of infantry, horses
and men would go down on all sides, and few would be left to tell
the tale. A sad smile lit up his noble countenance as he said,
_"General, I will do it."_ Thus, at thirty-four years of age, he
laid down his life, literally impaled on the bayonets of the enemy,
saving the army from capture and his country from the unutterable
degradation of slave-holding rule in the Northern States. The
service rendered on that occasion is worthy to be recorded in
history with the sacrifices of Arthur Winckelried in Switzerland,
and the Chevalier d'Assas in France.*

[* Major J. R. Carpenter, one of the officers who headed this
charge, asserts that Keenan made it without orders, his only
instructions being to report to General Howard to assist in rallying
the Eleventh Corps. Pleasonton's testimony, however, is positive
on the subject, and is supported by that of his aide, Colonel
Clifford Thompson. Perhaps Carpenter did not hear all the conversation
that passed between Pleasonton and Keenan.]

A large part of his command were lost, but the short interval thus
gained was of priceless value. Pleasonton was enabled to clear a
space in front of him, and twenty-two guns, loaded with double
canister, were brought to bear upon the enemy. They came bursting
over the parapet they had just taken with loud and continuous yells,
and formed line of battle within three hundred yards. All his guns
fired into their masses at once. The discharge seemed fairly to
blow them back over the works from which they had just emerged.
Their artillery, under Colonel Crutchfield, which had been brought
up, was almost annihilated by the fire of the battery on the Plank
Road. This gave time to reload the guns.

The enemy rallied and opened a furious musketry fire from the woods
against Pleasonton and Berry. Both stood firm, and then came two
charges in succession which reached almost to the muzzles of
Pleasonton's guns, which were only supported by two small regiments
of cavalry--the 6th New York, and a new and untried regiment, the
17th Pennsylvania. The whole did not amount to over 1,000 men.
Archer's brigade, on Jackson's left, which had not been stayed by
Keenan's charge, gained the woods and the Plank Road, and opened
a severe enfilading fire. Huntington changed front with his own
battery and repelled the assault. The 110th Pennsylvania regiment,
of Whipple's division, arrived in time to strengthen the cavalry
support, and