184
MAJOR PETER KEENAN, KILLED IN THE CHARGE OFTHE 8TII PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
service was a device of General Hooker’s, and thiswas the only field where they played their part.Each mule carried four or five boxes of spare am-munition, anil being tied in couples, they seemedeasier to catch than a horse. As a pair of themmade for opposite sides of a tree, I ran toward themto get one, but before I could succeed a shell fromthe direction of the Plank road struck the tree,exploded the ammunition, and slaughtered themules.
I now gave up hope of a mount, and seeing theConfederate lines coming near me, tried to savemyself on foot. Once, when throwing myself downto escape the fury of the fire, I saw a member ofmy own regiment, whose horse also had been shot,hiding in a pine top that had been cut down by ashell. He had thrown his arms away that homight run the faster, and he begged me to do thesame. This I refused to do, and I got in safelywith my arms, while he was never seen again. Iturned into the Plank road to join the very badcompany that came pouring in by that route. Morothan half of the runaways had thrown their armsaway, and all of them were talking a language thatI did not understand, but, by their tones, evidentlyblaming some one for the disgrace and disaster thathad befallen their corps. They appeared to sharethe prevailing confusion on that part of the field,where the front and the rear seemed reversed.Yet, as misery loves company, I cast my lot withthem and continued my flight.
I doubt if any of us knew whero we were going,further than that we were fleeing before the pur-suing linos of the enemy. One of my own com-pany, who was captured in the charge, afterwardtold me that in leaping an abatis, he was liftedfrom his saddle by a vine anil remained suspendedtill made a prisoner.
In the very height of the flight, we came uponGeneral Howard , who seemed to bo the only manin his own command that was not running at thatmoment. He was in the middle of the road andmounted, his maimed arm embracing a stand ofcolors that some regiment had deserted, while withhis sound arm he was gesticulating to the men tomake a stand by their flag, j With bared head hewas pleading with his soldiers, literally weeping ashe entreated the unheeding horde. Under differentcircumstances I should havo considered it my dutyto follow and find my command, and report for dutywith it. But I could not go past the general-Maimed in his porson and sublime in his patri-otism, he seemed worthy to stand by, and out ofpure compliment to his appearance I hooked upmy saber and fell into the little line that gatheredabout him. As the front became clear, we fireda few shots at the advance lino of the Confeder-ates, but a fresh mass of fugitives in blue soonfilled the road, and we had to stop firing. Thegeneral now ordered us to cover the whole line ofretreat so as to let none pass, and the officers, in-spired by his devotion, ran in front of their men*drew their swords, and attempted to stop them-As the number constantly increased, the press-ure becamo greater upon the line that blockedthe way; but this lino was constantly reenfoi’cedby officers and others, and offered some resistanceto the pressuro. At last the seething, surging seaof humanity broke over the feeble barrier, andGeneral Howard and his officers were carriedaway by main force with tho tide. Pharaoh andhis chariots could have held back tho walls of thelied Sea as easily as those officers could resistthis retreat. I started again on my race for lif e >this time alone, and toward the slopes of the Chan-cellorsvillo plateau, where it seemed to me prob-able that my regiment would re-form after thecharge.
My course was right-oblique from tho road, andI had not gone far before I saw lines that I knemwore not retreating. Their flags were flying, andmy heart took a bound as I beheld battery afte rbattery galloping into position, and regiment aftefregiment wheeling into line behind them. A line ofbattle showed itself at last; the Third Corps hadcome up to stop tho successful charge, and Jack-son’s men would find a difference between attack-ing the Third Corps in front and the Eleventh mthe rear. Seeing tho guns unlimber and load. 1made my greatest effort at speed, but not caringfor a fow fugitives, tho guns belched forth themfiro before I could get in. However, I came safelythrough, and at last paused for a long breath. "Whil®congratulating myself upon my escape, I lookedbehind tho lino of battle, and there saw my ownregiment drawn up for a charge, the line not solong as half an hour before by one-tliird, but still asshapely and resolute as ever. Tho horses wer®blown and nervous, and the men wero, no doub >a little depressed by the rough usage they hamet with. A horse, that had followed the com-pany riderless from tho charge, was given to m e i