The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1905-03-23

! lowing, Sfth vvngeruf spit az dame
and sulphur smoke. the nearest bat
terry hurls its screaming challenge
across the field, and in spite and fury
the black shells burst in whistling hail
over the startled heads of the second
brigade. Out beyond the first battery
trot Wooding Aad Carpenter. forming
action front on the slope a 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 bril-
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 'em take to cover" indeed
Well might they dc so, for just be-
yond the pike the woods lie thick and
unbroken. but. sudden as the shot.
each regiment has "fronted" 10 It's
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 its belly at the edge of the field,
while sparring, lashing and bounding,
cannoneers racing alongside like mad,
a well-handled battery-Gibbon's own,
as Poague and Ewell more than sus-
pect-the beloved of the brigade out
on the field, comes front into line"
at a breakneck pace, whirls without
hating its bronze beauties about, ard
in another moment the loud-ringiI &
light twelyes" are out-bellowing tie
trio OF batteries blazing there nOrthwest
Of Groveton, sweeping their sections
with spherical case" Five, ten, if
teen minutes the duel of death goes on.
Gibbons gunners are ali regulars. lords
of their trade. and old Ewell sees Il
and knows it. Timber up. Poague
Back all of youl They are too heavy
for our guns" is the order, and Paul
Ladue spurs to carry il. 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 ITALIA
ferro?
From the westward now. from the
far right flank, daring battery whips
out on the field and unlimbers where
its guns can enfilade Gibbons tri-
umphant boomers, and young ITALIA
ferros little brigade, till now held in
rear, goes striding OF behind its fell
lows, and so on to the extreme right
as though in support. And still it is
a battle of guns and gunners, for Jack
son holds his hounds in leash, down
charged" at heel, crouched al the edge
of the woods.
And then comes the surprise of the
day. the event Of the hour. the marvel
OF the campaign. Even as Ewel and
Taliaferro are deciding that the mo-
ment has come for attack, To- to the
amaze of the men of the Stonewail
brigade, still the extreme right of the
line, there is a CLINT OF steel in the Op-
posite grove and dark column Jursts
from the depths of the wood. Nimbly
a swarm of skirmisheTs leap from their
covert and come dancing out over the
sward. Straight for the guns drives
the daring blue line, backed by eight
solid companies. closed on the colors
and marching abreast. Fancy the can
airy defying the cat Fancy the ter
rier boarding the tigerl Fancy the
lamb assailing the butcher. and you
have the sensation that thrills the wait
ing divisions as grizzled Georgia
colonel slaps down his field-glass and
turns to his men with delight in his
eye and five words on his tongue: The
Black Hats-by Goadi"