The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1903-04-10

militia retreatcd still farther, and to
the garrison ii seemed for the moment
that Springfield was lost.
In the heat Of the crisis at the front
the "Quinine brigade" which had beer
! stationed III some brick buildings al
the center of the town, marched gal
lantly to the point of danger and
poured stunning fire upon the exult
ant raiders. The militia also rallied
and the triumph of Marmaduke's mer
in the center was short lived. In nick
| of time too five companies of the
/ Eighteenth Iowa, which had been OF
outpost duty some miles from the town
marched in ut double quick and
crashed like a thunderbolt upon Shell
/ by's men in the narrow streets and al
/ leys. These troopers had done tho
hardest fighting of the field, but they
recoiled before the Iowa bayonets and
were driven back to the stockada.
The fresh Iowa companies charged
tho stockade, but Shelby's men fought
tenaciously and held ii to the end But
The gallant work of the succOring band
gave courage to those who had strug
sled against odds all day, and it soon
became plain to Marmaduke thai
| Springfield could not be carried by as
sault. -Four times his line had been
| hG"led back in front of fort No. 4
Shelby, after penetrating the town.
was hemmed in ut the stockade. In
the capture of that citadel and the
rifle pits around it he had lost some of
his bravest officers and men. But one
pass to Springfield had been tested
| There We're three others that might
prove equally strong.
AS the day drew to close the fight
ing died away except for occasional
exchange of shots by the artillery
After dark n small column of militia
made a dash for Collins battery, but
vas struck by ambush fire from two
companies of Shelby's men. whom he
had dismounted and concealed midway
between the Federal barbados and
he battery. This charge cost the as
sailants heavily and was the last of the
battle, for Marmaduke moved his line
back Il mile to the eastward of Spring
field. When day dawned on Jan 0,
the garrison looked hopefully for re-
newal of the attack. for they longed to
improve on their work of the day be-
fore. The militia had never been under
ire before and after their baptism and
failures eagerly wished for another
chance. But Marmaduke and his gen
erals were not inclined to risk a second
attack. They believed that the garri-
son was stronger in men and guns than
had been originally reported. Besides,
the Federals had burned several of the
buildings in which food and rations
and other coveted military supplies
had been stored
1t was for the prize of bread and
booty that Marmaduke risked the bat
tie. His column was returning south
ward after the fruitless battle fought
at Prairie Grove, Ark, two months
before when he heard of the exposed
position at Springfield and its abundant
supplies. With the sole object of plum
der he had cut loose from the main
Confederate army ON the south bank
of Arkansas river and crossed the bor-
der into Missouri. Springfield was his
Waterloo, and midwinter found him
again on the Arkansas, offering as an
excuse for failure the old story that
his battle plans had miscarried. He
said that one brigade of his command
had failed to come up at Springfield
and as result the attacking force was
too weak to carry the day.
AS is often the case in wild raids on
the border, charges Of barbarity We're
made against Marmaduke's men. 1t
was declared by the garrison that Gen
eral Brown owed his wound to bullet
fired from one of the houses in the
town, The historian of Shelby's bri-
gade, however, claiming credit for dis
abling the Federal commander, states
that it was done in fair battle. His
statement is that Brown rode along
the entire front of Shelby's brigade UNI
der fire and clad In bright uniform.
Alone and ahead of all others, he
seemed to be purposely drawing fire
upon himself. The historian adds that
his bravery so charmed the foe that
the cry was raised ON &ll sides, Don't
shoot that man; let him co. let him
co." Finally bullet, which may have
been a stray one, cut the gallant colo
ncl down, but not with fatal wound
He lived to fight Shelbys men until
the end of the war.
GEORGE l.. KILMER.
Basket Jardinieres