Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1907-01-16
STORY OF a
BLOCKHO
[Origina1. i

When the Union troops were maneu-
yering in the southwest they were
obliged to protect long lines of rail-
road over which they received their
supplies. The vulnerable points were
the bridges, near which the bluecoats
built blockhouses similar to those used
by our ancestors to defend themselves
against Indians.
One afternoon a force of Confederate
cavalry attacked one of these posts.
The blockhouse was built on the riv-
er bank at the north entrance of the
bridge, the rear being protected by the
river, running some forty feet below.
single company commanded by
captain constituted the bridge guard.
From his loopholes he surveyed the
Confederates, who, dismounted, were
advancing In line of battle, and his
heart sank within him at seeing a
force three times that of his own.
Fortunately they had no artillery, while
the Union troops had two small how
tiers.
Time and again the southerners as
saulted, and every time they were
driven Off But at last the defenders.
who had been for a week begging for
a new supply of ammunition, saw that
within few hours what powder and
ball they had would be exhausted.
There was a boy in the command who
had run away from home and enlisted
at the age of fifteen. He was fond of
the water, and his captain had noticed
him often rowing skiff he had pressed
into his own service. Taking the boy
to bacs opening, the captain said to
him:
''Go to your slSff; pull down the river
to where 1t is crossed by the bridge
next below. There you will find three
companies. You must row around the
bend, but re-enforcements can cut
across and reach us within half an
hour. Tell the commanding officer to
come at once or we will lose the
bridge"
But will not the enemy see me and
pick me of?"
You can hug this shore till you get
down to the bend. when you must pull
across to the point on the other bank.
For five minutes you will be exposed
to their fire, and there are nine chances
in ten that they will hit you."
81 see.'
Catching up a rope, the captain low
cred the boy to point some ten feet
below, where he struck q steep path
leading down to the waters edge.
The captain saw him get into his boat.
but lost him at once under the over
hanging trees. Then he waited breath
lessly till the skiff shot out from the
banks protection to make the turn i'll
the river Scarcely had the boy APP
peared than bits of spray broke all
about him, bullet taps on the water.
Hes halfway overt' exclaimed the
captain talking TO himself so. loud thst
he could be heard above the cracking
= of rifles But they're getting his
range Heavensl He's hit No; only
scratched. He's at it again. Good
: Lord! There goes an oar, He's lost.
He can't pull with one oar And the
arm has been hit. He's binding it up
with his handkerchief By thunder.
he's paddlingl Some of the shots are
beginning to fall short. Hit again!
It's all up with him. No; he's on his
knees again padding for dear life
Twenty more strokes and he'll be be-
hind the point. There he goes. Hur-
rahl'
Then the captain ran to the front of
the blockhouse to see long brown,
dusty looking line advancing for an
other attack.
"Giye it to 'em, boys" he said. "If
we can keep 'em off for an hour the
bridge II be saved, and We'll escape a
southern prison"
The attack was repulsed. but when
the next one was made the Unionists
saw something that made their blood
run cold A single man appeared roll
ing bale of hay. 1t was to set on
fire and burn the blockhouse. He was
partially protected by his bale and diff
ficult to reach with bullet. Directly
behind him was another man rolling
another bale. Then a third and %
fourth-indeed, long line-eaeh man
rolling his bale. The Union sharpshoot-
ers picked off the first man and the
second The third pushed on The
fourth fell. The fifth fell. The sixth
seemed to bear a charmed life and with
the third was getting dangerously near
the blockhouse. The hay rollers came
so fast that, though more than three
quarters of them were put out of the
race, a number were now within twen-
ty yards, and one man had come SO
near that no rifle could reach him He
was cutting the ropes that held the hay
together Then a comrade left his own
bale and joined him.
The captain strained his eyes across
the bridge and saw the head of a col
umn of bluecoats coming ON trot
"Water!'' he shouted. "Some of you
men go down to the river in the rear
and get water in your canteens! There
was little else for the purposel If we
can keep the flames off for few min
utes Wen save the fort"