The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-06-14

federate had come Before me was the country road. with the high rail fence on both sides, but our cavalry had let down the fences. so there was a gap on each side of the road. Just beyond the farther fence was small log black smith shop. and put forth every energy to reach this shop before was cut down by the thirsty sabers of the urgent troop CTS behind. It seemed yeritabie house of refuge. for I knew If could get m the shop could barley with my pursu- CTS, but if they overlook me in the heat of pursuit, the temptation to try the edge of their sabers on . rebels head would be too great to resist reached the shop few lengths ahead, and as I entered it's welcome portals heard the familiar rebel yell and saw three grey Jackets coming towards the shop from a hill on the same side of the road. The blue coats stopped at the gap on the far ther side of the road. and the trio of rebels galloped up to the opposite gap and faced the foe. A little lean. dried-up sergeant seemed to be the leader, and he was yelling out his war cry at the top of a very shrill voice: Charge, lem, boys! G-d d-n 'em: charge 'emr' He would rise in his stirrup and shout this repeatedly. and seemed to get more an- gry every time because nobody would obey him. I recovered breath and cour- age enough to get out of the shop, mount a rock in the corner of the fence, and commenced firing with my Spencer into the huddled mass, not over 25 feet dis tant. The other two troopers also fired with their carbines, but their leader never fired a shot. He continually re- peated his battle cry. and finding no one else would, he spurred his horse across the narrow road, and crossed sabers with the Leutenant-colonel, who was at least 6 feet high and magnificently formed. ] nave never seen a more daring act one man charging four score. can see the little hero now. in his rusty gray suit. against the background of dark blue coats. as he yises in his sti,rups and cuts and parties with the astonished Federal officer. His whole being is ab- sorbed in his work. and his battle cry is no longer heard. It is victory or death with half hundred chances to one in favor of the. latter. The swords of the comoatants rang out sharply as they clashed together. From astonishment surprise or magnanimity, the comrades of the officer did not interfere. and finally he received fairly heavy cut or the head, which brought him down. Al. ready several of the blue coats had faller from their saddles; from the ton of the hill back of us we heard the shout O, friends coming to our assistance The enemy hed. leaving their dead and wounded where they fell.
 l crossed the road and found the little sergeant had dismounted near his faIler enemy, and was pacing to and fro tht light of battle still in his eyes and his shouts of victory filling the air around It may have been wrong to exult over s fallen foe, but let him condemn who has first snatched his own life and victor, from overwhelming odds and felt the de. lirium of success. 5.....s.ss.
 The fallen Colonel motioned to me tc raise his head. and placing my arm under his neck. raised him to sitting pos ture. His mouth was filled with blood and saw that he had not only 6 saber cut about five inches long on the top oi his head. but wound from a pistol shot in his cheek. which extended down hi. throat
 While supporting the wounded man turned to the sergeant and asked him how the man had been shot He replied that after cutting him down he drew his pisto and fired as he fell. As no one else was shooting pistols I believe his statement was correct, though 1t was very quick work The wounded man was carried tc farm house near by and placed in the same room with one of our Generals, who was shot through the lungs, but learn. ed from Virginian, who lives at Besse- mer. that he died, was buried near the shop which was my house of refuge. and after the war his remains were disin. tered and carried North. heard iT some way that he was from Massachu setts, probably Boston, and from his fea. lures, commanding appearance and ail of gentle breeding, I think he was a mar aE A. l~.z guard of some General, perhaps Butler and in the closing days of>the war had ob. tained permission to make q dash at oul lines with a view of gaining some distinc- tion before the war closed. Poor fellow He met with a regular game cock, who was fighting in a few miles of the home where he was born. In 1889 met a gen. tleman now of Bessemer. but raised al Farmville to whom I related the forego ing adventure. He knew the sergeant well the shop and the road, and had heard the incident related as I have here told 1t. have unfortunately lost the memorandum made from information obtained from him, and cannot give the names of the parties. He informed me that on the same day the sergeant-Dick, think he called him-vanquished the Colonel, he attacked three Irish Federal troopers at one time and conquered them all, receiving eleven saber wounds in the contest.
 After the war he served the govern. ment as internal revenue collector, and al last fell before an ignoble foe, which has conquered so many brave men, the denor of drink. Peace to his ashes!
 Among the thousands whom I saw iT the many conflicts of the war there were none of more heroic daring than the grey coated little Virginia sergeant. In the realms where rest the departed brave he will be the peer of heroes.
 Father Ryan, the Poet Priest of thu
 South.
 The exact date of the birth of oul poet priest" and even the place of his birth is not definitely known. Davidson in his Living Writers of the South. says that the poet was born in Virginia in ls40. John Moran, his latest biograph' CT, states that Norfolk. Va, Hagertown Md, and Limerick. Ireland, are mentioned as being his place of birth, some claim ing that he was born in 1884, while oth' CTS state that 1886 is his natal year.
 When 8 years of age he was living with his parents in St. Louis. Tn that city