The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1862-10-02


held. it was the key of the position. Hook
! determined to take il. He rode out in front
! Ibis furthest troops on a hill to examine Il
Ground for a battery. At the top he dismoun
, ell and went forward on foot, completed h
=, | reconnoissance returned and remounted. III
, Imnslsetrv fire from the point of woods was q
the while extremely hot As he put his TO-
lin the stirrup a fresh voley OF rifle bullets can
whizzing by, The tall soldierly figure OF tt
General, the white horse which he rode tt
| The elevated plaza where was-ali made him
most dangerously conspicuous mark. So
had been all day, riding often without sta
,ficer or an orderly near him-all sent oil 0
4 urgent duty visible everywhere on the hei'
The rebel bullets had followed him all day, br
they had not hit him, and he would not regar
i chem. Remounting on this hill he had nc
/ ridden five steps when he was struck IN to
foot by bail.
Three men we're shot down at the same me
ment by his side. The air was alive wit
bullets. He kept on his horse for few mo
] ments, though the wound was severe and ex
| cessively painful, and would not dismount un
til he had given his last order to advance. Il
was himself in the very front. Swaying III
! steadily gu his horse, he turned In his seat t.
look about him. There is regiment to tn
| flSUL. OIdST IL lOTWaru 80 .Oi""'otH ~AA~ OOA
| don are coming up Tell them to carry thes
woods and hold them-and it is our fight
| 1t was found that the bullet had passed ON
| pletelv through his foot. The surgeon ha(
examined it on the spot could give no opinion
whether bones were broken, but it was after
ward ascertained that though grazed they were
not fractured. OF course the severity OF the
wound made it impossible for him to keep tbs
field which he believed already won, SO tar as
tt belonged to hlm to win it. Il was nine
o'clock The fight had been furious since tive
large part of his command was broken, but
with his right still untouched and with Craw.
ford and Gorjen's bridges just up, above all
with the advance of the whole central line
which the men had heard ordered with cheers,
with regiment already on the edge of the
woods he wanted, he might well leave the
field. thinking the battle was won-that has
battle was won, for am writing, of course,
only about the attack on the rebel left
I see no reason why Ishould disguise my adj
miration of Gen. Hookers bravery and soldier
ly ability. Remaining nearly all the morning
on the right, could not help seeing the saga
city and promptneSs of his manoeuvreS, how
devotedly they trusted to him, how keen was
his insight into the battle, how every oppor-
tuuity was seized and every reverse was check
Ell and turned into another success. say TINS
the more unreservedly because L have no per>
lnal relation whatever with him never saw HIM
till the day before the fight, and don't like his
politics or opinions in general But what are
politics in such d battle
Sumner arrived Just as Hooker was leaving,
and assumed commad Crawford and Gordon
had gone into the woods, and were holding
them stoutly against heavy odds AS L rode
over toward the left met Sumner at the head
of his column advancing rapidly through the
timber, opposite the point where Crawford was
fiohting The veteran General was riding alone
in the forest far ahead of his leading brigade
his hat off, his gray hair and beard ana mus
tache strangely contrasting with the hre IN his
eyes and his martial air, as he hurried on 10
where the bullets were thlckcst
Sedgwick's division was in advance, moving
forward to support Crawford and Gordon. heoel
reinforcements were approaching also, and the
struggle for the roads was again to be renewed.
Sumner sent forward two divisions, Richardson
and French, on the left. Sedgwlck moving IN
column of divisions through the woods in rear
deployed and advanced In line over the cora
field There was broad interval between him
and the nearest division, and he saw that If the
rebel line was completed his own division was
in immediate danger of being lanked. But MS
orders were in advance, and those are the or
ders which soldier-and Sedgwlck is IN every
Il
To extend his own front as far as possible, be
ordered the 34th New York to move by the
left flank The maneeuvre was attempted un-
der fire CT the greatest intensity aud the regl-
nent broke AT the same moment the enemy,
perceiving their advantage, came round on that
flax. Crawford was obliged togive way on the
right, and his troops pouring III CONFUSION
through the ranks of Sedgwick's advance bri-
gade threw it into disorder and back on the
second aud third lines. The enemy advanced,
their fire increasing.
Gen. SedgWick was three times wounded.
in the shoulder, leg and wrist, but he persisted
in remaining on the field SO long as there was
chance of saving 1t. His Adjutant General,
Major Sedgwick, bravely ralying and tying to
reform the troops, was shot through the body,
the bullet lodging in the spine, and iell IRON
his horse. Severe as the wound it is probably
not mortal Lieut.. Howe, of Gen. 0edgwIck
staff. endeayored vainIy to rally the 34th New
York They we're badly cut up, and would
not stand Half their officers were killed or
wounded their colors shot to pieces, the Color
Sergeant killed, every one of the coior-guaro
wounded. Only thirty~two were afterwards
got together. ...
The 25th Massachusetts went into actioh with
seventeen officers and nearly six hundred men.
Nine officers were killed or wounded, and some
Saunders of the Sharpshooters, Lieut.. Derby,
and Lieut. Berry are killed. Capt. Bartlett and
Capt, Jocelyn Lieut.. Spur, Lieut.. Gale, and
Iieut Bradley are wounded. Que hundred and
thirty four men were the only remnant that
conld be collected of this splendid regiment.
Gen. Dana was wounded. Gen Howard, who
took command of the division after Gen. Sedg-
VICE was disabled, exerted himself to restore
order; but it could not be done there. Gen.
Sumner ordered the line to be reformed under
fire. The test was too severe for volunteer
troops under such fire. Sumner himself at
tennted to arrest the disorder, but to niue pur-
pose. Lient. Col Revere and Capt Andennd
of he stoef were wounded severely, but not
dangerously 1t was impossible to ho.d the
nosition Gen Sumner withdrew the division
to the rear, and once more the cofh-heid was
abandoned to the enemy
French sent word he could hold his ground.
Richardson, while calamity leading regiment
under heavy fire, was severely wounded IN the
shoulder. Gen. Meagher was wounded at the
head If his brigade. The loss in general! Off
GERS was becoming trlghtfui'
All O'clock affairs on the right had gloomy
look Rockers troops were greatly exhausted
and their General away from the tleld. Mans,
fields were no better. Summers command mad
lost heavily. but two of his divisions were still
comparatively fresh. Artli'eiy "oo =. p'aJ ~
vigorously in front. though the ammunition OF
many of the batteries was entirely exhausted
and they had been compelled to retire
Doubleday held the right infexiby, Sum
ner's headquarters were now in the narrow field
where. the night before, Hooker nan begun the
fight. All that had been gained Az front had
been lost! The enemys batteries, which ii ad'
vanced and served vigorously might have made
sad work With the closely massed troops, were
fortunately partially disabled or short OF am,
munition. Sumner was confident that ne coulo
hold his own; but another advance was ont OF
the question. The enemy, on the other hand
seemed to be too much exhausted to attack
Atthis crisis Franklin came up with fresh
troops, and formed on the left. Slocum. COM
manding one division OF the corps was sent
forward along the slopes lying under the first
range of rebel hills, while Smith, commanding
the other division, was ordered to retake the
corn fields and woods which all day had been
SO holly contested. 1t was done in the hand
4 .,rr;