Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1911-12-09

most desperate enterprises OF the entire war.
There today surviving members of the
Forty-1fth Illinois In whose veins the words Fort
Hill Mine" will make the blood Jingle. 1t
only week before the Fourth which Pember
ton surrendered the Confederate city. In Logan's
front lay Fort Hill 1t decided at council
of the generals that it's sapping and mining and
the subsequent Selling and holding of the
brasure made by the explosion would be of ire
mendous moral and strategical value to the Union
cause me place was commanded by Confeder
ate artillery and by sharpshooters in a hundred
rifle pits 1t known that If the explosion of
Fort Hill was success that few of the men who
rushed into the crevasses could hope to out
alive. 1t would be what the Saxons called deed
of derring-do. Owing to the limited space to be
occupied only single regiment to be named
to jump into the great yawning hole after the
posion and to hold it against the hell fire of the
enemy until adequate protective works could be
thrown up
There as many volunteers for the enter
prise there colonies of regiments in
Grants army. The choice fell Jasper A Malt
by and his following of Illinois boys
The time came for the explosion The Forty
fifth lay grimly awaiting the charge into deaths
pit The signal was given; there came heavy
and mighty upheaval. Silence had barely
fallen before there great reverberating
onel. Jasper A Maltby. with his lieutenant COL
onel Malancthon Smith, at his elbow. hurled
itself into the smoking crater. The lieutenant col
one shot through the head and mortally
wounded before his feet had fairly touched the
pits bottom. The colonel shot twice. but
paid little heed to his wounds. battery OF
ranks sharpshooters seemed fairly to be firing
by volleys. The question became of getting
sort of protection thrown up before the en-
tire regiment should be annhated Certain men
in the pit were tolled off the sharp
shooters fire and make it hot for the cannon
aders in the Confederate battery They did what
they could. but it availed little to their COM
rades who to1ng throw the redoubt-
Men fell every side
Beams were passed into the pit and these were
put into position as protection by the surviving
soldiers The joists were placed engthwise and
dirt was quickly piled about them Colonel Malt
by helped the lodge the beams He went
side of the crater where there was no ele-
walton There he stood fully exposed. a shining
mark He put his shoulder under great piece
of timber. and weak with wounds though he was
he pushed it up and forward nto place The bull
lets Clipped the woodwork and spat in the sand
all about him One Confederate gunner of artil
lery trained his great piece directly at the devoted
leader solid shot struck the beam. from which
Colonel Maltby had just removed his shoulder
and split it into kindng Great sharp pieces OF
the wood driven into the coonel's side. and
he was hurled to the bottom of the black pit
The action shortly. for the gallant
Forry-ifth succeeded in making that deaths hole
tenable Then they picked up their colonel He
was still alive though the surgeon shortly after
ward said that it would be hard work to count
his wounds They took the field hospital
and before he had been there hour there was
clicking over the wires to Washington message
carving the recommendation that Colonel Jasper
A MaIfby of the Lead Mine Regiment be made
brigadier general of volunteers for conspicuous
personal gallantry in the face of the enemy
week later Grants victorious FORCES marcnef
into vicksturg
Colonel Jasper A Maltby General Jasper A
Ma1tby as it soon became. lived until the end o
the war but no system could long Withstand tn
shock and pain of those gaping wounds He die
in the very city which he had helped to conquer
Afterward flag and a precious memory wer
rarely absent from the life which finally nickere
out when the white-haired little widow died a
ST. Lukes hospital. Chicago