Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1905-01-20
The ion
! Brig ade /
g A STORY OF THE ARr1Y a
OF THE POTOMAC
By GEN. CHARLES KING
Author ofs.NorIaan Holt. '''She coloaeis
Daughter. -" Fort Erayns," Etc.
CoD5zazh1 1902. By G. W. DILLINGHAM; O.
tContinued.1

iobey the order, but loud ring the bu-
giles through the leafy woods. Up
ispring the men of the old brigade, re-
freshed by three hours rest, with cof-
fee and hard tack to comfort them ere
starting, and, as the heads OF columns
reach the pike again and turn sturdily
away eastward some levelheaded band
leader signals to his men, and the
Black Hats set up shout as the woods
ring to the rollicking strains of "Ain't
I glad to git out O de Wilderness"
Four brigades in solid column they
swing along the broad, dry thorough
fare, full 5000 boys in blue.
But if Jacksons real movements are
unknown to our generals, rest you sure
the eyes of his army have not been left
behind. Early that very morning
Johnson sends young Gather with his
gray-clad troop spiering and when our
confident courier comes gallOping along
with McDowelPs dispatches to Sigel
land Reynolds telling them just what is
planned for the day, Gather gathers
him in, sends the much appreciated
programme to Johnson, who grins with
delight and passes it on to Old Jack
himself, away on toward Sudley
Springs, snoozing with his division
commanders Ewell and Taliaferro, on
their soldier pillow-saddleS- the
snake-fence corner. Here is the chance
of lifetime! Somewhere to the west
must be two of McDoWelPs divisions,
alone. And, even while he is rousing
; his right and left bowers, Ewell and
Taliaferro there comes word from
Salart that Ricketts, has gone out to
Thoroughfare, and Mcdowell, with one
isolated division is march ing eastward
from Gainesville. Now, up guards
and at 'em!" Up Ewell and Taliaferro,
Up guns and brigades- three
and brigades 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.
OF to the right front is cosy farm
house and Ewell lets his wideawakes
go sampling, and takes hearty sip,
} as dark-eyed young aide-de-camp
rides up with a 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 you?" and the general points
|
of his commander, and then, his eyes,
dark. mournful and apprehensive, fix
upon that vehement soldier face.
J "Wisconsin?" he falters. 81 felt
knew it must come-sometime."
Eyes, sir, and John Gibbon COM
mands that brigade now, they say. I've
! known him for years. To think Of his
being there he Tar He'll" 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 muff1ed Attention." is sounded.
Low and muf1ed, 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
J 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 lets it
go until it drops into the low ground
about Groveton, then mods to Ewell
and-the ball begins. Out on sudden
from the left of the massed lines,
\ Poague's lean horses and gaunt, sinewy
, gunners spring to their work. Six black
| TpIZZ1a6 harkarS are WhirIod r0und iJ,
} battery. One-two-three-qu bel
lowing, with vengeful spit of fame
and sulphur smoke, the nearest bat
i terry hurls it's screaming challenge
across the field, and in spite and fury
the black sh ellis burst in whistling hail
. over the startled heads of the second
brigade. Out beyond the first battery
. trot Wooding and Carpenter, forming
: faction front on the slope little to
3 the northwest of Groveton, and SO
9 three batteries are suddenly hurting
3 their swift fire upon the now halted
Q column. Nov see 'em take to covert
= shout the seasoned ones by the gun
2 side, as the left half battery echoes the
: right, and all the front OF Starke's bril-
9 gade is now covered by flashing guns
: believing in chorus, the men, <ieapine
9 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 'em 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