The National tribune., 1902-12-04

period the Confederate troops in regard
to dress had but little to mark them as
soldiers, and that in the uniforms of their
few organizations of city militia the blue
predominated, while at the same time
there We're companies, and even regiments,
of Union troops that were not dressed III
the regulation Federal rhniform-so Joe
and Dan saw before them a long, irregu-
lar line of men in blue jackets and baggy
red trousers, and knew these men to be
ZOuaves, but whether from New Orleans
or New York they could not tell, and.
nearer, they saw struggling men, ones,
twos. threes, groups, dressed differently
and facing in more than one direction. The
red-legged men were firing, and their backs
were seen; Morgan thought, upon the
whole, that they were Yankees, and he
looked an instant longer, trying to see their
flag, and did see it; but there was so little
wind that the flag did not unfurl. and he
could not tell whether it was the Stars
and Stripes or the Stars and Bars"
All this was but momentary; there was
no pause, no hesitation.
Dan felt a stunning blow and his shot
gun fell to the ground, knocked from his
grasp by a limb overhanging the road. He
spurred on.
Morgan saw men around him-on either
side of the narrow road there were men-
struggling men-sOme of them wounded
evidently, and at once he knew that they
were Union men-but on he rode, and Joe
stuck by his side.
"Out of the way, there roared Dan. as
a sknlker stumbled almost beneath his
horses upraised hoOfs. The man skunk
away; and Morgan takes the hint, and Joe
also raises the Cry, and the two gallop
hard amidst crowds of men, gallOp on, cry
ing aloud:
''Out of the way, there. Out of the
wayw
They are in the midst of scattered
crowds in rear of the noise and smoke; an
officer gives them the road; doubtless he,
too. thinks them cOuriers sent on some
critical errand.
Yet Morgan knows that this cannot last;
some keen Yankee will suspect, will chal-
lenge.
The expected happens. A mounted Off
Ger. followed by two men, blocks the way.
"Halt!' ne shouts.
Dan feels that he is lost. One fearful
instant, and miracle saves him.
"All right! Pass on, Morgan!' cries the
officer, who, else, in the next moment
would have received Dams fire.
From this point the way is clear. There
are no more sknlkers, no more officers
beating skulkers back into the fight.
Morgan; amazed, swerves to the right
toward line of mounted men. And Joe,
behind him three feet, raises hallelujah
yell above the roar of battle
"'Y Jul! YOnder's my company!'
Morgan pulls rein and Joe forges ahead
Come on, Dani Yonder's the Colonel
thought they had us, but they missed it.
Drawn up behind skirt of pine sap.
lings are some hundred horses, to their
righ. long, but disconnected, line of in
fantry. The battle yet RACES.
Joe Lewis rides straight to his COM
pany.
Il report for duty, Captain"
''Fall in on the left. Who is that with
you?"
"a friend who wants to join
But he is not armed"
Dan showed his pistols.
Capt. Carter laughed. "Better not de-
pend on those pOpguns. However, fall in
behind Lewis, if you insist upon it. At
tention! Men, the first man of you who
is wounded and has to leave the ranks.
be sure to hand your arms over to the Or
Sergeant"
The men are stiff in their saddles-a line
*Gen. Early says: "The dress of the
volunteers ON both sides at that time was
very similar, and the flag of the regiment
was dropping around the flagstaff, so that
! could not see whether it was the flag of
the United States or the Confederate flag"
McClellan's Life of Stuart" p. 81.