Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1864-12-22


VEL d. H. 6besss ~ ~ svakls.
" Y es,ls( = cry " ~
atost Y 49, / Pn. Eies
- :.::sI::s: ! !; As =: Is: & j
~ ~ Ind ~ hej. 0SudYeSd, wss6
hurting shst end shst upea ~ crest aed
sealase the sjdcs q ~ Mn, replied 70 goly
occasionally BY ths battery whish ths rebels
~ On the summit
An immense volume Of blue smoke rolled
over lhs scene; fierce flashes shot from the
muxsles Of the guns - they were dischare.
ed. 10 be answered the next momene by
fierce flashes from the hill - the shells burst
upon its sides and summit; the air was
convulsed with sound; and amid the whole
the Kissing and busting and shrisking Of
the flying missiles could be distinctly heard.
oRDHx or the CHARGE.
Under cover Of this tremendous Are oue
lines we're formed for the assent. Colonel
Posts brigade was to move directly upon
the hill. Col. Straights brigade, also Of
Beatty's division, was formed on his right,
in support. Immediately on Posts left Col.
Thompson's colored brigade vas next on the
left. Col. Grosvenor's brigade moved to the
support Of both.
And now s'Forward!" was the word. On
they moved, still under cover Of that awful
fire Of artillcry-0nward into very bosom
Of the cloud Of blue and gray that hung over
the scene-onvard to what tn hundreds was
certain death. To get = better view Of this
terrific charge, / rode over to the left in .
position Of the line whence Col. Morgan's
men started. Here, from slightly elcvat-
ed plot Of ground. could distinctly see all
that was obscured by the smoke.
ITS PROGRESS.
Our men were moving forward with loud
aud continued cheers, and crashes Of mus
kerry began to ming.e with the roar Of can.
non. The enemy reserved their 6rc until
COL Posts brigade had fairly commenced
to climb the hill. Then from their battery
on the summit lesped forth the angry nrc,
anil = perfect hurricane Of canister shot tore
through our ranks. A little further we ad-
vanced; ard then the whole surface Of the
eminence seemed to b)De with musketsy.
II was no longer an ordinary hill. It was
. flaming. roaring, crashing volcano, dealing
death and destruction more deadly then if
hot liquid lava were pouring down its sides.
No description can do ju> ticc to the ter
rife scene. And amidst all this hell Of
smoke and thunder and fire our men stead
lily advanced Ever and anon their loud
cheer rang above the deafening roar Of bat
tie; ever and anon you could catch glimpses
through the thickening vapor Of our flag
still moving on.
. ITS FAILURE.
But, bark! the cheering has ceased The
roar Of cannons and the crash of muskets is
louder, deadlier than before! There arc
signs Of wavering on our left. Col. Thomp-
sons men, in endeavoring to pass around to
The left Of the hill have been met by a ter
rife flank fire from the enemy's works on
that side. In their desire to storm the po-
sition they rush one ahead Of the other, and
thus their order is broken. They do not
vet retire but. under the whitening fire
which is destroying them, they become a
mass. The troops upon the right,
torn in pieces by the internal fire from the
Of the hill, pause an instant, con-
fused by the appearance Of the left. To
pause under such circumstances is to fail
The brave COL Post is just at this juncturc
MORALLY wounded. In q moment all order
is lost; and the gallant lcgons, whose con-
duct even in temporary failure has immor-
taized them, rush back. confused and bleed
ing and exhausted, to the line from whence
they set out.
WILL WOOD RENEW TIE ATTACK?
The clouds have been thickening all day.
we acknowledge defeat at this last and vital
point? Shall the blood Of our slaughtered
soldiers not be avenged? Has Wood at
last failed.
No! He will take that Hill now if Hood
himself with his whole army were corcen.
trated upon it. Calmly. quietly, with the
same pleasant smile as before, he superin-
tends the reformation Of his broken battal-
lions and issues his orders.
The thunder Of artillery, rendered more
awful by the approach of night (for it was
now nearly 4 in the afternoon), sounded
more dcafcning and continuous tnan before;
and the rebels, anticipating another charge,
number Of troops from the left
Df their positiod, and marched them towrrd
the point which had previously been most
fiercely assailed.
the CnARGE RENEwED-ENTlRE SUCCESS.
Tue eagle eye Of Wood at once detected
his advantage. While Post s veterans again
sssailed the hill directly, and Thompson's
gallant Africans moved on the rebel right.
the bulk Of Eniott's and kimball's divisions
were hurled like thunderbolt against the
rebel left. Wood himself, accompanied by
al his staff, closely followed, and directed
the charge. In vain the fires Of hell blazcd
forth anew. In vain the terrified rebels.
their error enleavorcd to shift
back toward their weakened left. To at
tempt any mannuvrc in the face of tho
mighty storm nov bowling round them was
in itself destruction. In column and in
line, dcploycd here. in masses there, our
soldiers rushed upon them; and although
the hillside was wet with the blood Of many
. martyr, they neither waycrcd nor hesits-
ted nor paused until the hostile battery was
in their hands, until every portion Of the
opposing works was carried, and such of
the rebel lcgions as held them, aud we're
not ki led or captured, were fleeing in wild
dismay from the hill. 7N't%s
I 1t was the last stand Of the for that eve
ming. . 49,
trout. ruin, panic scattered all )" and I
really believe that, had not night intusSned
the rebel army would have been then and
there destroyed.