Rock Island Argus., 1913-06-30

the distractions. The troopers quickly
dismounted. scaled the rail piles and
with drawn sabers overpowered the
Yirginians.
Meanwhile Pleasonton had sent Colo
mel A. n. Dufie. with the First Rhode |
Island cavalry. 10 try the gaps on an
other road which took him through the
mountains 10 the town of Middleburg.
When Stuart heard of Duties bold
march he tried to destroy him. but the
Rhode Islanders were stubborn. Not
knowing Of the fight at Aide. they ex-
pected help from that point. Stuart
sent no help to Fitzhugh Lee at Aide.
and Fitzpatrick was left 10 his own de
vices. Late in the day heavy column
led by Colonel ROsser charged upon
Kilpatrick's right flank.
Fitzpatrick Leads a Charge.
The regiment in advance recoiied
from Rosser's blow. and the men In
gray threatened to ride down i Federal
horse battery which was we'll TO the
front Fitzpatrick ordered the guns
double shotted with canister and wait
ed for Rosser TO ride close to the pieces.
| Looking in despair 70 the rear. whence
help must come. his eye caught sight
of the First Maine cavalry gailoping TO
/ his aid.
There were two battalions present.
and s9Iadrons were hastily formed for
| the charge Fitzpatrick rode side by
side with Colonel Douty. and. giving
three cheers by waving sabers. the
\ cavalcade swept down an incline to-
ward the victorious enemy. The field
| ives cleared at the first dash. and on
ward the Maine men rode until they
| struck a new line of Confederates dis
mounted behind a stone wall. At this
point the Maine ranks suffered severely
for the moment. losing among Others
their colonel killed. But the impetus
of the charge bore them through the
Confederate line, which was routed
and driven from the field
Stuart Rides Away.
Rallying the regiment. which had
fallen back before RosSer's charge
Fitzpatrick led II in again with the
First Maine and chased the Confeder
ates beyond the hills. capturing foul
guns. With this revenge of fortune
Stuarts men rode away toward Mid
dleburg to answer the call Of the chief
who had sent word to all his forces tt
concentrate there. Duffie had barn
caded the streets of the town.
At p. N. three brigades advanced
upon DUTIES line. BY sheltering hi:
men behind barricades and stone
walls be repelled several assaults. bu'
was at last almost surrounded. Re
treating behind Little River. he halted
to rest his men. but was again sur
rounded. BY / q. IN. on the 18th the
roads In the neighborhood were alive
with Stuart's cavalry. Again retreat
ing. he finally escaped through Hope
well gap to Centerville.
Stuart destroyed Duffie. but in 81
doing lost the prize of the day. Th'
Federals pushed on through Aldie ga
and forced Longstreet 70 Withdraw
! across the valley to the slopes of sh
Blue Ridge. With Federals west o
Bull Run mountains Lee was compeli q
TO move the greater part of his arlr
Z north through the Shenandoah valley,
Capture Of a Monster Ram.
A naval event of importance hi
time fifty years ago was the captur
in the region of Charleston of the Cor
federate ironclad ram Atlanta. Thi
I vessel. formerly called the Fingal. ha
been converted from blockade rur
Il ner into an armored ram OF the Me-
v rimac type. She carried six heav
rifed guns and spar torpedo.
p The Confederate admiral feared tha
the Atlanta would not he match fc
e the Ericsson monitors and held he
back after the arrival of several {
/ these vessels in southern waters. How
70 ever. new commander. Captain y
p, A. Webb. was appointed and told to d
IL something with the ship. He entere