Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-11-12
CHAPTER XIV.
LADUE's LAST RETREAT.


In the two great days that followed
there was little to do for the little left
of the Iron Brigade. Sore-hearted over
the loss of 50 many cherished COM
rades. yet confident that their valor
had not been vain, the survivors hung
silently to their assigned position, and
awaited Developments.
And, when the morrow came, Benton
was early in saddle and away to the
left of the line. He was bitter and
chafed in spirit over his wrongs. He
realized that under existing conditions
nothing more than half-hearted ac-
acknowledgement OF error could be looked
for, but he had determined that the
moment things settled down and the
department had time to attend to
something besides the momeptous af-
fairs of the nation. he would demand
justice And now both Wadsworth
and Doubleday had spoken in heartiest
praise of his behavior throughout that
heroic battle of the first day. So far
SO good. What he longed for, on one
hand. was chance to square accounts
VIII McK1nnon. What he hoped for,
on another, was opportunity to teach
that disdainful girl how deeply she
had wronged, as well as affronted,
him.
He would have known better had he
had time to analyze the chagrin and
pain and jealousy which possessed him
all the long hours that followed his
morning talk with some staff COM
that three days before, on the 18th of
June, while they of the Second were
pushing cautiously northward through
Maryland, they were made aware that
a column of cavalry was passing
around them from the south, and that
while they were swinging through
Uniontown the cavalry were trotting
through Westminster, only five miles
from their flank. "Gregg's division, of
course" said they who saw through
glasses the far-distant column.
Gregg, not much!" said Haskell, who
had ridden out toward Union Mills on
a scout of his own. Its Jeb Stuart
with his whole outfit and not little of
ours He must have been helping him
self every mile of his way from the
Potomac" And this. indeed. proved
to be the case; for, as they lay in the
fields about Uniontown that night,
there reached them rueful, crest
fallen little party of officers, gathered
in by Stuart at the crossing of the Bal
timore pike. Two were field officers
who from convalescent hospital were
striving to overtake their regiments;
the third was Mai McKinnon, ordered
to report without delay to the COM
manding general, Army of the Poto-
mac; and McKinnon, it seems, had also
been convalescing in Baltimore, but
not from wounds These three, with
their light luggage, had been pounced
/ upon at wayside tavern by ROSTER
ing troop of Stuart's fankers and
| dragged before this cavalry command
err One of the parties presented the
three captured officers. Stuart invited
his captives to be seated while an
aide took their names, regiments, ETC.,
and as McKinnon gave his there was
sudden sensation. The young cavalry
man sprang forward, seized McKin-
mons hand, shook it effusively, and,
to the amaze of every one present, ex-
claimed: Gen. Stuart. am sure, sir,
you will treat this gentleman with
every possible consideration. 1t was
he, sir, w1o so nobly defended my
father at Washington when Secretary
Stanton would have sent him to Fort
Warren-and Rosalie. too. for that
matter. 1t was Mai. McKinnon. sir,
who pleaded their cause with the sec
rotary and had them returned to Char
lottesyille. It was he, sir, who in other
ways most generously aided them" +