The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1903-03-04
WAR STORIES.
Virginia Military Institute Cadets at New
market.
market.

"Oncc more in battalion forma-
tlon,' continued the narrator, "came
the ringing command: 'Chargc!' and
after a brcathlcss moment we were
among the guns and those who were
working them ave way. The Colonel
of q West Virginia regiment came
riding UP trying to rally his mon;
Lieut.. Hanna Of our battalion slaslied
him across the face with his small
cadet sword; out came the heavy re-
%volvcr, but rs it was lie vcllcd VIM.
Garrett plunged his bayonct into the
Colonel throwing him from the saddle
and saving %lIanna's life.
Amid this hand-to-hand fighting.
a majority Of the guns had limbercd
up and got away, but we captured
seven, aud having secured them had a
chance todraw breath aud look around.
OFF to our right a large body of Fed
cral troops was lying in line behind a
fence, pouring in their fire upon
Echols brigade in their front, wholly
unobservant of what had occurred SO
near to them. We wheeled to the
right and fred down their line. 1t
was like shooting at a row of birds on
q bough and you should have seen
them rise and scatter like a flock Of
black birds.
by this time the rest of u army
was up and the enemy in full retreat.
We at once took up the pursuit of the
flying Fcderals and chased them sew
cral miles until the North Fork of the
Shenandoah river was reached, where
they had burned the bridge as soon as
their last man was over.
$50 then, perforce, we had to stop.
The battle was won and we were vic
torious, but at what fearful cost!
Along the route that we had come were
lying, killed or wounded, Sc of u
boy c~omrades-56 out of the 900 who
had responded to a ~reveille q few
hours beforc-morc than one-four,h of
those who had gone into the charge
had fallen.
but VIC had undergone our baptism
OF lire, and that night the veteran SOL
dicrs said nothing about muddying
our uniforms. They were torn by
briars, stained with mud and smearcd
with blood to an extent that rendered
any additional attentions superfuous.
AS a matter of fact, however, they had
nc more jeering persiaagc for u
youthful ears; on the contrary they
rode us around camp on their should
ers, and when we went to Richmond
the Confederate government bestowed a
vote OF thanks upon US, the legislature
OF Virginia presented US with a stand
OF %colors. and the %girls-wcil the girls
patted us upon the back
Surely they did not stop at that
laid expression of enthusiastic appro-
bation?" queried one of tho listeners.
A reminiscent smile that was sug-
gestive of anything rather than un-
pleasant memories lit the narrator's
features, but he would say no more.
And he had said enough. Without
reconciliation or preparation and with
nc thought Of publication, he had re-
counted, in the commonplace phrases
OF ordinary conversation, an epic of
youthful valor that should endure
while u language lasts.
And it may be added that the State
OF Virginia this summer is to erect at
the institute a monument, q bronze
figure of Virginia mourning for her
sons to commemorate tho event, the
sculptor Of which, Ezekiel (?) was one
OF the little fellows that took part in
that glorious charge.