The Irish standard., 1903-02-28

to march to the relief of Col. Mar
shall's Cavalry, then threatened by
the enemy, and with them to cut their
way through to Lexington and hold
It at all hazards. The next morning
saw the Irish Brigade with it's face
set toward Lexington. We started
with forty rounds of ammunition and
three days rations, and advanced for
nine days without meeting the enemy.
Thus we went on until at length we
arrived within two miles of LeXing
ton. The brigade pitched it's camp and
preparations were made for advancing
Into the city. We went in with our
solitary six-pounder. The men had
Travelled nine days, by forced marches,
yet they never looked better. On ar
irving at Lexington we found Col.
MarshalFs Cavalry and few Home
Guards.
On September 10 letter arrived
from Col. Peabody, saying that lie was
retreatihg from Warrensburg, twenty
Eve miles distant, and that Price was
pursuing him with ten thousand men.
A few hours afterward Col. Peabody,
with the Thirteenth Missouri, entered
Lexington. We then had two thou
sand eight hundred men in garrison
and forty rounds of cartridges. At
noon ON the 18th we commenced
throwing up our first intrenchments.
In six hours afterward the enemy
opened their fire. Col. Peabody was
ordered out to meet them. Two SIX
Founders We're planted to oppose the
enemy, and placed in charge of Capt.
Daniel Quirk, who remained Mt his
post till daybreak. 1t was q night of
fearful anxiety. None knew at what
moment the enemy would be upon the
little band, and the hours passed in
silence and anxious waiting.
So it continued until morning, when
the chaplain rushed into headquarters,
saying that the enemy were pushing
forward. They were met by Company
X, of the Irish Brigade, under Capt.
Quirk, who held them in check until
Capt. Dillon's company, of the Thir-
teenth Missouri, drove them back and
burned the bridge. That closed our
work before breakfast. Immediately
six companies of the Thirteenth Mis-
souri, and two companies of Illinois
Cavalry were despatched in search of
the retreating enemy.
They engaged them in a cornfield.
fought with them calamity and har-
assed them to such an extent as to de-
lay their progress, in order to give
time for constructing intrcnchmcnts
around the camp on College Hill.
This had the desired effect and we
succeeded in throwing up carthworlls
three or four feet in height. This con-
sumed the night, and was continued
during the next day, the outposts still
opposing the enemy and keeping them
back as far as possible. At three o.
clock in the afternoon of the 10th the
engagement opened with artillery. Tho
guns within the intrencmcnts i'm
mediately replied with vigor, which
converted the scene into one of the
widest description.
elliot q
our guns dismountcd their largest
piece, a twclve-poundcr, and exploded
Il powder caisson. This achievement
was received with shouts of cXultatiOn
by the beleaguercd garrison. The enc
my retired Il distance of three miles.
At seven o'clock the engagement had
ceased, and Lexington was ours again.
Next morning Gen. Parsons, with ten
thousand men at his back, sent in n
flag of truce to a little garrison OF
twenty-seven hundred, asking per-
mission to enter the town and bury
his dead.
The request was willingly granted
and we checrfully assisted in burying
the fallen foe. On Friday the work Of
throwing up Entertainments went on.
1t rained all day, and the men stood
knee-deep in the mud building thclh.
On Friday, Saturday and Sunday we
foraged seven days provisions for
twenty-scvcn hundred men. We had
found no provisions at Lexington, and
were compelled to get our rations as
best we could. A quantity Of powder
was obtained, and then large cisterns
We're filled with water The men made
cartridges in the cellar Of the college
building, and cast one hundred and
fifty rounds of shot for the guns at
the foundries at Lexington. During
the little respite the evening gave us
we cast our shot, made our cartridges
and stole our own provisions.
All this time our picllcts were con-
stantly engaged with the enemy, and
we were we'll aware that ten thousand
men were threatening us, and knew
that the struggle was to be a desper-
ate one. Earthworks had been reared
breast high, inclosing an area of fifteen
to eighteen acres, and surrounded by
ditch. Outside of this was circle
Of twenty-one mines, and still further
down were pits to cmbarrass the pro-
gress Of the enemy.
During the night Of the 18th we
We're getting ready for the defense,