Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1905-02-22

lowing. Sith vJngeful spit Of dam,
ana sulphur smoke. the nearest bat
'ery 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 Ahd Carpenter, forminr
action front on the slope a little Ia
the northwest of Groveton. and SC
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.
Dellowing 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 do so, for just be-
yond the pike the woods lie thick and
unbroken, but, sudden as the shot,
each regiment has 'fronted" to 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 it's belly at the edge of the field,
while sparring flashing and bounding.
cannoneers racing alongside like mad
well-b andled 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 breakncek pace, whirls without
hating its bronze beauties about. and
In another moment the loud-ringing
light twelves" are out believing the
trio of batteries blazing there northwest
OF Groveton, sweeping their sections
with spherical case" Five, ten, hf-
teen minutes the duel of death goes on.
gibbons gunners are all regulars. lords
OF their trade, and old Ewell sees it
and knows it. Timber up. Poague,
Back all of you, They are too heavy
Tor our guns!" is the order, and Paul
Ladue spurs to carry it. Out of the
way, gentlemen gunnersl It's onr
tlme now, goes the word from Starke's
eager ranks, and so on down the long
line. Into their saddles leap the field.
stan and commanders. The sun has
gone down; the dusk is at hand, the
night must not come until that sinh
born brigade has been swept from the
earth. Who shall do it, Ewell or Talia-
ferTo?
from the westward now, from the
tar right flank, daring battery whips
out on the field and unlimbers where
It's guns can enfilade Gibbons tri-
umphant boomers, and young Talia-
ferro's little brigade, till now held in
rear, goes striding off behind its fell
lows, and so on to the extreme right
as though in support. And still il is
battle of guns and gunners for Jack
son holds his hounds in leash. down
charged at heel, crouched at the edge
of the woods.
And then comes the surprise of the
day, the event of the hour. the marvel
or the campaign. Even as Ewell and
Taliaferro are deciding that the mo-
ment has come for attack, 10, to the
amaze of the men of the StonewalI
oIiSdue, sui the extreme right of the
line, there is CLINT of steel in the OPP
posite grove and dark column bursts
from the depths of the wood. Nimbly
swarm of skirmishers 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 tigeri 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: 1.-THE
Black Hats-by Goad,"