Under Fire: A Tale of the Shenandoah Valley — page 156: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

IN THE ENEMY’S HANDS. 149 opinion,’’ uttered Captain Royal Chetwood, and he fully believed the words he uttered. end et teenie CHAPTER XXVIII. IN THE ENEMY’S HANDS. Early was still assailing the left flank of the Union Army with great fury. Merritt and Custer, with two Abeta of cavalry, were sent over to check the foe. There was a wide expanse of wooded field near Middletown where our troops rushed to the fray. Strengthened by the captured artillery, the Confed- erates brought their overwhelming batteries to bear on our exhausted columns, shaking them into frag- ments. Captain Chetwood remained with Andy Potter un-— til assured that he was beyond danger, and with a hearty handshake and good-by, the gallant captain left him and once more turned his face to the front. Royal Chetwood felt the disgrace of the rout keen-_ ly, as much so as did any officer in the army, and was ready to do anything, even to entering the ranks and bearing a musket in the fray, if by so doing the vic- torious foe could be checked. The Union Army was falling back beyond Middle- town, while the cavalry was doing its utmost to cover the retreat, and check the furious onset of Early’s legions. Captain Chetwood was not long in discovering a riderless horse; these were numerous enough on that fateful day, and mounting, the gallant captain dashed over the swelling ground to the front. A thrill of conscious power shot through the heart — of Royal Chetwood as he found himself well mounted cComicbooks co