The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1906-01-29
Ole Army KICKER

| Company G We're bitter enemies. The
bitterness between them dated back
Tor years-way pack to the days when
as young men both loved the same
girl.
| One day the two companies were de
| tailed to reach and hold two gaps in
| the mountains five miles away. Com.
| pany B was sent on to cover the
mouth of Green Cove gap, which was
really the post of danger. At Smokers
| gap, taken by the other the
| trail was so narrow and rough that nc
body OF tror ps could be sent through it
At the cove there was a road over
which divisions had marched. and their
guns and wagons had followed.
Company G reached it's position, roll
ed powders together for a breastwork
and the men in blue stationed behind it.
| A corporal and two men were sent W.
the gap a hundred yards to take posi-
ton as vedattes. and as they sat dow,
on a rock II of the ~privates said:
LOOK here, Corp. 1t seems to me
that there is a sight of foolin' around
In this old army of ours. What are
they expectin' us to do here?"
Flight, mebbe," replied the corporal
as he lighted his pipe.
Eyes, that's just like General Grant
Here we are, about ninety strong. ami
he expects rs to hold this gap agin 10.
700 Johnny fighters. I'm no hand to
kick, but
"Then what you kicking forY" de
manded the corporal. You are the
worst old growler in the company
You'd kick if they offered you your
discharge tomorrow"
Look here, corporal, you don know
enough to walk d a COW shed when
It's rainin' outdoors, but mebbe can
drive an idea into your skull. Here
we are, aim we?'
1--WE amt anywhere else"
"Then that's settled. Down there is
Company D, two miles away. We are
to hold one gap-they the other. They
won't see Il cussed Johnny down there,
while We'll have a thousand on us be
fore that OLD brass watch of yours says
it's IL o'clock noon. Can less'n a hun
dred men lick 1O,00O?"
eve heard of such things" placidly
replied the corporal.
ooh, you have! We can lick no TO-
OO0, nor yet 500, but the pint l want to
make is that Company D won't move
a foot to back US. That Internal Cap
tain Harper will see us all wiped out
before he'll give an order"
"Nobody wants him to back us. Wen
do our own fighting and get the glory
of it. Say, Bill, General Grant give
me a little p'inter for you the other
day. He said if you'd cut your hair,
-ro-I> -~,,, fNo% 49, -@a,~ J-iaI-;,~ b0sJ
make Il brig~dier of you right off,"
"Waal, he might do a heap wuss," re-
piled the private as he opened his
haversack to get a bite to eat You
jest mind. however, what | said about
Captain Harper. | can fight and kick.
too. and you needn't be afrai of my
runnin away. out when the sun goes
down tonight there won't be no more
of Company D."
Half an hour passed away, and then
the three vcdettes caught sight of Il
dozen CDnreGegates making their way
down the gap. There was every rea-
son TO believe that a large force vas
behind them.
81 told you they'd be comm down
this gap!" growled the kicker as he
made ready with his musket. There's
a whole regiment behind them fellers,
and We'll be chawed up in ten minits.'
81 sort o. think we'd better fall back
answered the corporal. They are com
ing down the gap sure enough, and
they'll be right on top of US next thing
Come on"
The Confederates marching down the
gap numbered a full regiment, and five
minutes after the retreat of the We
dettes Company G was fighting for its
life. Captain White saw at once thai
he was vastly outnumbered and that
he must be REINFORCED, and, though il
went against the grain to do it, he sent
off a messenger to Captain Harper
Tell him l have no men to spare am
that he must hold his position to the
last man." was the word hat came
back.
The men of Company G were told oil
the message, and after a moment Of
cursing they swung their hats and
cheered. lucy could not hope to hold
he position a quarter of an hour long
er, but they would obey orders and
die there. The Confederates had doz
ems of men killed as they charged the
rocky breastwork, but they came agaiI
and again and always reaped an ad
vantage.
They finally brought up a neldpiece
and the men who had been fighting
with a faint glimmer of hope now
groaned out in despair. Three or foul
solid shot tore the breastwork tc
pieces. and the remnant of the surviv
ors could only hug h ground and
continue to fire. There were calls fol
surrender. but no orders to retreat. By
and by the C~onfedsrates formed uI
again and made another dash, and this
time they carried the gap.
"It was purity 1ghtin'," explained the
wounded kicker to his comrades IL