Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1863-07-18

4 ~ u. u
Mr. Wakeson. q special correspondent of
the n. Z. Times. with the Army Of the Poto.
mac, thus thrpgy describes the terrible storm
OF shell which the enemy poured upon the head.
quarters Of General Meade. and the rebel iu.
faptry charge which followed ss o
n Eleven o'clock twelve o'clock - one
o'clock, In the shadow cast by the tiny
farm house 10 by 20, which Gen. Meade
bad made his headquarters. lay wesried
staff officers and tired reporters. There
was not wanting TO the pescefulness OF the
scene, the singing Of bird, which bad o
nest in peach tree within the tiny yard
Of the white.washed cottage To the midst
of its warbliug, q shell screamed over the
house, instantly followed by another, and
another, and iu moment the air was full
Of the most complete artillery prelude to an
infantry battle that was ever exhibited.
Every size and form of shell known to Bri-
tish and American gunnery, shrieked,
whrled, moaued. whistled, aud wrathfully
futtered over our ground. As many as
six Ia q second. constantly two in q second,
bursting aud screaming over and around
the headquarters, made very hell of firc
that amazed tho oldest officers. They
burst in the yard--burst next to tie
fence ON both sides, garnished,, as usual,
with the hitched horses of aids and order
lies The fastened animal, reared aud
plunged with terror. Then one fell, then
another--sixteen lay dead and msugied be-
lore the 6re ceased, still fastened by their
halters, which gave the expression OF being
wickedy tied up 10 die painfully. These
brute victims OF o cruel war touched oil
hearts. Through the midst of the storm OF
screaming aud exploding shells, an ambu-
lance, driven by Its fre0zied conductor ut
full speed, presented to all OF US the mar
vicious spectacle Of horse going on three
legs. A hinder Que had been shot off at
the hook. A she'll tore up the little step
Of the headqusrters cottage, aud ripped
bags of oats as with knife. Another
soon carried off one Of its Two pilla. S.
Soon a spherical case burst opposite The
open door -anolher ripped through the low
garret. Tue remaining pillar went almost
Immediately 10 the howl OF q 1xed shot
that Wbhworth must have made. During
this FIRE, tue horses at twenty and thirty
feet distaut, were receiving their death,
and soldiers in Federal blue were torn TO
PIECES in the road, and died with the pecu.
1 liar yeils that blend the extorted cry Of
pain with horror and despair. Not IN or
| derly-not an ambulance--not u straggler
was to be seen npon the plain swept by
/ this tempest of orchestral death. thirty
minutes after it commenced. Were not
one hund ed and twenty pieces of artillery
trying 10 cut foom the field every battery
We had in position to resist the.r purposed
? Infantry attack, aud to sweep away the
slight dsfenses behind which our infantry
were waiting Forty minutes-ftty min
z uiec--counted on watchrs that ran--oh
so -languidly Shells through the two
lower rooms. A shell iBto the chimney,
\ that daripgly did not explode. Shells iu
the yard. The air thicker aud fuller and
more deafening with The bowling and whir.
ring OF these internal missiles. The chief
of staff struck-SeIh Williams-loved aud
respected through the army, separated
from instant death by two inches OF space
vertically measured. Au aide bored with
u fragment OF iron through the bune OF the
arm. Another, cut with an exploded
piece. Aud the time, measured on The
sluggish watches, was one hour aud forty
mluules.i 37pI ie'- 81 ini7
Il THE REBEL INFANTRY ATTACK. ,a.-a
Then there was lull, and We knew that
the rebel infantry was charging. Aud
81 lenddiy they did this werk--the highest
aud severest test of the stuff that soldiers
are made Of HilPs division, 10 line oi
battle, came firs., on the double quick,
their muskels at The right shoulder snlft. :"
LongstreeIs came as support, ~ the
usual distance, wiih war cries aud q savage
insoence as yet untutored by defeat. They
rushed in perfect order across the open
field, up to The very muzzles Of the guns,
which tore lanes through them as they
came But they met meu who were their
equals in spirit aud their superiors liz te
nacity Tnere never was better lighting
since Thermopy@ than was done yes s.erday
by our soldiery.
The rebels were over our defenses. They
had cleared aauuonIers aud horses from one
OF the guns, aud were whIriiug it around TO
use upon u.s. Tue bsyouet drove them
buck tut SO hard pressed was this brave
infantry, that at Que time, from the OK
hsusllon of their ammunition, every bat.
terry upon the principal crest OF attack was
!, silent, except Crowen's. His service OF
grape aud caunister was awful. IL enabled
our rhne-outnumbered two to one--hrst 10
beat back Longstreet. and then 10 charge
; upon hun, aud lake great aumber OF his
men anu nimself prisoners. Strange sight
So terrible was our masketry and artlllery
fire, that wheu Armstrong; brigade wac
= checked in It's charge, aud stood reeIng
Z all of its men dropped their maskets anu
? crswled ON their hands aud knees under
= meath the stream Of shot, till close 70 oul
!, troops, where they made signs Of surrender
ing. oa5 ni
they passed through our ranks scarcely
noticed. aud slowly went down The slope W
the road in the rear. r
4 J Before they got there. the grand charge
of Ewell, solemuly sworn 10 aud prepared
] had failed. t3 .-.,s,i,.ft ~ 8. js.ts
' The rebels had retreAted 10 their lines
aud opened anew the storm OF shell and
shot from their 100 guns. Those who re-
I ~. NJ A / -. Ill