Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1913-08-27

other way, full Of fight again. Anoth-
er tense hour sped by-two hours-and
still Sheridan was busy reforming and
rearranging bis lines, passing the whole
front Of his infantry In review, until
satisfied that their shattered morale
was sufficiently restored to be relied
on once more for aggressive work.
The enemy's fire had noticeably slack
ened. but this was a sign to be acted
upon with extreme caution until its
Significance could be definitely ascer-
tained. - ..ss ::
# General Sheridan was still obsessed
with the idea that Early's aggressive
ness must be accounted for by heavy
Te-enforcements and that possibly
Longstreet had Joined him, after all.
. When toward the middle Of the aft
ernoon the Confederates made bold,
though unsuccessful, sally against Cen
eraI Haverilps division and the right
OF the Sixth corps, commanded by Gen
eral Buckthorn, the suspense became
uncomfortable. Buckthorn received a
note from the commanding general con.
veying an order, which he promptly
transmitted to General Haverill, as the
latter occupied the position from which
the movement could be most effective
~ made: "Send Lowells cavalry aft
er that exposed battery at the edge of
the woods, with the object Of bringing
In as many prisoners as possible. @
Colonel Lowell has just fallen. VIII
send his command under new leader,
to be chosen at once"
A cavalry officer with haggard face
and bloodshot eyes, bareheaded, jack
etless, his shirt open at the throat, rest
ed In a field to the east of Middletown
after hurried inspection of his troop
ers to the left of the Union line The
colonel Of New York regiment rode
up, proffered a flask and said: 4
Colonel West, have a drink with me
before you go in again. You seem to
need it, and expect at this rate you'll
be either in hades or in glory before
another hour passes"
Contrary to his reputation, habit and
principle, Kerchival West accepted the
kindly offer and swallowed a full sized
mans drink, known in trooper parlance
as "slug." Then, as If suddenly pos
sessed by demon, he swung out his
saber and, turning to his men with the
signal cry of ''Now for the charger led
the cavalry in brilliant sortie across
the fenceless meadows and at the line
Of straggly woods where the advanced
Confederate battery still belched forth
defiance r. X.
f There was no withstanding such i'm.
petuosity. The charging troopers came
back with flying colors, several captur-
ed guns and a score of prisoners-fi first
herald of the turning tide of victory.
But now their wild leader was not rid
Ing ut their head. No one had seen
him fall. Whoever knew what had
happened to the individual forgot it in
the jubilant excitement over the gen.
eral result achieved.
Z The Federal line was now invincibly
re-esta blished.s At o'clock Sheridan
ordered the grand charge, which was
begun under his personal direction by
the Nineteenth corps on the right and
taken up by the successive commands
along the line to the left, the cavalry
on the tanks charging at the same
time. Then the Confederate batteries
opened up, and the roar Of artillery
and the splitting crash of exploding
shells mingled with the fierce roll of
the musketry. MI. :. s: n. = "a. 4 4
Colonel Robert Ellingham, in the
southern ranks, wondered what was
happening at Belle Bosquet. In the
forenoon he had swept with his men
past the. old place, facing northward,
and seeing everything in fight ahead,
capturing prisoners and recapturing
their own men who had fallen into
Federal hands, including the elusive
Edward Thornton. Now the Confed-
crates were passing the same point
again, hurrying and still more hurried
In the opposite direction, driven from
the field they thought they had won, in
the worst rout Of which poor Bob had
ever been a part. zsS ...ss 81.
"By the great horn spoon" said Gen
eral Buckthorn to General Haverill.
Were going to have as much trouble
In holding our men back from charg-
ing the enemy. now as we did to stop
their retreat this morning
s It had been the intention of General
Sheridan to hold back his left after
the enemy had been dislodged and BY
advancing his right to force the Con.
federates to the east of the valley
pike, thus cutting of their retreat to
|#Strasburg and Fishers hill: But, even
as the veteran Blu thorn had within.
sically remarked, the troops were so
bent upon avenging their reverses OF
the morning that there was no re-
l=straining them. and the whole line
Epressed on irresistibly until the old
camps on Cedar creek had been re.
| gained, together with enough prison.
| 5ers, guns, wagons and battlehags to
turn previous ortincation into riot.
GUS JOY and make matter for rousing
dispatch to send to- Washingt ton.
To be continued
IrlhunA Nan. Id Rrlna na1ulfa