Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-09-30

THE ROCK ISLA
hours of terror and had fallen on me
field. Sadly we buried them In the
trenches
The morning OF the Goth broke, but
no re-enforcements appeared sun the
men fought on The enemy had con-
structed movable breastworks Of hemp
bales, rolled them up the hill and ad-
vanced their batteries in manner 10
command our Notifications. Heated
shots were fred at them, but they had
taken the precautiOn TO soak the oaIeS
in the Missouri The attack was urged
with new vigor. and during the fore
noon the outer breastworks were taken
bv a charge. The whole line was bro
ken. and the enemy rushed in AT
first the bales were dipped in the river
TO wet them, but the water so increas-
ed their weight that the men could
scarcely roll them to the crest OF the
hill where they were most needed.
After a time they were rolled into po-
sition and then saturated. The Fed
erals having a second time been dis
lodged from the hospital height, the
COnfederates threw out from that po-
sition wings on the right and the left,
covered with the wet hemp bales.
These furnished protection for several
hundred men. The commander Of the
ASSISTANTS at that point says that on
the morning Of the surrender he ad
vanced his defense OF hemp bales very
near TO the Federal intrenchments and
opened fire with fatal effect.
Captain Fitzgerald, whom 1 had
known in my younger days and whom
we called by the familiar name Of
'Saxy.' was then ordered TO oppose his
company to the assailants. AS 1 gave
the order, 'Saxy, go in the gallant fell
low, at the head of Company l, with
n wild yell rushed upon the enemy.
The firing suddenly ceased. and when
the smoke arose from the field / saw
the Michigan company. under its gal
liant commander, Captain McDermott,
also charging the enemy and driving
them back.
MANY of our good fellows We're ly
ing dead, our cartridges had failed
and it was evident the fight would
soon cease. 1t was now O'Clock, and
all on a sudden an orderly came. say
ing that the enemy had sent in a flag
of truce. With the flag came the fol-
Colonel, what has caused the cessa-
ton OF the 1ghtT
Surrender Stops Butchery.
"I returned it with the following
message written on the back:
81 hardly know, unless you have
surrendered He took pains to assure
me that was not the case. l learned
soon after that that our home guard
had hoisted a white flag. The Heuten-
ant who had hoisted the flag was
threatened with instant death unless
he hauled II down. At that one of the
officers exclaimed. This IS butchery"
The conviction became general, and
a council Of war was held. The place
was given up. and the enemy came
and led through the streets of Lexing-
ton. As we passed the ladies came
from the houses and jeered US. We
lthe officers were then taken 70 a ho-
tel with no proprietor and no rations.
After we had boarded there for some
time we started for the land Of
Dixie"
Thus ends Colonel Mulligan's story.
When he and his field officers offered
up their swords General Price said:
You gentlemen have fought so brave
" it would be wrong to deprive you
Of your swords. Keep them"
When Mulligan entered Lexington
be got possession of nearly 81 .OOO,O