CHAPTER XVIII. THE FIGHT FOR THIS BRIDGE.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 404, 21 September 1889, Page 3

CHAPTER XVIII. THE FIGHT FOR THIS BRIDGE.

The colonel staggored out. As he did so, the faint light of breaking day came in through the open door of tho cabin. Looking trom a square hole in the log wall that served for a window, I was soon able fco perceive the immediate surroundings of the place. Just back of it flowed the river, crossed at this point a very little to the right of the I cabin by a country bridge hardly wide enough to permit the crossing of an ordinary waggon. The structure of this was of the usual western kind, the girders and trusses being made of squared logs bolted together, and its planking consisting of two-inch rough lumber. The width of the stream, which was here deep and rapid, was but a little over fifty yards ; consequently a single pier in the centre of the liver, made of a ci ib ot heavy loss filled in with broken stone, was sufficient to support this bridge, which was in the form of two spans lasting upon abutments on either bank and the single pier in the centre of the current. Upon the opposite side of the river two field-piccos were stationed, and a. rough breastwork of logs had been constructed to protect an infantry support. This at present was simply guarded by a sergeant and a few men, though the gunners were sleeping ready for action alongside tho secton ot their battery. Along the opposite bank of the river ran a, country road, sometimes beside the water and at other times runninsr off from it from a few yards' distance to fifty and perhaps seventy-iive. This was only protected here and there by clumps of timber, and the march of a column over it with the ban Us on my side of the stream occupied in force by the enemy would certainly be disastrous and almost a military impossibility. After passing the bridge, however, a hundred yards or so, this road turned from the river into the country, which was hilly, and perhape half a mile away there was a position from which a few batteries of artillery properly supported by infantry could check an advancing army. Along this road from down the I'iver were coming hurriedly, but apparently in good order and without confusion, the baggage waggons of a division ; the heavy muffled rattle of musketry could be heard down the stream some miles away, an occasional salvo of artillary mingling with and punctuating the roar. It was evident that tho Confederates were withdi awing from their pofaition — one of the most difficult and dangerous operacions in war when conducted in the faoe of an active and enterprising enemy. Like most military movement?, its success depended almost entirely upon time. If attacked while moving along the road by the river, in case the enemj gained the opposite, "bank from which to onfilade its column' "with musketry and artillery, the result would be a fearful disaster. If the Confederates could gain unabsaulted the position in the hills away from the river, they might bid defiance to pursuit. . In order to avoid any chances of losing' the opposite bank of the river, Walton and his South Carolina regiment had been stationed there to hold it, e^en in the face of an opposing division of Federals. But to move a large body of men takes considerable time even when una?sailod. The baggage-waggons had just begun to pass me ; it would be noar mid-day before the infantry and artillery of tho division could be all withdrawn, and, by the noise down the river, the enemy were attacking now ; Walton and his regiment must be sacrificed to military necessity. Even as 1 thought this a dusty aide-de-camp came dashing over the bridge. As 1 looked at this structure, any wonder in my mind that Walton was not reinforced vani hod from it. The bridge was so small and narrow that a larger body of men than a regiment would have found it impossible to retreat across it, closely pressed by an enemy. Walton was standing outside the cabin ; the aide-de-camp rode up, and after a few hurried whispers, the colonel bui&t forth : ' Then he refuses reinforcements, but I am to hold this position •' ' Yes ! till you get that signal !' ' How long will ih at take?' 1 Three or four hours !' 'Good Lord ! There won't be many left of us !' muttered tho colonel, gazing &adlv at his men already falling in. Veterans of three campaigns in Virginia, and Antietam, Oottysbui'g and Chickamauga besides, his men guessed their fate also ; for I heard one of them remark to a comrade under his voice, as they passed by the cabin, ' Thar'll bo a pretty general turning up of toes to-day, I reckon, Tim !' And the other, a boy of about nineteen, said: 'Trouble you for a plug of tobacco. I'll take a last smoke for old Vir-gitiie !' Others, however, etood with 'compressed lips that grew pale as they thought of faroff homes they ' scarcely hoped to 'see again. ' But in all this there was no murmur from any of them, nnd when the colonel ordered them to the front, they only answered with a yell and double-quicked to 'their line of battle. All this time the loar of musketry down th 6 river grew louder and louder, and dropping shots began to fall about the picket line ot the regiment ; a few wounded men came ciawling and limping from the front, for all this day I nover saw any one assisted off the field by comrades — their numbers were so few, their need of mon so desperate. * They attacked you down the river an hour ago in force ?' questioned the colonel of the aide-de-camp. 1 Yea, sir !' * Then there'll be a brigade in front of mo in an hour, and a division before this is over. Report that I'll hold this bridge to the last man !' * Yes, colonel,' and the aide-de-camp galloped off. Calling to his adjutant, Walton hurriedly wrote an order, and said : ' Let duplicates in writing be given to every line and staff officer of the regiment ; also to the hr&t sergeant of every company.' 'To so many?' "asked the adjutant, coolly scribbling on a wooded bench, though the rifle balls were rinding their way through the troes and wounding men about us. f Yes, 1 replied the colonel. 'By the time the signal for retreat is given, a first sergeant may be the ranking officer of the regiment., and I don't want to lake any chances of sacrificing one more than necessary,'

Then he gave a sigh and wenb to the front, leaving his- horso in charge of an orderly. The position for the regiment to defend was rather favourable. A small ridge, running nearly to the river, and going dawn close to its bank half-a-mile below us, was about three hundred yards from me. This was heavily timbered, the trees running a little over the ridge from the river ; while beyond them were open fields, over which the Federals' must advance. Along the edges of this timber, at intervals, breastworks of logs, had been hastily erected, each of these large enough to give shelter to a company front in skirmish , line. Between these, sharpshooters were placed in rifle pits'keeping communication open. This line of defence was a very long one for such a small number of men to hold ; for' I noted that tho Carolinians were hardly, three hundred, for at that time death had made many a regiment in the Confederate army look like a company. But the roar of musketry' do\vn the river was approaching. I gazed behind roe. On, the right, across the &tr-eam, the last of the baggage-waggons was .paseing, and a regiment, of t infantry, already withdrawn from the line of battle down tlie river, was marching to take position in the hills up the road. Behind them I could see other regiments of infantry, and a battery of artillery. ' • • The roar of battle curie nearer, and now, from dropping shots' in front of the regiment the "firing increased to volleys. This was steadily returnedsjby the South Carolinians. 'A quarter of an hour of this, and from the noise in front of me a 'Federal battery had evidently .got intp • position, ' for rifio shells fell into the timber about me, so'mo'of them striking the opposite side of the river, and one of them exploding, in the | marching Confederate regiment on the road, killing and wounding some of them. Fivo minutes after, another Union battery came intd position. 'It was easy to distinguish this from the first, because its rifled guns tired peculiar shells, which produced unearthly noises, and shrieks that seemed to come from almost a human voice. As one of these yelling things went over the cabin I was looking from, the front j door was hurriedly thrown, open, and Caucus came running-in^ hi? red hair almost standing. I cried, • Caucus, I am glad 1 you have escaped so far.' 'Yes.- bub I -won't last long. Iso mosb gwine now — hea.h em l.heah om ! Oh Lord,' dcliber us !' and as another shell shrieked over v«, he grovelled in a corner. ' You're tiob frightened ?' I asked, as* tonished, for the black had so often shown his courage. * Yas, I's dead scared now ! I could ptan' de bullets, and do bustin things, but when I sees dab talkih' shell a twistin' an' windin' about t in de .trees, an' sayin,' " Whar's you? wli&r's you? wka-a-aii's you ?" I can't stan it no longer. One uv 'em chased me nigh onto five minutes afore I dodgodin heah, an' 'eluded he would take some ob de fellers on de other side ob de ribber. I was too good a dodger. Great I Scotty ! Dar's anodder.!' This last with an additional shudder as another shrieking thing knocked part of the roof off over our heads. The Federals had evidently caught sight of our log cabin, and judging it to be the headquarters of the regiment, were getting the range of it rapidly. Telling Caucus of this danger, I beckoned lum bo come with me, for the noise had now become deafening, atid we could hardly hear each other speak, Unheeded-i by $10 Confederates, who were boo much occupied in the front, we took refuge behind the abutment of the bridge on our aide the river, and underneath its planking. Over our heads we now could hear the groans and curses of the wounded, who limped and sbagsrored, coming in from the front and crossing the bridge. The number of these indicated enormous losses, and was constantly increasing, while the fire from the front showed that nob only a brigade but almost a civi&ion was engaging this one Confederate regiment. This fusillade now came also very heavily from ■eibher flank, bobh up and down the river, enfilading bhe breasbworks and rendering them of little probecbion to the few men who wero now so desperately holding them ; falling wounded and dying by scores without any of the cheers, hurrahs and dashing excitement of a charge— only just staying there and dying as a plain, commonplace, every day cluby— the hardest way to die. This idea .seemed bo impress the black, for he muttered, looking ab bhe thinning line of babble: ' Golly, dose rebs dies jisb an if dey was use to it !' The fight had lasbed now nearly two hours. A couple of batteries and bhe bulk of the Confederate division were going past on bhe road across bhe river. The captains of bobh of these batteries held them, and I couid see them violently exposbulube with their chief of artillery. " Apparently their exposbulabions were listened to. One of the babberies immediately took position upon our right Hank across the river, in a lield some bwo hundred yards up bhe sbream, opening a direct fire with its rifle-guns, sweeping away little by little tho lino of blue that was trying to edge behind and cub off bhe retreat of the Carolinians. This reduced, considerably the fire of the Federal troops from that point. The other battery took position immediately behind bhe road on a little eminence. Spreading its six brass Napoleon smoothbores (jusb bhe arm's for the purpose) in bho form of a fan, and using them at' very high elevabions as morbars, with reduced powder charges, ib succeeded in dropping ibs shells over the Confederate line of battle immediately in the Federal advancing column now forming for a' charge. The" accurato service of these guns was very important ; to give bhe proper range, an exacb charge of powder was necessary. The capbain of artillery, leaving his battery, galloped coolly acro-ss the bridge, through the hail of musket balls to the front ot tho Carolinians. I could see him talking with Walton for a few minutes, wabching where his shells fell, and signalling to bhe orderly whom he had fcbabioned midway on bhe bridge bo repeab his signs to the officer in command of his battery. These evidently indicated bhe amount of powder bo be used, for this was changed several times, until the range of bhe battery became very accurate, for I could see through the trees shell after shell exploding in the blue ranks that were moving across the open field. Having got his range, the captain of artillery galloped back across bhe bridge very coolly, though I noticed he wiped some blood from a flesh wound in his shoulder as he passed me. The roav of guns down the stream also indicated bhat another battery had taken position, and was protectinsr the left flank of the Confederate regiment ; otherwise it could hardly have held its ground as long as it did, for the line of blue was charging ! The slender lino of grey infantry waited till the blue columns got wibhin a hundrpd yards of ibs breastworks ; then it gave forth its fire rapidly and continuously— ho rapidly for bho number of men involved, that I know bhey must have collected and loaded the muskets of their fallen cornrados in order to obtain the great weight of fire. Under this and the bursting shells from the Napoleou guna across the river, the Federal

line wavered and wenb back, leaving the yellow fields it crossed covered with spots and splashes of blue. Meantime the steady tramp of the infantry of the Confederate division, some of it going at double quick, came from the road behind me., Its last few,, regiments were passing up, and the battery down the river was withdrawn to go in position on the hills beyond. The work of the South Carolinians was nearly over, but hardly one .man in three remained in this line of battle. The Federals were again massing a brigade to charge it. Four times in the last hour had Walton come back to ask the lookout on the bridge if they they had not seen the signal from the hill in the rear. Two of the four noncommissioned officers placed at that duty were wounded. The ihirrl, a corporal, in command, always replied: 'No, colonel!' and shook his head. The last time Walton came, he limped a little from a slight wound in the leg. 'Please mount your horse, colonel,' begged the corporal. 4 No, I can do better on foot yet. My God 1 will that signal never come ? I don't wanfc all my men to die, and this charge will settle us !' and Walton, shading his eyes with his hand, strained them to see if he could catch the signal. 'It must be there !' he muttered, then suddenly cried : 4 It han come !' And looking through the smoke of battle to the hills beyond, I could discern the flags. Tho colonel, wounded as he was, ran back to the lino of battle. The necessary orders were given very quickly, for the companies game in, -at the double-quick pursued by a hailstorm of Federal bullets. But whet o was tho regiment of the morning ? Each Company seemed but a skeleton squad, and half of these men were staggering or reeling from wounds and loss ot blood. Drawing in upon their centre rapidly, which still held its ground, they lined the breastwork immediately in front ot us, and as the Federal charge came on, gave them one crashing \olley, while tho Confederate butbery behind us dropped six more shells into the charging lines. The blue was checked for a moment, and in that moment Walton, with tho ease of a veteran, withdrew his men across the bridge. While he was doing so, Caucus called my attention to some occurrences that were making his hair stand on end. The captain of artillery, aided by a couple ofpioneeis, had ropidlv dug a hole in the centre" pier- ot the bridge. Into this four men, running down, placed four kegs of gunpowder. Walton- turned from his men, and he and the artillery officer both stayed and to this mino deliberately attached a fuse. Thdn they coolly waited until the rear guard had crosrfed the bridge, and leached the little breastwork on the other side of the- river. Before this was done there was another heavy volley, and several of the men sank dying as they crossed the stream, while Walton himself gave a start that indicated he had received another wound, and the captain of the battery fell down upon the bridge. Coolly striking no less than three matches to get a light, under this fusillade that become more deadly every moment, Walton deliberatoly lit the port fire that led to the mine; then shouldering the wounded artillery officer, staggered across and took position behind the breastwork to check the Federal advance for tho last time. Both the batteries of artillery limbered up and galloped oil' after the Confederate infantry. A division had been saved— a regiment almost annihilated. B^ut all this meant little to Caucus and myself now — we looked only at the smoking fuse that would explode the bridge under which we were concealed. The black's face had become ashen. His chattering teeth said : * Golly, when dis blows up, we blows up too!' The crossfire from the Federals and Confederates made it almost certain death to venture on the bridge. Caucus, before I knew what he was doing, plunged into the stream, and in twenty or thirty vigorous strokes reached the centre pier. Up this he climbed, for it was not more than live feet high, and, sheltered by the heavy log cribbing from the Confederate musketry, deliberately pulled out the lighted fuse from the mine. For a moment the South Carolinians did not notice it, but a second after a cry from Walton came across tho river. Cursing the black, ho called to his men to follow him, and firir.g his revolver at Caucus, ran act oss the bridge. The Confederates rose up, but the fire from the approaching Federals was too heavy. A few ot them fell wounded ; the rest dropped again behind the breastwork. A dozen strides brought Walton to the centre of the bridgOj. He pulled out another fuse, and attached it to the powder, this time cutting it oF very short. His revolver firing had driven Caucus into the river, who swam back to me. As. the colonel was about to light tho fuse, he paused, staggered, clapped his hand to his side, reeled and sank upon the bridge, the lighted port fire from his hand falling sizzing into the river. The Federal advance was already at our end of the bridge. With a yell of rage for their fallen commander, the Carolinians rushed from their breastwork, charged across the bridge, and at tho center the blue and the grey met. Clubbed muskets, bayonets, and even fists were used in the struggle. Swept back by overwhelming numbers across the bridge, tho Confederates bore with them the dead body of their officer--another hero fallen for that lost cause whose banner had already begun to droop and whose stars began to fade. As I gazed at this a wave of blue surged round me. I had not come to the Federal lines — tho Federal lines had come to me. (To ha Continued. )

Yen ! It is certainly true. Ask any of your friends who have purchased there. Garlick atid Crnnwell have Numerous unnaked for and very favourable commendations from country customers on thair excellent packing 1 of Furniture, Crockery, and Class, &c. Ladies and gentlemen about to furnish' should remember that Garlick and Cran well's is the Choap Furnishing Warehouse of Auckland. Furniture to suit all classes ; also Carpets, Floor Cloths and all House Necessaries. If your new house is nearly finished, or you are going to get married, visit Garlick and Cranwell, Queen-street and Lome-street, Auckland. Intending purchasers can hay« ft catalogue sent free. Lots ot pretty girls in New York wear a nutmeg around their neck as a charm against malaria. Young men have it sprinkled on top of a glass of milk and things for the name purpose. "Avoid that which you woald blante others for doing," says one ot our wise men. Well, things have come to a pretty pass if a man can't kiss his own •nife. Some of the English football clubs evidently know It)\v to make "the mareeo." The York F.C. started la?t season with a balance in hand of £122, and their receipts amounted to £1,249, but at the close of the season they are. £18 in debt !

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