Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1862-05-16

handsome and intellectual face of their
commander, the amiable gentleman and
gallant soldier, Capt. Wheeler, of the New
York Volunteer Artillery. He was not
only in his place, but it was eminently the
right place, and he was the right man in
it. Down the lines, too, of the infantry
regiments all was steady, and the jaded
men, who had bivouacked the night be-
fore in mud and rain, and were drabbled
from head to foot with the one and wet
their places like heros, though they did
not look exactly as if they were on parade.
They did not have the parade dress, nor
had they either the parade faces.
Still the fire grew hotter in the woods.
and 10 few minutes, at point full half
mile away from the battery, the enemy's
men began to file out of the cover and form
in the open field. 1t was bold and prov
ed an expensive way to handle men,
Wheeler opened his guns on the instant,
and the swath of dead that subsequently,
marked the course of the bridge across the
open field began at that spot. At the same
moment also the skirmisers in the field be-
gan their fire. Still the enemy formed
across the opening with admirable rapidty
and precision, and as coolly as if the fire
had been directed elsewhere, and then
came on at the double quick step, in three
distinct lines, firing as they came. All
sounds were lost for few moments in the
sharp roar Of the field pieces, and in the
scattered rattle and rapid repetition of the
musketry. Naturally their fire could do
US, under the circumstances, but little
harm, and thus we had them at fair ad-
vantage, and every nerve was strained to
make the most of it. Still they came on.
They were dangerously near. Already the
| skirmishers to the left had fallen back TO
their line, and the skrmishers to the right
bad taken cover behind the rail fence that
ran from the house to the woods, but
from thence they blazed away earnestly as
ever. Yet the guns are out there, and
they are what these fellows want: and in
the next instant the guns are silent. For
moment, in the confusion and the smoke,
one might almost suppose that the enemy
had them ; but In moment more the guns
emerge from the safe side of the smoke
cloud, and away they go across the field to
point near the upper redoubt. There
again they are unlimbered, and again, they
play away. Farther back also 90 the
skirmishers. And now for few moments
the rebels had the partial cover of the
farm and outbuildings, but they saw that
they had all their works to do over, and
| No, L
are in fair, open field, exposed both to
artillery and musketry; but this time the
distance they have got to go is not so great.
They move rapidly: there, however, is an
other dangerous line of infantry; they are
near to US; but we also are near to them.
Scarcely hundred yards were between
them and the guns when our skirmish fire
became silent; the lines of the Fifth Wis.
consiu and the Forty-third New York for
med up in close order to the right of the
battery, the long range of nusket barrels
came to one level, and one terrible volley
tore through the rebel line. In moment
more the same long range of muskets
came to another leyel-the order to charge
with the bayonet was given, and away
went the two regiments with one glad
cheer. Gallant as our foes undoubtedly
were, they couldn't meet that. But few
brigades mentioned in hi tory have done
better than that brigade did. For space
which was generally estimated at three
quarters of a mile, they had advanced
under the fire of spendidy served bat
terry, and with a cloud of skrmishers
stretched across their 'front.' whose fire
was very destructive aud if, after that,
they had not the nerve to meet line of
bayonets that came towards them ike the
spirit of destruction incarnae, it need not
be wondered at. One hundred and forty
five were taken prisoners. Nearly five
hundred were killed and wounded.