Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-11-05

A'NAAcAAlCllI EiFSAi S.AS -~SAHNOAA
IN 'front.' There, indeed, is destruction
equal to this in the cornfelds and along
the Hagerstown pike. No wonder old
Jack BOWS his head in grief and sup
pl1eatlon. Again he has lost both d.
vision commanders, Lawton and Jones
being wounded. So, too, falls Douglas,
heading Lawton's brigade, and with al
most breaking heart Jackson sends
word to his beloved general that half
the commands of Lawton and Hays
and fully one-third of Trimble's are
killed or wounded, as are all regi-
mental commanders but two. Thank
God, It's their last fight with the Iron
Brigade.
Before breakfast is over at the Pry
house, where sit little Mac and the
big staff, Hooker's fight on the right
flank is over and done. Then another
is started in front of the east wood,
and later others occur along the line
to the south, and wherever corps is
sent into attack, Lee scrapes up a
corps to meet and repel it. Con-
certed ASTON might have given the
union needed, much needed, vic
tory, but concert there is none. One
splendid and disciplined corps has been
held in reserve, and when toward the
last the serene young general-in- chief,
never excited or hurried, never able
to see flaw in his own dispositions,
seemed yielding to pressure and about
sending them in, he hearkens to the
words of their brilliant commander, so
said veteran regulars at the time:
Remember, general, command the
last reserve Of the Army of the Poto-
mac"
And so night settles down and Lees
little army, superbly led, has beaten
back in succession the scattered at
tacks of McClellan's overwhelming
force All through the hours Of dark
ness the surgeons are at work with
the thousands of wounded. All
through the following day Lee waits
for renewal of the battle, but McClel-
Ian has had enough. With the COM
ing of another night, therefore, gath
ering up his wounded and prisoners,
sending his trains ahead, the great Vir-
ginian silently moves his columns down
to the fords of the Potomac, and by
dawn of the 18th all are safely across.
Lee has slipped away
Tnere is significance in the greet
ing accorded the little soldier still in
supreme command when he rides his
lines a day after the battle The corps
of Porter, held throughout the combat
in safe reserve, swings its caps and
cheers with great enthusiasm. The
corps of Sumner shouts with modified
rejoicing. The men Of Mansfield rise
and salute in silence. The thinned bat
talions of the First corps make no sign
whatever
Witnessing this sight, Fred Benton
contrasts it with another which il was
his privilege to note the previous day
He and other officers had been sent un-
!! der flag of truce within the picket lines
/ Of the southern army, to seek the
the barn and buildings Of the Miller
farm, where the brigade had rallied ant
hung so long, lay scores of stricken
men for whom the surgeons were do
4 ing their best, but so very many
! seemed past help. Along the pike the
Georgians, too, lay thick, and gray
uniformed officers moved. to and frC
among them, or conversed in low tones
! curiously scanning from time to time
the two or three staff officials in blue
| who followed the surgeons, pencil ant
notebook in hand. Suddenly the talk
ing ceased, for, issuiSg from a marrow
roadway that trended westward from
the pike, there came tall, command
ing-loolSing officer, gray-bearded, ye
alert, a soldier who acknowledge
with grave courtesy the salutes tina
/ greeted him on every hand. Mel
sprang to their feet and gazed at hin
almost in alteration. Even the wound
ed strove to rise. Some few hailed hin
with feeble, childish voices. AS 70
Benton and his two associates, the,
needed not the little group of STAFF an
orderlies. to confirm them in their be
AASA. NY hAlOW A1l4 az q SlaASC III
great Virginia leader-and Benton, in
stantly, the others following, steppe'
forward and stood at salute. Lee say
it, and turning SO as to half face tn
northerners, with punctilious courtes
lifted his hat, then quickly refined bacl
as a dust-covered, battle-stained bat
terry came jingling out from the Ian
and, turning into the highway, pulle
YEARLY on to where the spires of tn
Maryland town pierced the blue be
You'd the southwark wood. faded an
worn were the horses, black and pow
der-stained the men, and of sudde
one OF these, slender STRIPPING, jog
ging along beside his gun, caught sigh
OF the group of horsemen, darted fror
his place to where the commandin
general, the picture Of the soldier an
the gentleman, sat in saddle at tn
roadside, and there, with boyish laugh
held forth grimy hand. its Bob,
he cried. Don't you know nj
father" And Lee, the cavalier, ben
low and with love and tenderness, wit
who can say what pride and reioicin,