Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-03-07

slope they burst into loud yells and cheers and dashed at 1t in a wild run. It was so thick with bodies, dead and, living, that they were forced to trample ruthlessly upon them, silent or shriek- ing, as they advanced. The hill was slippery with blood, they found. as they struggled up its steep sides.
 The crest was strangely silent for the moment. Gould it be that the Fed eral troops had withdrawn? They would soon find out At command the front rank fired volley and, dropping to it's knees, was passed by the sec ond rank, which ran a little distance farther and fired, and then by the oth- CT rank, which did the same thing. So, shifting and weaving back and forth, they climbed up and up. By this time they were near the crest, and still no answer came from the men they hoped to sweep before them.
 An, there 1t was at last! Trumpet calls rang out. Flags were suddenly lifted. Now the crest was filled with men. The two forces were so near each other they could peer into the faces opposite. Some of the men on the hill were laughing like maniacs, some yelling frantically, some were si- lent and awestricken, some stood with lips drawn back from the teeth as a snarling dog at bay. some were indif ferent. some pale, some flushed, their faces engorged with blood. Back of them officers on horseback rode near the edge. There was Thomas himself, silent, stern, impressive, determined.
 The advancing troops had time but for single glance and the hill was crested with flame again. A stream of bullets poured down the slope which swept them away in scores. The as- gaulting column returned the whitening fire as best 1t could, still wayering cn. Again 1t was repeated Finally every other man in that First brigade was shot down. The survivors halted and stood there, unable to go forward, too proud to go back. It was such a fire as no mortal man apparently could withstand. yet such was the magnid- cent valor of those troops that when Darrow, looking the desperate hero he was, tore the colors of his old regi- ment from the hand of color bearer and sprang to the front the men, with bayonets at charge, 1eaped after him. The third volley, the last for many, rang out. The head of the column was blown to pieces. 1t was riddled like sieve, torn to rags, but 1t came on still. A bullet struck Darrow in the breast and tore through his lungs. He wavered.
 ''Take the fagr' he cried to Pleas aGe3sx x,r k he pitched violently forward on his face.
 The blue troops on the hill were com ing now. With fixed bayonets they, came pouring down the slope The roar of the musket1y died away as the two lines met and was succeeded by the ringing of steel on steel and the shouts and struggles of the men. A little handful of his own men ral- lied around Pleasants and his flag. He cut down two or three who came in touch with his weapon and stoutly strove to hold his ground, but to little avail. The scattering discharges and the fierce onset delivered from above slowly swept the scattered division down the hill.
 Pleasants turned, gathered the flag to his breast and followed the rem nants of his men. He had stood there on that line until he had been left alone. Those who had rallied around him had been killed at his feet Tba staff and flag were spattered with blood. He could do no more. They were beaten back. They had failed. n aTrvI Ixx+x TIT that old hailowed, battle riven banner.
 A scattering fire pursued the retreat ing Confederates down the hill. One bullet struck Pleasants in the ankle, He fell, and the flag pitched forward. With superhuman resolution he drag ged himself to his feet again, picked up the flag, staggered few painful steps, dropped to his knees and crawled down the hill A few of the troops above who had cartridges left leveled their pieces at him, butsthe colonel in iTnme- diate command of the troops nearest him, filled with admiration for Pleas ants courage, ordered his men to cease firing. The attack was over. It had failed. Let the crawling hero save his flag
 AS The man IF gray craWleG, rol.a1, fell down the hill the Union officer ran toward the prostraLe IorIn ur v=ss z5su- federate who nad Ied tine gallant au- vance. He was nearest of any others to the crest. He was lying prone, with his body slightly lifted on his left arm. His set face was ghastly pale. His right hand was fumbling at his breast. As the Federal officer approached him by a violent effort he drew a letter from his pocket, blood stained, crum- pied letter.
 "Free!' he murmured as the Union colonel knelt by him. "Tell Mary
 There was gush of blood from his lips. He dropped shudderingly down on his face.
 At the foot of the hill Peasants tainted from pain and exhaustion, but the men of his regiment found the flag tightly clasped in his hand. Two hum dred of them who had answered the roll call of that morning had been stricken down in that holocaust of