The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-12-22

that Speedily" l veatured; and, truly,
the chance did no larry.
FROM our view point on the rising
ground we could see the enemy form
ing under cover OF the wood; and rs we
looked, the two pieces of cannon were
thrust to the front to below out the
al%nal for the assault.
Twas u sight to stir the blood when
inc enemy broke cover into the opener
WoodlnS OF the field to the tune of the
roaring cannon, the N~olleyings of snai
arms and the defiant huzzaings of the
men. The sun was just peering over
lle summit of Thicketty mountain. and
ms level rays fell first upon the charg-
ing line sweeping in like Il tidal 4
OF red death to cruraple our skirnisners
before it.
Lord! says Richard; "if Yaates and
the indian come alive out of that
But the o~utliers closed upon our first
llfe III decent good order. firing as they
could; and in less time than it takes to
Write 1T down the onsweeling wave of
rcd was upon the Carolinians. We
looked 10 see the militia fire run,
hol!le-guard fashion; but these men of
ficMe!S were made of more soldierly
stuff. They cook the fire of the as
saultinS line like veterans, giving
SFou.ad only chen it came to the bay
onet push.
~ iNttiIIS u 10 -, SdlN. jkHf4issit.
most ~coolly; drawing his claymore
when the Earoiinians began TO come
home like spindrilt ahead of the wave
OF red. Then he had d steadying word
for the men OF his company, and q
ncarty Shout and q curse for some of
The G~eorgtans WHO had cut around the
TANKS of our raain to come at their
horses in the rear.
But the lads assertion tina our time
vas come N5as only q han prophecy
The Alarylanders. with the Nirginians
on their flank. stood firm, giving the
~onrushing wave a Shock taat wont near
to breaking 1T. But the British were
better b~ayonetad than we, ard wheE it
came to the iron cur lads must needs
give ground su1lenly, fighting their way
backward as Il stubborn assault fights
ITS way inch by inch forward.
'ldefe comes their reserves" said
DICK, pointing with his blade to Il sec
oild red line forming III the farther
vistas of the wood. Lord! shall we
never get into it,"
Twas j0st here that ar order sent
pN Colonel Howard to his first COM
pany. directing it to charge by the
llank, came near costing Us a rout.
The order WAS Observation-Disclosures
received at tie precise moment OF the
upcoh1ing of the British reserves-and
the M~arglanders fell back. In the
~ - ANtL oSi lS
front gave a and what of the
Georgians there were left in the mellay
made a frantic dash for the horses.
At this crisis John Howard saved the
day for us by shrewdly executing the
most difficult maneuver that is ever es-
sayed by a field officer in the heat of
battle. suffering his men to drift
success. We're rushing on in disorder to
l the coup de grace, he gave the
quick commando: About face. Fire!
Charge"
saw the vol!ey delivered In the
races of he redcoats at pixies length
range; saw the Nirginians on the tanks
bend TO encircle the enemy; saw the
rout transfereitself at the roar of the
muskets from u side to the recoiling
British. Then / heard Dicks shouted
command: Charge them, lads! they're
sabering the ~Georgians!"
A section OF Tarletcn's horse had
hewed it's way past Our flank and was
at work on the militiamen scrambling
for their Mounts. At it we went, with
our brave colonel a horses length
ahead of the best rider in the troop,
wllistl!nS, and that other curious sound
you viii hear only when the cavalry
ensases-the heavy dunch of the horses
coming together like huge living mis-
siles hurled from catapults.
Twas Don oves, and the enemy.
horse and foot, vas flying in hopeless
confusion drought the open wood. Dur
troop led the pursuit; and this brings
me to an Incident in which thy old
misunderstanding in the histories as
an unnamed sergeant-had his share.
1T was i'll the hot part Of the chase,
and Colonel Tarleton-a true Briton in
this, that ne would be first in the
charge and last in tha retreat-was gall
Looping With two of his aides in rear OF
the dragons. Since many of ls knew
the British commander by sight, there
was a great clapping-to OF spurs to
oyertake and cut him off. In this race
three horses outdistanced all the 9th
ers; the great bay ridden by Colonel
Washington, a snappy little gray be-
by the colonels boz bugler, and
my OWN mount.
When the crisis came. our colonel had
the wind of the boy and me and was
calling on Colonel Tafleton to surrender
at discretion. For answer he three
British officers wheeled and fell upon
him. Never was a man nearer his
death. In a Whit Tarleton was foia-
ing at him Iii front whilst the two aides
We're rising In their stirrups on either
hand to cut him down.
Twas the little bugler boy who saved
his colonel's life, and not the unnamed
sergeant" as the histories have it,
Having neither a sword nor the
strength to WELD one. the boy reined
sharp to the left and pistoled his man
as neatly as you please. Seeing his
fellow sabreur drop his weapon and
clap his hand to The pistol wound, my
man hesitated just long enough to let
me in with the clumsiest of upcuts to
spoil the muscles of his sword arm.
This transferred the duel to the two
principles, who We're now at it, hammer
and tongs. Both We're good swordsmen.
but of the twain our colonel was far
the cooler. So when Tarleton made to
end it with a savage thrust in tierce,
Washington parried deity and his
hand.
At his Tarleton dropped his blade
it hangs now over the cnimney-piece in
Mr.. Washington's town house in Char
leston-gave the signal for fight, and
the three Britons, each with a wound to
nurse, wheeled and galloped on. But
in the act Tarleton snatched a pistol
from his holster and let drive at our
colonel, wounding him in the knee. SO
we did not come off s%catheless.
This pistoling of Colonel washington