Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1905-03-18

or July that witnessed EwelI's bloody
assault and the dawning of that black
Friday of the Lost Cause.-The third
day-something had happened to give
new heart to JacLson's old men. The
Stonewall brigade was there still i'm
the woods in the low ground between
the rocky point, where crouched the
survivors of Wadsworth's division. and
the forest-covered heights off To the
eastward, where cavalry gui6ons-
union cavalry-had been flashing in IN =
last rays of the setting sun. Some
Where In the dim fields there was stir
ana excitement even in the wearied
bivouacs of Ewell; and, under the
starlight, eager to satisfy his generals
restless desire to know what il ali
meant, Fred Benton had crept out TO
the front
The word has gone the rounds. to
the JOY OF every soldier heart. that
the new commander meant to stand
ana nght. and If Lee could muster no
more men than these already thrown
In. he might hammer the lines in vain.
Now, If only Stuart and his pet bril-
gades would but stay lost so that no
fear need be felt for the far RICH.
flank. all would indeed be well,
But would Stuart stay lost? Could
he have got so far away as not to
be found and by this time returned to
the army; and when he came. would
it not be from the north. and thus
bring him in on the very flank they
were now defending? Tired as he was
Benton could not sleep for thinking
of the disclosures made through Has
kell.
Alone and afoot. after a word with
his gray-haired chief, he slipped out
and away to the Baltimore pike. This
he followed southeaSterly nearly half
a mile, greeted occasionally by low
toned challenge of sentry; but other
| officers were hurrying swiftly to and
fro, and there was little detention. As
! early as three o'clock he found himself
following patrol down a rocky path
| way toward the creek, and. learning
| from outlying sentry there that no
force seemed to be in his immediate
front-only few picr ets-Benton ex-
| planned that he wished to crawl out far
| enough to be beyond the sound of
| trampling hCof and rumbling wheel at
4 the pike, that he might listen the bet
| ter. And. creeping from bush to bush
| to avoid the moonlit spaces. less than
half an hour before dawn he had sue
! ceeded in gaining fully 400 yards out
toward the northeast, and there low
/ voices warned him 10 lie still and
| listen. He was either on or within the
| confederate picket line, and had much
| to learn and little time.
And then, as he crouched close to
the trunk of spreading tree, faint
and sweet, soft yet stirring, SO far GU.
to the north that the performer doubt
! less thought il beyond the range of
inimical ears, a cavalry trumpet began
/ to sound the martial reveille. stirring
some nearby watcher to remonstrance.
Damn that Internal dash-dash ed
/ idiot" stormed a low. half-choked
voice. He'll tell the whole dash
dashed Yan'.ee army our fellows have
come, Go boci<. there. sergeant. ano
| tell our trumpter if he dares to toct a
horn I'll murder him"
Then somebody rustled of through
| the bushes. ard somebody else spoke.
Some of Hampton's crowd. | rec,on.
How longd the general want us to stay
out hyuh?"
Till Ewell attacks at dawn. Then
We'll mount and look out for Gregg.
| His people are out here to the east of
us. Stuart'n get after them, you BET,
| as soon as it's light"
I'VE haven't got a horse that can
moren staSger. All worn out, / tell
! you" protested the second voice.
| mo more'n theirs are. Jennings met
us back the on the Hanover pike.
and heard him tell Fitz Lee Gregg's
horses were all played out"
| Jennings be damned" broke in a
third voice, impetuously, and Benton
started at the sound. 1t was Chilton's
beyond shadow of doubt. Chiffon
again with his old regiment, and these
| it'll him were doubtless officers of
fitz Lees brigade. scouting, probably,
! we'll in front of the cavalry lines, yet
| proving that Stuart was there at last.
and could be counted on TO make
things lively in the morning. 1t was
high time TO slip back and give warn
ing, but getting back was slow and
tedious-even perilous work The
I Nuo biCahAuS WHCll, III DCOl
| gled garb, Benton found his gray-head-
ed general in the circle about the COM
mander. Before Benton had time to
whisper half his explanation, Wads-
worth's tired eyes famed with eager
light.
Here's the very news to prove it,
general" he cried. Capt. Benton, of
my staff, is just in from that front.
Stuart is there and Ewell means to at
| tack"
How do you know Stuart is there? %
demanded Meade, whirling sharply on
the young officer. The most courteous
and polished OF gentlemen at other
times, Meade was irascible in the ex-
treme in battle.
Il heard voices, sir-one that well
knew, an officer of the First Virginia
| heard them say that Fitz Lee was
there, and that Stuart would settle
Gregg, and that Ewell would attack at
dawn" But even as he spoke came
confirmation of his words In the dim
light of the dawn, the guns of Greene