Iron County register., 1905-08-31

southwark end of the struggling tim
ber. Before he can issue an order or
strengthen a single battalion, Fair
child and the Black Hats have burst
through the sheltering grove in his
front, and sprung like tigers on his
halted and astonished line; while
Badger, Hoosier and Wolverine, swing
ing round him from the south, COM
plete the demolition of the brigade.
He and half his force, 600 at least, are
prisoners of war, while the rest are
chased to the rear by Meredith's men.
First facer for Heth as he glares from
the opposite woods, where Pettigrew
and Brockenbrough are aligned in
support. For him, however, there is
comfort to the north of the pike, for
there has Davis swept the field and is
bearing down on the union guns. Now
is the time to support him, but Wads-
worth is too quick. Archer disposed
of; the Iron Brigade halted and
reforming under Reynolds own eyes,
the general commanding turns to sue
cor the right. He has seen the trouble
in single glance; has seen, too, the
way out of it; and in another minute
the Sixth Wisconsin is "double-quick-
ing" away over the fields to its right
in support of the men from the City of
Churches. now in sore need, for those
lank Mississippians have swept for
ward into the long cut of the unfin-
ished railway, and, fiat on their bellies
against the southwark slope, are pour
ing their fire into Fowler's men.
A fatally good place is railway
cut to shelter line. when the foe
stands fast and contents himself sim
ply with shooting. A fatally bad
place it is when the foe won't stand at
bay, but comes charging full tilt in
spite of the fire, and that, to the amaze
Of Davis, is Just what these infamous
Badgers are doing this day. With an
onward rush no mere muzzle leaders
can possibly check when firing
"oblique," the Sixth comes sprinting,
taking the Mississippians in turn
square in the flank and almost in
twinkling, doubling up and driving
together, huddled. helpless, sheep
like, one astonished battalion. Down
go the red battle flags. Down 90 the
rifles in answer to shouts of surrender.
Some dozen, perhaps, bending double
and ducking, manage to scurry off to
the west. But Gen. Joe Davis has lost
two Of his colors and all but few men
OF two misguided regiments; and here,
too, has the Iron Brigade done more
than its full share. Wadsworth Is al
most weeping with Joy at the sudden
stem of the torrent and the magnifi-
cent stand of his little division, while
Doubleday, seldom given to praise, is
wringing that veterans hand in hearty
fashion. Doubleday's own men now
are fast hurrying up in support of the
First division and there is soldier tri-
umph mingled with no little anxiety,
as the war-tried leaders note through
their glasses the long columns in gray
stretching far back toward the horizon,
all telling the coming Of supporting
thousands. A cavalry officer comes
galloping in from the right, whittier
Devin's brigade has been sent to guard
the flank of the line. Where is Gen.
Reynolds?" he asks. whole divisions
are coming there to the north!"
Where, indeed, is Gen. Reynolds An
aide-de-camp is spurring at swift trot
through the maze OF unIimbering bat
teries His face is white, his lips are
pale beneath the grimy mustache. He
springs from his saddle and says:
Gen. Doubleday, you command, sir
Gen, Reynolds is dead"
And now, far out to the right and
rear the boom of cannon grows inces-
SAINT, and signal men are Tagging des-
perately: More men are needed!
More men are needed" Howards
corps, the Eleventh, is once more, al
one o'clock, facing the very same vet.
Grams that swept it from the field al
Charlottesville, and that seem bent
on doing the same thing here.
Then comes the crisis of the day for
the men of the Iron Brigade. Nine
field batteries are shelling the west
ward front Of Seminary ridge. Nine
brigades have been deployed cross
country and are now, at three o'clock,
bearing down to envelop the grim
"stayers" of Doubleday. Here, about
the Mcpherson wood where Reynolds
fell, raging old Meredith and gallant
Roy Stone hang desperately to their
ground. But Roy Stone is soon terri
bly, wounded. Wistar, who springs to
his sword, is shot in the face. Mere
dith is crushed under his falling horse.
Fairchild's arm is smashed at the ell.
bow; and Stevens, his lieutenant COL
onel, is instantly killed; so Mansfield,
the major, takes hold of the Black
Hats. Morrow, heroic colonel of the
Wolverines, with every one of his field
and staff officers, sooner or later, is
shot. One after another five Michi-
gan sergeants are killed while keeping
aloft the sacred colors. Hoosiers, too,
and the Seventh Wisconsin are fear
fully pelted. Chapman Biddle's brig
ade, on their left, is hurled back.
Baxter is fairly swsmped out to their
right, and, farther still to the north,
Ramseur, Rodes and O'Neal, with
triumphant host Of yelling confeder.
ates, have doubled Robinson's ,les-
perately battling division, swept its
fragments away; cAu, with despair in
his heart, Howard realizes that the day
is lost, that only by the fiercest fight
ing and the best of luck can he hope
to save the remnant of Reynolds left
wing that all the morning held SC
grandly.
Then it is that the Iron Brigade, still
clinging to the Mcpherson wood, gets