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Show 800 HOEBUUK .. matter had been arranged, the prisoner began to expres~ gr~titn<1o, but tho colonel abruptly .le('~ hitn ~nd lt:t ~tenctl to the regin1en t, which 'va ... ag:un 111 n1otwn. Some of the 1ncn, as he passed by them, n1n U creel, '' this wns not the ·wny tho Yanks trentccl Colonel FrcLl." lie chose to be de!lf to snc.h coJnJnonts. IIis O\\·n pa~ sio n~, which had been so S1H.1c1cn~y qnc11e(l, hcgnn to rebel ag:1in, and he hnd to ri<lo BOlne di~Stance Leforo he felt perfectly 1nnstcr of himself lie then took occasion to spenk to his n) en in "·on1s of grave reproof; and of the dishonor which some of thcn1 had nlmo ·t brou o·ht Ul)On tho rco·in1cn t. lie ns. 'luotl th('lU ~ ~ that in a }jttlc 'vhilc he won1Ll condnct th01n to a I:tr 1norc honorable revenge, and that tho crin1cs of tllci1· cnCinies shon] l not go uupnnishod. IIc informeLl th em that they had n. long 1nurch before th c1n for that <lay and <:otning night, and he relied on their p:v iencc, di ·cipline n.ncl courage for tho sncccss of nn itnporiant ecttrpri~e. "\Vhon Colouel Fitzhugh 'vas returning, snccossfuJ, fron1 his cxpcL1ition, an<..l had h·c~nl of the ou Lr~gos '"·hich had been co1umitled in tho county of l1 is re ·i· donee, he resolved to strike n blow, if possi l>1e, " ·hidt 1night restrain such inhun1an exccssc:-; of n1iiit:uy v:olenco for the inturo. The iufonn:ltion obl:ti11ed L>y Baxter encouraged hin1 to b (.!licvc that it " ':L· praeli uub1e, and his interview ,vjth Julia dill uut t encl to relax his r c. olntion. lie was ha 'tenino· on with a ho1)e of .":) ::: nrprising tho Federals at the Yillngo. Al'lcr leaving P,d mer he continued the n1arch until a late hour oft lw night w~1en he was within three or four 1niles of the Yilbge. Tho regiment " 'as then halted for a brief rest, but, an hour L8f'ore daybreak, the men \Yore again in their saddles. Tho colonel then addressed them: ROEBUCK. 301 "Soldiers! Virg~nians! Yon nrc about to attack the enen1y-not soldiers hnt Tnal cf\ctors. They have perpetrntecl their crin1cq ~t your own hon1 c.. They l1nve clcsccratccl your own alt:1rs. They have bnrnec1 your own dwe11ings. They h~vc robbeJ and insultocl yonr own £-Ln1i1ics. They h~ve n1adc 'v~r on 'von1cn anc1 children. They hnvc dofilccl virgins. As yon aro rnen, redress the injnries of 'voJncn- of your f:1.milio3 nnd friends. SconrQ"e these ielons. IIerc r cvono-c is '-' •J justice. In such a cansc yonr sabres arc sacred. Count no oclus against yon when IIcavC\.'1 1n n-;t l>lc"s your val or. The enemy is ~ thon~an<-1; yon arc fi vo hnndrccl; yon arc enough. L et the 'von1 be E liza }. [a r 1j n. r~.., 011 0 w 111 c. " There 'vas no shout in re~ponso to this adc1rcss. The clcnchctl teeth 'vonld not open for cheers. There wa~ an in~rticnl:ttc mnrmnr. There w~s a low, continnons clash of iron, ns every 1nan felt his Rabre or hi9 carbine. Then, in stern silence, the Iitt le co1nmn lliOYCd Off. The force at the vHJ~o,.-., c nnrnbcrcd s01ncwhnt n1>0vo a thou~ancl men-n rco-in1cnt of infantry abont seven ;::, hnndre<l strong, and about three or fom· !t~ mH.1rec1 en v-n1ry. I .. icensc had drstr oyecl tlJC discipl in~ anLl impaired the Yigilanco of tho entire force. Availino- hitnsolf of his loc~l knowlcc1 ~e an<1 of tho b inforn1ation which he hacl r ecen tly received, Colonel Fitzhno-h led his re()'in1ent, undiscovered, to a point 0 ;::, ncar the villaob-e' and then cl:"tshed into tho centre of the Federal encmnpment before any signal of his approach 'vas given. Officers and soldiers, sndden ly aroused from sleep, ran fron1 their tents to be cut down or trampled under foot, or to flee from the merciless sabres. On one side confusion and di~may-on |
