The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1910-07-22
BLACK HAWK.

"It is one of the most pathetic horse
stories of the war;" declared the col
onel. Then, when the veterans of the
blue pressed him, the old Confederate
soldier closed his eyes and began to
tell of the incident he referred to,
which happened at the Battle of Shi-
loh. General B. Bate, who died
United States Senator from Tennes-
see, was colonel of the Second Ten
nessee. He had two horses, one an
ordinary horse which he used on the
march and for other rough service,
the other, Black Hawk, thorough
bred, black as a crow and of great
beauty and stamina.
"The night before the battle the
commoner horse was stolen, and the
next morning at daylight 1 we'll re-
member what superb picture our
colonel made on Black Hawk, who
looked fit to race for kingdom.
''The usual position of colonel is
thirty feet to the rear of his regiment,
and it was in that position that Colo
mel Bate first went into the fight.
cat the second Standard 1 want
to see no stubborner fight than we
had down there amid the woods,
round that little church on the banks
of the Tennessee-the Federals gave
it to us hot, and it was here our lines
were nearly broken; it was here also
that Colonel Bate had to put himself
in front of his regiment before they
would charge with enough determlna-
ton to drive the boys in blue again.
| All this time the battle was raging
| everywhere.
"Time and again Colonel Bate led
us against Sherman's brave boys
| that thoroughbred horse and rider al
ways in front. Once he made us
short speech just before we had to
charge again, having been repulsed
at the first attempt. He said he
wanted us only to follow him, that he
would not take us where he would not
go himself, and we believed him.
"This last fight was terrible. Be
fore we struck the enemy Colonel
Bate was shot out of the saddle, the
men dropped round us right and left
but we charged on, leaving all as they
fell
when Colonel Bate dropped, BLACK
Hawk seemed to be at loss what te
do, but as the regiment swept on ht
quickly fell into his place just in the
rear of the regiment and followed III
on into battle. We must have fough
on for a half-mile after that, and l
was a strange sight to see that morse
following the regiment as stately al
if on dress parade, and it touched
every man to see him riderless.
cat the first opportunity an ambu
lance was sent back to find the colone
and take him to the field hospital
some three miles in the rear. In tn
confusion no one thought Of Blacl
Hawk, but he had not forgotten nj
brave rider, for he actually folloWe
the path of those who carried the col
onel to the hospital straight up to tn
hospital tent Then, to the surprls
of Colonel Bate, who had been badl
but not fatally wounded in two places
one ball passing through his shoulder
Black Hawk poked his head in at tn
tent door and affectionately winnie
to his master, who was then IN I'd
hands of the surgeon.
''The next instant he turnee
, walked a few PAGES in the woods
!, staggered and fell down dead.
, can examination showed what n
one had noticed, that he had severe
bad wounds, one of which proved Il
tai.
"As long as General Bate lived,
concluded the colonel, che used to sa
that he could still see the almost III
man look Black Hawk gave him as
turned away, with that last gent
whinny, to die"