Rocky Ford enterprise., 1911-12-08

most desperate enterprises of the entire war.
There today surviving members of the
Fortyifth Illinois in whose veins the words Fort
Hill Mine will make the blood Jingle 1t
only week before the Fourth on which Pember-
ton surrendered the Confederate city. In Logan's
front lay Fort Hill. 1t decided at council
of the generals that its 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. The place was commanded by Confeder-
ate artillery and by sharpshooters in hundred
rife pits. 1t was known that If the explosion of
Fort Hill was success that few of the men who
rushed into the crevasses could hope to come out
alive. 1t would be what the Saxons called deed
of dening-do. Owing to the limited space to be
occupied only single regiment to be named
10 jump into the great yawning hole after the
plosion and to hold 1t against the hell fire of the
enemy until adequate protective works could be
thrown up.
There was as many volunteers for the enter
prise there colonies of regiments In
Grants army. The choice fell on Jasper A Malt
by and his following of Illinois boys.
The time came for the explosion. The Forty
eth lay grimy awaiting the charge into deaths
pit The signal was given; there came a heavy
rear and mighty upheaval Silence had barely
failen before there rose great reverberating
yell and the Lead Mine Regiment led by its col
onel Jasper A Maltby. with his lieutenant col
Onel M5lanotfon Smith, at his elbow, hurled
itself into the smoking crater. The lieutenant col
one was shot through the head and MORALLY
pits bottom. The colonel was shot twice bur
paid little heed to his wounds battery Of
Confederate artillery belched shrapnel into the
ranks and sharpshooters seemed fairly to be firing
by volleys. The question became one of getting
some sort of protection thrown up before the en-
tire regiment should be annihllated Certain
in the pit tolled off answer the sharp
shooters fire and TO make it hot for the cannon
aders in the Confederate battery. They did what
they could. hut It awaited little their COM
rades who were tong to throw up the redoubt
Men tell on every side
Beams were passed into the pit. and these we're
put into position protection by the surviving
soldiers The joists placed lenghwise and
dirt quickly piled about them Colonel Malt
by helped the men to lodge the beams. He went
10 one 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 into place. The bull
lets Clipped the woodwork and spat in the sand
all about bin One Confederate gunner of artil
ery trained his great piece directly the devoted
leader. A solid shot struck the beam. from which
Colonel Maltby had just removed his shoulder.
and split 1t into kndling. Great sharp pieces of
the wood were driven into the oolonel's side. and
he hurled to the bottom of the black pit.
The action was over shortly for the gallant
Forty-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 1t would be hard work to count
his wounds. They took him to the field hospital,
and before he had been there hour there was
clicking over the wires to Washington a message
carrying the recommendation that Colonel Jasper
A. Maltby of the Lead Mine Regiment be made a
brigader general of volunteers for conspicuous
personal gallantry in the face of the enemy.
week later Grants victorious forces marched
into VicksEurg
Colonel Jasper A. Maltby General Jasper A
Maltby as II soon became. lived until the end OF
the war, but system could long withstand the
shock and pain of those gaping wounds. lie died
in the very city which he had helped to conquer
Afterward "A flag and precious memory were
rarely absent from the life which finally nickered
out when the whitehaired little widow died at
st I.uke's hospital. Chicago