of q thousand thunder
bolts-a squirt Of fame and fire-a cloud
of dust and smoke that hid the startled
sky from the trembling earth-and where
there had been a green hillside there was
now a biackened, desolate neap of torn
earth and stones and mangled corpses-
while few mutilated, terrified survivors
limped down the hill
Before the smoke had cleared away, the
Boys soldierly eye had seen the oppor-
lullltS W oil SilSl1lei HIS pOSltlOu UclOI6
the terror and confusion of the enemy
subsidized. A few brief orders were given
and the men worked as they had never
worked before.
Jennings with ten men ran down to the
house and brought back water, food. and
tools for entrerchnlent. They divided in
squads working five minutes each. They
first made a deep shelter for the women,
then then threw up a. slender ridge Of
earth from rock to rock; those not work
ing keeping up a steady fire. replied to in
increasing volume by the Chinese. And
so the weary day wore on. And all that
day the Stars and Bars foated over the
Boys in Blue!
If, in its brief and stormy past, that
flag had ever stood, in part for any injus-
tice or wrong. on this day Of days. it stood
for naught save Love and Honor Sure
", surely, the Angel of Wrath. though
he looked with exultation when that flag
went down. defeated. in the dust and
smoke Of a thousand battles, yet thrilled
with pride and tears and joy to see its
silken folds flung to the winds again!
Thrice that long. long day a yellow
wave swept up the hill to the little ram-
part; and thrice the dauntless valor Of its
defenders made the stubborn circle good.
And with each wave brave men gave their