Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1911-12-08

,mare of the little town, and as we
.sme forth into the glorious sunlight,
NJ stentorian voice of the Colonel
.,1sd them into column of fours. Staff
Ulcers, gray with dust from their all
,lrht service, were riding madly along
me- curb, while at the rear of our men,
INST debouching from one of the side
sreets appeared the solid front of a
| division of infantry. We had barely
tine to swing into the saddles of the
two horses awaiting US, and ride swift
" to the head Of our command, when
the short, stern orders rolled along
the motionless line of troopers, and
the long, silent column swung out to
The northward, the feet of the horses
raising a thick cloud of red dust
which fairly enveloped us in it's chok-
| Ing folds.
With the ardor Of young manhood
booked forward to the coming battle,
when | knew the mighty armies of
North and South would once again
contest for the fertile Shenandoah. 1t
was to be American pitted against
American, struggle ever worthy of
the gods Slowly rode back down
The files Of my men, marking their
alignment and accoutrements with
praetised eye. smiling grimly as
noted their eager faces, war-worn and
bronzed by exposure, yet terminated
by hope Of active service. As I
watched them thus, I thought again
Of those many other faces who once
rode as these men did now, but who
had died for duty even as these also
might yet be called upon to die. One
hundred and three strong, gay in
bright new uniforms, with unstained
banner kissing the breeze above our
proud young heads, we rode hopeful
ly forth from Charlottesville scarce
three years before, untried, undis-
ciplined, unknown, to place our lives
upon the scared altar of our
native State. What speeches. years
of horror those had been; what his
tory We had written with our
naked steel what scenes &C
and death lay along that
bloody path we travelled To-day,
down the same red road, our eyes still
set grimly to the northward, our flag
torn and ragged remnant, barely
forty men wore the 3D. between the
crossed sabres on their slouched
brown hats, in spite of all recruiting.
The cheer in my heart was for the
living; the tear in my eye was for
he dead.
Colgate" I said gravely, as I
'arged up beside him at the rear of
he troop, "the men look exceedingly
we'll, and do not appear to have suf-
cred greatly because of short ra-
ions"
oh, the lads are always in fine
ettle when they expect fight" he
answered, his own eyes dancing as he
'wept them over that straight line Of
backs in his front. They'll scrap the
better for being a bit hungry,-it
makes them savage. Beats all, Cap
lain, what foolish notions some of
hose people on the other side have
Of us Southerners They seem to
mink we are entirely different from
yet reckon it would puz-
lie any recruiting officer up yonder
% show a finer lot of fighting men
han those fellows ahead there"
rode slowly forward ta nv own
POSITION at the head Of the troop. As
swung my horse into our accustomed
l was too deeply buried in
election to be clearly conscious of
ouch that was occurring about me.
suddenly, however, became aware
hat some one, nearly obscured by the
nveioping cloud of dust, was riding
Without the column, In an independ-
nee of military discipline not to be
ermitted. In the state of mind was
men in this discovery strangely IT.
itated me.
Sergeant" l questioned sharply, of
ne raw-boned trooper at the end of
De first platoon, what fellow is that
ldinp ont vondo-oo