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Show 302 ROEBUCK. the othe1· shont~, Rirok es, wrath, trin1nph. Pistols ·we1·(' fi red on every haad-a few n1nsk eLs or rifles r epli ccl. D :u·kncss nclded to the h orror of the f.iCene. Bnt fri ends nncl foes knmv th~t the careering h or RenH)n ·were Confederates anc1 the f tlp;iLives on foot ·were Federals. IIere ancl there a few Federals ntLmnptc)(l to stan<l, bnt they conlJ stand only to be slano-h Lerc.l. An cne1ny who hacl seen JUn.rk 1t1arlin there t hat n1ornino- ·wonl<l have d enounced the heart-brok en b oy b as an nnspn.ri no· savage. lie anu his luul n ot b een spared. All through that camp the name of his sist?r " 'M; tnntter ecl by 1nen ·who 'vcrc save<l fr 01n hornd d ectl ", p erhnpR, by the rapid d isp er sion of the cn01ny. They were 1ncn. The F ederal cavalry, finding that th0 · inf:1.ntry had been scatt~red, took to flight 'vithont an effort at defence. Some mounted horses ·without stHl<lles or bridles and galloped away. Others on foot scamperetl across the adjacent fielJs. In a fe\v minutes it appearea to the assailants that, of the who{e l i edcral force, none r en1aincd ncar the villao-e but the fe'v ·who 'vere killecl b or severely 'voundccl. But it ,vas not so. Colonel VVescl, whate,rer else he 1n;1.y have been, 'vas a n1an of courage. Though suddenly awn-kcned by nn enemy in the n1iclst of his cn-mp, he did not lose his presence of 1nind. lie soon discovered the real state of affairs, and thought only of retrieving the disaster. U sing the opportunities of darkness and confu.~ion, he collected a fe\v 1nen, aud \vith thmn he threw hitnself into a house at one end of the village. There he determined to 1nake a stand while he sent so1nc of' his oflicers to rally his ilying troops, and a condor to the nearest Federal p ost for succor. lie did n ot b elieve that the assailants ·were numerous or that they 'voulcl ROEBUCK. • 303 venture to r c1nain lon o· nt the vilbgc. Ile hoped that a sLnrc1y show of r e.'istancc n1i crht even cau.~ e thetn to retire as . ncldenly ns th ey en..m e. As Roon as Colonel F i t:~.h n gh d iscovered that the houf::e ' vas thus occnpiecl, l1c divined the ohj ect:; of t he Federal oflicel', and saw the neces:-5i t.y of <lislotlg i n n· hi1n nt 0 11 CC, :lllU of ])rev entin ~ the fu critiYCS fr01n lJc.•iu o· .._, w b rallied. lie kne\V th t"Lt it \vas impo ·~ihlc for hi1n to hold the v illage very long under any circnrnstances, and Lhat if any part of it conlu be h ehl lJy the enemy until r einfo rcen1 cnts or con .. iderations of prudence should co n1pel hin1 to r etire, the eflect of his p resent sncecss ' vould he n eut ralizccl. lie sent a con8iclcrahle pmt of the n .'gi nten t to pursnc the fug iti vcs for a t ime, and then prepared to assault the house occupied by Colonel \V escl. \Vlten t he party organized fo r the purpo~e \Yas r c::tcly to 1nake the assault the day 'vas breaking . 'l'he assailants rnsh ecl t o,var<1s the house, jnten ding to enter t hrough the window:;. 'Vhcn they ' verc within a few yards of it a 'vell-directccl volley b rough t several of then1 to the earth. ]lark J\Iarlin, ~!win g ing forward, se1zecl the leJ gc of a 'vin<Jo,v which was rather nbovc his head, and drawing hin1self up, broke in the sft ·h 'vith the hilt of his sword. lie clin1bc<1 up to the " rinclo,v, aucl had almo. t enterc<.1, when he received a shot, ftncl t ell h eavily back to the g rontHL The n1en b ehind him, and those clir ecteu to other ' v1 nclows, still presseJ on. But the defence \vas so steady ancl cflccti ve that it \vas soon found n ecessary to recall them, ftnd the nssnult failed. Colonel Fitzhug h, still deeming it nece sary to dislo< 1ge the F ederal colonel as soon a possible, n1adc instant preparation for another attack. lie placed |