Year: 1862

Snatching musket, and drawing from her
bosom a letter wherein was transcribed her
history and the address of her friendin Buffalo,
with the request that Robert and that friend
should be written to in case of her death, she
sought the surgeon of the regiment, gave the
letter into his hand and asked him to open it
if she fell and comply with its directions
Springing, musllet in hand, to the right of her
regiment, she was only the space Of one com
pany distant from Capt, who stood erect
and flushed with eagerness at the head Of his
command, the extreme left of the adjoining
corps. The roar Of battle ragged along the arc
Of fallen trees nearly a mile in front, when the
word Forward |" came to the brigade, and
thence at quick time, through gathering show
ers of spent shot and bullets, the column
marched on until within two-thirds of mile
from the abattis Then, above the crack Of
musketry and yell of the fight the second
command rolled along the line: Brigade,
Forward, double quick; Charger


Did she join in the shouts Of enthusiasm that
tore through the air. willie the brigade, mad
with its first lust for blood, leaped into mag
nifcent run and tore down, an avalanche of
valor, upon the swarming breastwork of fallen
trees2 God knowsl whatever Of madness or
terror boset her heart, she did not salter; but
on to the deilish abattis, with the dead drop
ping thick around her, keeping in view through
all the fitting visage and waving sword Of her
captain lover, she charged with the rest Up,
through and over the network of limbs and
trunks clambered the men of the brigade,
burrying their bayonets deep in the breasts Of
ragged sharp shooters and falling at times be-
fore their deadly aim; and up and over, too,
escaping shot and steel alike, elambered Mar
garet. The fight grew thick; she saw the
enemy rising from beneath the abattis and
gathering like a cloud on the right, where
Robert, foremost of his troop, hewed his way
on with bloody sword. He was wounded,
that she could see by his growing pallor
and breaking from the irregular ranks Of her
company, she bounded to him through the
smoke and din. Dashing aside the bayonet
of a foe that cleaned across her path, she had
almost reached his side when her weapon was
knocked from her weak hands, and arother
bayOnet, point downward. hung over her life.


" Hold, man, in mercy I am a woman,
see!" she cried, grasping the steel with one
hand, and wrenching with the other the COW
ering from her breast.


Too late The powder-stained wretch
,heathed the blade just beneath her heart,
drew it forth, waved it above his head like a
demon, and fell, cloven to the forehead by the
Captains sword. The arm Of the officer caught
the form oil his mistress ere it fell, a whisper
fom her white lips and q glance into her love
radiant eyes told the truth, and cry, so full
of agony that the survivors of the company
remember it with a shudder rang over the
field. She died in his arms while the troops
were driving the enemy beyond the breast
work.


"Charge them to the pits, boys" shouted
the Colonel on the right.


It was the last command the captain ever
heard As he turned to lay the dead form
tenderly down, a musket ball crashed through
his brain, and two corpses sank among the
tangled limbs together.