The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-08-18
INVADERS YlCTORS
AT CEMETERY HILL


Continued from Page One.
four valiants Of the Blues Riding alone
through the woods back near Rock they
/ had heard the sound OF laughter and
talk in the depths OF the dripping woods
to one side. They had taken inventory
/ Of their chances at getting away with
/ b!uff. found them a gambling chance, and
then with terrific yells and much smash
| ing Of the brush they had charged "a the
direction Of the noise
/ Only four outpOsts who had been squat
/ ting about a dribbling fire trying 10 coax
coffee 20 boil stuck their empty hands
above their heads as Wendt and his two
companions came smashing through the
trees. their reviewers drawn. Then they
/ discovered that there were only three OF
the enemy, after all, but II was too
/ late They had surrendered and were
! prisoners OF war.
Pass on Through Rock.
/ On through Rock and up the New Ware
ham road from the southeast the mobile
screen Of cavalry passed. AS It passed up
| this road Il approached the Green. as
Middleboro folk call a wide common pas
ture TO the eastward Of their town.
Historic spot this green, for It was
upon It's sward that all OF the Middle
boro and Western Plymouth County vol
unteers were sworn and enrolled during
the war OF 1872.
Just as Mai Bridgeman's command ap-
! preached the Green shots sounded from n
stone wall fianking the road by the side
Of stone culvert ahead a patrol. which
| later proved 20 be Of the Eighth MasSa-
chusetts. was stationed there in front Of
the main body Of the regiment, back Of
the crest Of the rise behind
At the first popping OF the shots heads
bobbed through the drizzle 20 the rear Of
the OutpOsts, and the shadOwy forms OF
reserve outposts OF the Blue army darted
out from the gray green belt Of woods
ringing the road 10 re-enforce their line.
The bugIe Of the Red cavalrymen
sounded dismount With a swing the
men Of the Essex troop. the New York
and Connecticut squadronS were out Of
their saddles Tney scurTied % the shell
ter OF the stone wall along the roadside,
and then with carbines laid against the
top tier Of their fort breastwOrlls they
I began % pop az the scattered figures on
the hill slope above them.
COIOred Troopers TO the Rescue.
The -attling OF the carbines brought
three troops OF the colored Ninth Cavalry
up TO the green on the gallop. They had
been doing outpost duty on the left wing
Of Gen. Bliss army during the night. and
IL took Just one signal Of something do
ing TO bring the hght-loving men from
the Philippines up 10 the scene Of trou-
bic Ike rats 10 cheese. The veteran horse
lighters were out OF their saddles in an
instant. and as soon as they had backed
up the lire OF the volunteer cavalrymen
/ behind the wall Bridgeman gave the or
der 20 charge the line of smoke.
After he had driven back upon the
mains the Outposts OF the Eighth Mas
sachusetts, Maj. Bridgeman fell back and
took up a position across the line OF a
railroad bridge below the green. not dar-
ing 90 attack the main body Of the Blues
unaided. and knowing that beyond the
line OF outposts he had driven back lay
bodies Of troops OF numbers too great
for assault.
Maj. Bridgem1n's suspicion was verified
in startling manner, as subsequent events
showed
Grierson. who had come up 70 Bidge-
mans relief and took command over the
three troops Of the Tenth. saw the enemy
gathering behind its old position later in
the morning. and he decided TO make a
sudden stab at them.
Order To Charge
He ordered a charge by the three troops
Of negro fighters. They went up after
the enemy yelling at every jump but
just as they got within about 800 yards Of
The Blues position new sound pune
tuated the rattle Of carbine shots.
Th-r-r-v-ruL snarled a machine gun.
and out from a clump Of trees on the
right 90 the Blue line of fire belched
streams OF smoke. A whole battalion OF
the Blue had hurried TO the relief Of the
ou,Posts driven back BY Mai Bridger an.
SO II developed. and they had brought
with them the deadly bullet sprayer 10
meet with spray OF fire anything that
might come up the hill.
The negroes were in open order in the
mud. and tried 10 answer the fire from
above. But IL became evident TO the UNI
pires that the ambushinE hiding Of troops
had been complete. They were swept
Oft the earth-mOwed down ike corn in
the harvest TO all the intent Of theory
as set forth by the umpires For the
first time in the history OF the fighting
Tenth IL had met defeat The troopers.
dead and alive alike. shufied back 10
their mounts, thoroughly miffed. Put out
OF business by a lot Of militia; humph,
Prepare for Big Clash.
While the heavy skirmishing was in
progress at the green. up 10 the north
eastward eventz were shaping for the
bloody conflict on the Cemetery Hill
Col Swetzer, with his regimentaI head
quarters almost directly back OF the old
cemetery on the hill, had TO keep his
men stretched over a length of three
miles. in order TO keep in touch with the
attachments on the right and left. Be
yond the Eighth, on the left flank OF the
Blue army. was the Fifth Infantry. itself
stretched out TO make as long as possible
the front Gen. Pew was maintaining
clear over 10 the coast country near
Plymouth
1t remains for the umplres alone 10 de-
eide whether or not the commander Of
the Blue forces had committed a tactical
blunder in so elongatiry his defense.
The situation, as it stood before the bat
tie this morning. put Col Swetzers regi-
ment directly in the path Of the whole
Red advance, and the engagement with
the Red army. could not be of Col SWEET
zer's choosing
Gen. Bliss detached three companies
OF the First and Second Connecticut,
added 20 them a company Of the Sew
enth's outpost line which ne had picked
up in his advance. and sent them all
forward as sIiTmisheTs. They followed
the track until it cut into the Gene
terry Hill without seeing anything Of the
enemy.
Bang A single shot sounded, and from
the black shadows under the lattice Of
the beifry white smoke sifted out Bang!
Another shot from the belfry. and still
not even the shadow of something hui