The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1863-10-20

5 gun before our center and righ, coul
I be placed in position. We were thus ia
J ken at disadvantage at the outset nev
; erlheless our boys already in position
fought heroically, ard troops from th
} right were thrown into the contest as rap
: idly as they arrived or the ground. Th,
nature Of the position was such that bu
IiGIe artillery could be used. The fight
) ing was mostly in the timber aad brush
There was no such thirg as looking over
the whole field Of battle, or even a con
siderable portion of it, from any one
point. 81 dense was The undelbrush in
places. that it was dncrlt to get through
il tatal. Al one noint there was an ex.
tensire open field which at the opening
ofthe battle was held by a portion OF
Longstreet's corps. A brigade from
Woods division, 2lst corps. charged
the enemy with the object of gaining
this field. With irresistible energy our
boys dashed forward, sweeping before
them the proud Virginia legions and
gaining half the field, which they held
until oyerPowered By sheer numbers.
when they fell back to the cover Of the
wood. A this moment brigade from
Davis division, 20lh corps, came up
and was thrown forward for a second
struggle for the field. This charge,
! like the first, was successful, aud a por
ton Of the 8.h Indiana battery was pla
ced in position in the center OF the field,
but with renewed force the enemy swept
back upon the devoted brigade, gained
the field and with it the battery. Our
( brigade had now arrived and we were
Immediately formed for the charge. Be
fore US were the choicest troops Of the
South occupying portion of the field in
strong force and covering the rest with
their fire. Calamity in front of our line
rode Col Bradley, leading the charge.
On, on, pressed our little brigade. The
enemy held their fire and meantime to k
position under cover OF the timber and
rail fences where they could sweep the
whole field with their long Eafelds. We
well knew what the dead silence porten
/ ded-it was terrible moment more aw
ful than the roar OF artillery and mus
kerry, but not man dinched, not n
cheek blanched. We had jus; reached
the artillery, which The enemy had fail
ed to remooe, when with a single crash
the contents OF thousands Of rifles were
poured into our ranks from the front and
flank Our men went down by scores
the brave Col. Bradley received two Sc.
we're wounds AZ the same inslant-still
with unconquerable stubbornuess our
position was held and the enemy silen
ced Our brigade saved the artillery.
the boys dragging the pieces off the
field by hand Lying on the ground.
we awaited 'resh attack for the recov.
cry Of the field, but none came, and we
were ANNOYED alone by sharpshooters
/ till dark The loss Of the brigade in this
charge was two hundred and fifty We
were kept in front during the night
which was unusually chilly, and as fires
were out Of the question, our sufferings
/ from cold and want of rest were such as
to poorly Fl us for the work Of the fol.
lowing day. During The night tho right
Of the army was thrown back. and in the
morning. under cover OF dense fog, we
abandoned the field and took new and
advantageous position on an open hill.
on the extreme right Of the army. The
center and right had been weakened in
order to strengthen the left, where The
main attack was expected TO fall. Tn,
king advantage of This disposition, the
enemy massed on the center and at II
o'clock commenced the attack. As on
4 the previous day, owing to the nature oil
+ the ground, our artillery was compare
lively useless. and the whole batle was
pre-eminenrly one Of rifles We Of the
light listened anxiausly as the roll o.
small arms grew louder and nearer-evi
! dentlv our weak lines were being over
powered and soon The shock would fall
upon us still. We had a strong position
and fell confident OF our ability 10 hold
| il. But now commenced an exhibition
of stupidity which has been The theme
Of Indignant discussion ever since the
battle. The division on the left OF oul
own was giving away Polk's enur,
corps and two divisions from Lougslreet'
were rapidly bearing down upon our di
vision. According to all rules OF wa
and common sense. tho three brigade,
forming our division should have bee,