Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1905-01-20


men of the "StonewaIl'' spring to their
feet. the little red battle flags are lifted
on high, and forward goes the brigade,
sweeping in three slender lines to the
low crest in front. as their far-forvara
skirmishers leap from the grass and
Volley their challenge at the coming
foe. Then Georgia and Louisiana and
the men at the guns hold their breath
and watch to see Virginia send those
impudent Yanks whirling back to the
woods. or else
Wonder of wondersi So far from
scurrying at sight OF the "Stonewall,~
that Sombre, black-crested line halts
short at sudden word of command; .
crashing volley, driving point blank up
the gentle rise, sends its storm Of lead
square in the ''StonewalIs'' face
Down go two battle flags. Down goes
Men, colonel commanding the Thirty
third. Down go dozens in the foremost
rank, and to the amaze of Starke and
LaWton, the 'Stonewall'' fairly stag
gers. Forward" is one hoarse shout
ed order, ''Firei" another; and with
the SkirmiSherS crOuching, crawling
rolling away to right and left, Virginia
blazes at Wisconsin now ramming fresh
cartridges into the smoking tubes, and
With never a thought of retreat So
far from sweeping the field the Stone
wall" is brought to a halt and gets
another fierce volley, followed by rasp-
ing fire by file that is far more effective
than the downward aim of the COM
mand, schooled rather to charge than
to shoot. Sol Meredith's HOLSTERS are
sweeping at double quick straight from
the pike at the west of the grove
Arms at the trail, at the shoulder OF
anyhow. all eyes to the front, Indiana
is heading straight for the left of Wis
consin, and in five minutes more it's
long front is hidden in its own fire
flashing cloud. Another five minutes
and another br+ yade is in line for the
south, another battalion for the union,
and still not a man has thought of
retreat-save only the thick stream
Of wounded hobbling painfully back
for the rear.
shall iron break the northern iron
OR steel?' mutters Old Jack, in the
words of the prophet, his eyes filled
with trouble his teeth firm set as once
again the cheering, banner-waving, fire.
flashing ranks of his devoted battal-
ions sweep down the gentle slope I'M
til almost lost in the smoke of the OPP
posite lines, then slowly settle to a
halt, astounded, for though full half
of its left wing seems shot out of line,
and the HoosierS and Black Hats are
shrunk to half their original strength;
there, shoulder to shoulder, daring, de-
faint, indomitable stands the brigade
the swart faces Of the men lit by the
fash Of their guns, and Ewell, grim
old soldier, borne to the rear with
shattered thigh, groans to his mourn
full aides that at last the division has
met its match.
Jackson's pale face is rigid as he
himself bends over his loyal second in
command, and his lips move in prayer,
never in imprecation, ere they issue
their next order, TRY again." And
this time, Trimble, too, drives in with
Lawton, only to see that machinelike
regiment to the east Of the Black Hats,
despite the numbers dropping in their
tracks and dribbling away from the
extreme right under the deluge of
shrapnel from the southern guns, doing
more fancy drill in front of the foe,
changing front forward by company
under command of that gamecock of
| q anu IACH
whitening fire into the left of the Louis
lana men. "Try again." says Jack, and
try they do, manfully, loyally-but
heavens, what can human valOr win
against iron resolution? Two of Doub-
leday's battalions, one a mere skeleton
like most of those of Baylor's and
Taliaferro's, have ranged up in the
gaps of the union brigade, a shadowy
fabric now, visible only in the flash of
the guns, but as Paul Ladue trots
through the groups where surgeons and
stretchermen are trying to care for the
vast numbers of wounded, he looks in
vain for a division commander to
whom to deliver Jackson's last order
| and the news that Ewell is down
Taliaferro, too, has been borne to the
rear, and Ladue rides on after Starke
to bid him take command. Gods, what
| a sight, what shambles, he finds at
the rear of that 1ine!-dead, dying and
crippled by scores of the "Stonewalls."
Three colonies, Neff, Grisby and Bolts
| have been shot from their steeds, two
| of them straight to their graves; four
| majors are down of the Virginia COM
mand, and Walker, colonel of Talia-
| ferros Tenth. Full half the fighting
| force of the Second and Fourth Vir-
| GINA are stretched on the field, as,
/ for the last time, they close in on the
| center in front of the now almost in
| visible line of their foes, and with
strength, cartridges, hope all spent
and gone, they drop their useless rife
| butts to earth and lean exhausted on
| the hot, black muzzles. At least they
hold the ground.
Topeka, Ks, Jan. 17.-Thomas A.