Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-08-12

CHIEF, Col Taylor and big Tom Sam
pie seem TO have absorbed a good
share Of the life Of the party. This
inimitable trio and a few others posed
for photographer in front of the
castaneda and all did their hest to
look pretty when the bulb was press
ed. The official train will return via
the Northern Pacific to Ogden, then
over the d & r. G. TO Denver, over.
the Union Pacific to Omaha, over the
G. NJ & st. P and over the Pennsyl-
sania home.
Historic Col. Taylor.
Give a message from me to any
member Of the First Pennsylvania
cavalry, who may read your article
said famous old Col. Taylor to the
Optic man. Col Taylor, despite his
seventy-six years, Is still noble fig
ure of man. The great beard which
falls to his waist is hardly tinged
with gray. He Is big. erect, soldierly.
the very ideal Of the riding hard-fight-
ing cavalry officer of the days of Sher-
idan and Stuart. Few living cavalry
men have achieved higher fame than
has Colonel Taylor. To The Optic he
recountered some of the thrilling ex-
periences Of the time when the flow
er of American manhood followed the
starry banner of the republic or the
stars and bars Of the Confederacy.
Il began service as captain Of cav
airy, and was soon promoted to the
colonelcy Of the First Pennsylvania
cavalry, he said At the request of
Senator Mitchell, who stood by, he
went on to tell of the terrible strug-
gle on which his chief fame rests.
1T was my regiment that led the
charge which opened up the battle of
Gettysburg. and it was | who fired the
first shot of the terrible three days
conflict, as signal to my men. Ma
jor Falls battery was in deadly peril,
being menaced by Jackson with a
thousand infantry. ! was ordered by
General Mead to charge with my reg
iment to protect the battery. | led
ZIG men against that advancing thous'
ands. 1t didn't seem possible that a
man could live in the frightful car
! mage that ensued. My men fell In
windrows, my own horse was shol
under me, but my men kept on ant
the riderless horses swept through
/ the infantry aided in their discomfit
ure. OF my ZIG men only n cams
back. But we forced the infantr.
to retreat and saved the battery
which did good service during tn
fierce battle which then opened. Their,
was no bloodier or more effectiv,
j charge during the whole war
"At the battle of Charlottsburg m.
regiment was flanked by Stuart's cay
airy. In the fierce charge that fol
lowed, the heroic southerners rod
clear up to the colors Of the regiment
grabbing the flags with their hands
The color guard shot them down. m
men rallied. the colors were save
and the charge was repealed. TIL
First Pennsylvania never lost its co
ors and was never defeated, thong
IL lost more men than the full strengt
pf the regiment.
Col Taylor has never missed
A. II. encampment. OF all the Penl
sylvanians on the train. he was th
only one to be found who had bee
present at the San Francisco encaml
ment In 1886. But he had never bee
through New Mexico before and wa
much impressed and pleased wit
what he saw
Soldier.senator.
!, Col. Mitchell loolH too young
have been soldier In the civil wa
Nevertheless. ne served through y
whcta sanguinary struggle as mer
Der u Tie motel i05ln pennsylyan
J infnnirN cnlInd Thn tEsancaisn L