Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-11-01

stuart that Ricketts, has gone out to
Ihoroughfare, and Mcdowell, with one
isolated division is marching eastward
from Gainesville Now, up guards
/ and at EN-" Up Ewel and Taliaferro!
} Up guns and brigades-batterles three
! ana prlgades just five and away they
go at the edge of the sheltering woods
until nearly three miles out to the
( southwest. and there the dusty, grimy,
gray brigades lie down and wait for
that devoted division.
On to the right front is cosy farm
mouse and Ewell lets his wideawakes
go sampling, and takes a hearty sip.
as a dark-eyed young aide-de-camp
rldes up with dripping canteen OF the
soothing white fluid. Thanks, Mr..
Ladue," says he. ''That's most refresh
ing. by the way, you know some OF
these fellows We're expecting out yon-
der, don't your" and the general points
southwark. Ladue follows the gesture
OF his commander, and then, his eyes,
dark. mournful and apprehensive, fix
upon that vehement soldier face.
" 2|>SAAoAi. dS ldllGTS. lCll"1
knew it must come-sometime.'
Yes, sir, and John Gibbon COM
mands that brigade now, they say. I've
known him for years. To think of his
being there-and he Tar Heel" And
here his kindling eyes turn to where
Trimble's men are stretched upon the
| turf-North Carolina closed on Ala
| bama.
Coming" They're coming.!"
..See!" are the excited whispers, and
young officers spring forward and peer
| over the low crest in front Poague
that year-old, yet veteran, gunner, has
tipped a hand to his bugler, and low
and mutf1ed Attention." is sounded.
Low and muffled, it is repeated still
more family farther off to the east,
/ where the horses of Wooding and
Carpenter are grazing on the scanty
turf, and drivers and cannoneers spring
to their posts.
But Old Jack gives no sign. He is
waiting and watching. He is there in
saddle at the edge of the trees, indis-
| tinguishable in the gathering gloom.
He waits until the leading brigade of
the long column is clear of the east
ward OF the TWO groves. He let's it
go until it drops into the low ground
about Groveton, then mods to Ewel
and-the ball begins. Out on a sudden
from the left of the massed lines,
Poague's lean horses and gaunt, sinewy
gunners spring to their work Six black
muzzled b.~rkers are whirled round in
battery. Overwhelmingly bel.
lowing, with vengeful spit of flams
and sulphur smoke, the nearest bat
terry hurls it's screaming challenge
across the field, and in spite and fury
the black she burst in whistling hail
over the startled heads of the second
brigade. Out beyond the first battery
trot Wooding and Carpenter, forming
action front on the slope little to
the northwest of Groveton, and so
three batteries are suddenly hurting
their swift fire upon the now halted
column. Now see 'em take to covert"
shout the seasoned ones by the gun
side, as the left half battery echoes the
right, and all the front of Starke's bri-
gade is now covered by flashing guns,
believing in chorus, the men, leaping
in and out to reload, dimly seen
through the billowing battery smoke,
and still, screaming and shrieking the
shells sail high across the rolling earth
sea. See EN- take to cover" indeed!
Well might they do so, for just be-
yond the pike the woods lie thick and
unbroken, but, sudden as the shot,
each regiment has 'fronted" to its
left. The steel ramrods of the fore
most are seen flashing in air. The
shrill voice of Old Graybeard, squirting
back to his colors, has yelled the order
to load at will, and not until they're
bitten and poured and rammed and
capped does he follow that with 'Lie
down." The right of their line is
fiat on it's belly at the edge of the field,
while sparring, flashing and bounding,
cannoneers racing alongside like mad,
a well-handled battery-Gibbons own,
as Poague and Ewell more than sus-
pect-the beloved Of the brigade out
on the field, comes front into line"
at breakneck pace, whirls without
hating it's bronze beauties ABOUT, and
in another moment the loud-ringins
light tWelveS" are out-bellowing the
rio OF batteries blazing there northwest
OF Groyeton, sweeping their sections
with spherical case" Five, ten, ff-
teen minutes the duel of death goes on.
Gibbons gunners are all regulars, lords
OF their trade, and old Ewell sees it
and knows it. Timber up, Poague!
Back ali Of you They are too heavy
for our gunss is the order, and Paul
Ladue spurs to carry it. Out of the
way, gentlemen gunners! It's onr
time now, goes the word from Starke's
eager ranks, and SO on down the long
line. Into their saddles leap the field,
staff and commanders. The sun has
gone down; the dusk is at hand the
night must not come until that stub
born brigade has been swept from the
earth. Who shall do it, Ewell or Talia-
ferro?
Continued in next issue.)