The National tribune., 1905-11-23
THE 9TH MASS. CAV.
Heroic Band Held In Check 10 Tines To
Number.

Number.
Editor National Tribune: Where %
many of the comrades OF all ranks fur.
nish you from week to week with thrill
ing adventures Of the battle and the
march 1t Is with a feeling Of modesty
article which hope will be found &C.
ceptable to you. My first enlistment
was In the 10th N. Y. regiment, known
as the Mozart; my second in the 4th
Mass. Cav, and was sent with others
into camp at Readville, Mass, before
being assigned to our various COM
mands. / was never in Andersonvflle,
but the treatment accorded US in Read.
vile was well calculated to At W for
graduation into one OF the Southern
prison pens. After being attached to
the 4th was sent South, and right now
must confess to being at loss just
what to single out for your readers,
but there is one incident which I al
ways think OF with pleasure, and which
is out Of the usual routine Of q soldiers
life. My regiment was doing guard
duty at Richmond, Va, in the Sum-
with William Sheath, OF my command.
visited one Of the Masonic Lodges OF
Richmond. The Southern lodges OF
that time had but recently been 'rs-
constructed" There we met several
who had served in the rebel army ~
South. as 1t is to be hoped will be the
case entirely throughout the Union be.
fore great many years.
In Gen. Grants last report Of th0
war he mentions the 4th Mass. Cav.
saying. "Heroically attacked and de-
Farmvflle, Va, until its commanding
officer was killed and his small force
overpowered." Less than 1000 men.
without any artillery, held a rebel force
OF ten times their number I'm check.
OF the IL 4th Cav. officers who went
into the fight eight were killed and
wounded including our gallant ieader
Col. Francis Washburn.
Onward they dash: IL
1t matters not the toilsome march,
The foeman's cannon crash;
Their souls were in their swords,
Their steeds beneath them throb.
The graves disdein to robi
Many or few?
Six hundred? Nay; that were q host
Beside this band so true.
Four score Of trusty arms
Against an army lined. r.
Oh! weep with us,
The comrades left behind!
see them still:
Down deep ravine, then up to form
On battle-shaken hill. 4
One word is all enough;
One waving blade their light.
Into the bordes
OF rebel raging fight,
He at their head.
A knight, q paladin Of old;
A hero-honor led,
And 1bered with the faith
or ages won by God.
o, what to him
The soaked and waiting sod!
o sweet is 1T
For love OF land to do or die!
The heart-strings, heaven-knit,
Relaxed from tensest strains,
Upon his arms to rest,
In whom alone
Is earthly conflict blessed!
"And shall not we
Survivors Of the martyred brave.
BY tears and blood made free
Give what they kindly gave?
Yes! BY the loved and lost,
Most sacred hold
Our country's priceless cost"
The 4th Cav, to whom the above
poem is dedicated by its author.
tack spoken Of by Gen. Grant. One
cannot but mark the contrast. An
event Of that kind in the late Russo
japanese war would have caused spe-
cial editions Of all the great papers I'm
the world. And, again, the above lit
tie account shows we were not led by
priests either.
II this, which is not so short as Z
thought 1t would be, prove acceptable
may be tempted to do likewise again.
George A. Bolser, Co. A, 4th Mass.
Cav, Spa Springs. Anna Co., Nova
Scotia.