Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1906-09-07

struggling forms of these half dozen
girls made the only gap in the line.
Ned instantly made up his mind
what to do, and he had to make 1t up
instantly, for Rocket was not 20 feet
from them when they fell. Raising
the horse by the bit with all his
strength, and driving the spurs into
his fianks, he cleared the frightened
girls by flying leap and went gal
Looping down the field.
You ought to have heard the ringing
cheer that hundreds of voices sent
after the gallant young rider!
We had been fighting all day. The
confederate line of battle had been
withdrawn from the level ground,
where our division had pressed the
enemy slowly but steadily back, and
now occupied the crest of low hill
that lay south of US. Here they made
stubborn resistance, and twice had
| they repulsed our charge upon their
new position.
The second charge had just been
made, and our brave men, after ter
rible slaughter, had been ordered to
fall back beyond musket shot, where
they now rested on their arms until
another attack should be ordered, or
night should give them rest.
Between us and the enemy lay n
stretch of meadow land that, in the
morning. had been very fair to look
upon. Now it was dotted all over with
dead and wounded men and horses,
dismantled artillery wagons and guns
and knapsacks.
We had not had time, as yet, to
count up our losses, even in my own
company, but all of us knew that
Sergt. Watkins had fallen, the gallant
fellow who bore our company flag.
This is how we knew it:
Gen. King, who commanded our di-
vision, had given me personal orders
to charge a battery on the enemy's
left. l led my men at gallop up the
hill, and we captured the battery;
but superior force of the enemy
swept down upon us at that moment,
and we were compelled to fall back.
1t was then that Watkins fell, but
the flag did not go down with him.
Wanting both hands free in the battle,
he had devised a means of fastening
the staff to his saddle-bow SO that the
flag was always to be seen waving
above his head. And so it happened
that, when the brave sergeant fell,
pierced by ball, the flag still waved,
but it was above a riderless and ter
rified horse.
When We had gained the position
to which the general had ordered us
to retreat, our first thought was for
the safety of our company flag. A SOL
dier prizes his battle flag more than
his life, you know, and would give
his blood freely to protect it from
capture or dishonor. Ours had been
presented to us by our friends at home
and we loved it with enthusiasm.
Suddenly Ned Barton, who had dis
mounted and now stood holding Rock.
ct by the bridle-rein, turned to me
and cried with great vehemence:
Captain, there is the sergeant's
horse-and see! he still carries our
fiag!"
J / looked toward where he pointed
and saw the horse galloping wildly
J over the meadow where we had just
, been fighting, with the flag flying from
i the upright staff at his saddle. Both
armies had caught sight of him, and
such shout as you never heard went
d. up at the singular spectacle.
, "Captain!" cried Ned again, 81 must
have that flag, if l die in saving it!
: could speak word the boy was
dashing the spurs into Rockets fianks
and rushing over the meadow toward
the riderless horse. He had scarcely
started when three horsemen gallopet
: down the hill from the enemy's line
, evidently intending to capture the flat
before Ned could reach 1t.
War, battle, discipline, orders, were
3 all forgotten, and then men from botf
l sides, federal and confederates, crowd
ed unanimously forward, yelling ant
r cheering over the race between tn,
D blue-coated boy and his three gray
coated competitors.
l They were all four now within eas,
+ range of the muskets from either side
Q but no one thought of raising a gun
c against them-it would have been fou
i murder. Frightened at the clamor OF
r both sides of him the sergeant's hors,
9 now changed his course and ran from
his pursuers, so that their directio,
: was at a sharp angle with his.
1t was a question of speed-an,
Rocket proved himself worthy of hi
3 name. While the confederates wer,
!. yet a hundred yards away from tn,
u coveted prize, Ned Barton grasped tn
y bride of the riderless horse an,
j. turned in the direction of our linae