The Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1903-1909, 1906-10-09

face, then l started toward the crowd,
shouting to them to open a passage
for the running horse. Some OF them
understood me and broke to one side,
screaming with sudden fright. This
created a panic, In the midst OF which
half dozen girls, IA or Is years or
age, clutching at each othes and strug-
Cling to get out of the way, fell to the
ground in a heap, directly in the
horses path. On either side OF them,
so quickly had it all happened and so
rapidly had been the horses approach,
were other young people not yet out
of the way, so that the PROSTATE but
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 tanks 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withdrawn from the level ground,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.
Between us and the enemy lay a
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.
Gen. King, who commanded our di-
vision, had given me personal orders
to charge a battery on the enemy's
left, | led my men at a gallOp up the
hill, and we captured the battery;
but a superior force of the enemy
swept down upon US at that moment,
and we We're 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 riderless and ter
rifed 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
der 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 yehemence:
Captain, there is the sergeant's
horse-and see, he still carries our
flag"
| looked toward where he pointed
and saw the horse galloping wildly
over the meadow where we had just
been fighting, with the flag flying from
the upright staff at his saddle. Both
armies had caught sight of him, and
such a shout as you never heard went
UP at the singular spectacle.
Captain" cried Ned again. Il must
have that flag, if | die in saving it!
Don't refuse me-Im off and before
could speak word the boy was
dashing the spurs into Rockets tanks
and rushing over the meadow toward
the riderless horse. He had scarcely
started when three horsemen galloped
down the hill from the enemy's line,
evidently intending to capture the flag
before Ned could reach it.
War, battle, discipline orders, were
all forgotten, and then men from both
sides, federal and confederates, crowd
ed unanimously forward, yelling and
cheering over the race between the
blue-coated boy and his three gray
oCotod conn DptitOrS