The Irish standard., 1903-02-28

necessary to build Notifications around
the sick mans couch. They besieged
the hospital, took it, and from the bal
cony and roof their sharpshooters
poured deadly fire within our in
trenchments.
1t contained our chaplain and sur
geon and one hundred and twenty
wounded men. 1t could not be allowed
to remain in possession of the enemy
a company of the Thirteenth Missouri
was ordered forward to take the hos
pital. They started on their GRAND,
but stopped at the breastworks. A
company of the Fourteenth Missouri
was sent forward, but it also shrank
from the task. The Montgomery
Guard, Capt Gleason, of the Irish
Brigade, We're then brought out. The
commander admonished them that the
others had failed; and, with Il brief
! eXhortation to uphold the name they
bore, gave the word to Charge"
The distance was eight hundred yards
They started out from the intrench-
ments first quick, then doubequick,
then on Il run, then faster.
The enemy poured deadly shower
of bullets upon them, but Oh they
went, a wild line of steel, and, what
is better than steel, human will. They
stormed up the slope to the hospital
door, and, with irresistible bravery,
drove the enemy before them and hurl-
ed them far down the hill beyond.
At the head of those brave fellows,
pale as marble, but not pale from fear,
stood the gallant officer, Capt. Gleason.
He said: Come on, my brave boys"
and in they rushed. But when their
brave captain returned it was with a
shot through the cheek and another
through the arm, and with but fifty
of the eighty he had led forth. The
hospital was in their possession.
Each side felt, after this charge,
that a clever thing had been done, and
the fire of the enemy Jagged. We
were in Il terrible situation. Toward
night the fire increased, and in the
evening word came from the rebels
that if the garrison did not surrender
before the next day they would hoist
the black flag 1t their cannon and give
us no quarter. Word was sent back
that "When we asked for quarter it
would be time to settle that 1t was
a terrible thing to see those brave fell
hands to bind their gaping wounds.
Our surgeon was held with the enemy
Capt. Moriarty Went into the hospital,
and, with nothing but a razor, acted
the part of Il surgeon. We could not
dO without Il chaplain or surgeon
any longer. There was in our ranks
Il Lieut.. Hickey, who was dispatched
from the hospital with orders to pro-
cure surgeon and chaplain at all
hazards. Forty minutes later and the
brave lieutenant was borne back Sc
ycrcly wounded.
On the morning of the 10Th the fir
ing was resumed and continued all
day. We recovered our surgeon and
chaplain. The day was sigma LIKED by
a fierce bayonet charge upon a regi-
mcnt of the enemy which served to
show them that our men were not vet
completely worried out. Through that
day our little garrison stood with
straning eyes, watching to see il some
friendly flag was bearing aid to them
But no rcinfOrcemcnts appeared, and,
with the energy OF despair, they DETER
mined to do their duty at all hazards
The 10Th was a terrible day. Our
water cistcrns had been drained, and
we dared not leave the crown of the
hill, and make our intrenchment on
the hank Of the river, for the enemy
could have planted their cannon on
the hill and buried us.
The day was burning hot, and the
men bit their cartridges; their lips
were parched and blistered. But not
Il word of murmuring. The night Of
the 10th two wells were ordered to be
dug. We took a ravinc, and expected
to reach water in about thirty hours.
The morning of the Goth broke, but no
rcinforcements appeared, and still the
men fought on. The rebels had con-
structed movable breastworks of hemp
bales, rolled them up the hill, and ad-
vanced their batteries in Il manner to
command the fertilization. Heated
shot We're fired at them, but they had
taken the precAution to soak the bales
in the Missouri. The attack was
urged with renewed vigor, and, during
the forenoon. the outer hrenstwOrks
were taken by charge of the rebels
in force. The whole line was broken
and the enemy rushed in upon us.
Capt. Fitzgerald was then ordered
to oppose his company to the assail-
ants. AS gave the order, the gallant
Fitzgerald, at the head of Company l,
rushed in upon the enemy. The COM
mander sent for Il company on which
he could rely: the firing suddenly
ceased, and when the smoke rose from
the field observed the Michigan Com
pany, under their gallant young COM
mander, Capt. Patrick McDermott,
charging the enemy and driving them