Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1864-08-10

tney Jumpeu uowu uPou no. ueiuS poyo-
nets, butts of muskets, swords, pistols.
fists, and every possible means for defense.
In the midst of this the rebel support
came up, and all who did not in some way
make their escape into the fort fell int,
rebel hands. We here lost our colors, or
a part of them. Two or three rebels
grabbed them and demanded the color
sergeant to give them up and himself as
a prisoner. Receiving no assistance, he
was forced to surrender, but unnoticed by
his captors be tucked under his blouse
about feet of the top of the pole wrap
ped in part of the flag which had been shot
away He did not go to the rear as or
dered by his captors, but remaining in
the pit, he watched his chance and in
the confusion made good his escape. He
was Louis Childs of Warner. The ne
gros fought like tigers and took no pris-
oners. One case of colored color-sergeant
is particularly worthy of notice. A reb-
ell sprung upon him, caught hold of the
colors, ond demanded surrender. He
replied, j." l neber give up dem colers,
and at once entered into a struggle for
the mastery. when one of his comrades
thrust the rebel through. This was
scarcely done, when another rebel grab
bed the colors and tried to twitch them
from him. The sergeant gave powerful
pull, but did not succeed i'll freeing them,
and then gave q lunge toward the rebel
and drove the spearhead on the cud Of
the pole into his breast. He who says
negros will not fight says that he does
not know. You must remember that all
this fighting was done under heavy fire
upon both tanks, of grape, canister, and
shell from the rebel forts and terri
bic shower of mimic balls from the rifle
pits. The rebels being reinforced and
elatcd with their success, came npon the
fort and made the last charge of the day.
about II NJ. a.. ... ....
The most of what was left of our brig
ade was now in the fort, crowded, damned
and piled into large deep hole which
was made by the explosion. This was
the only protection from the flank fires,
and all crowded into it. In this position
the rebels came upon us, and all who did
not want to run the risk Of reaching our
lines remained in the fort, and am sorry
to say were taken prisoners. for they were
not in a position to offer effectual resist
ance, and it was almost certain death to
run. There we're 200 or more surrendered
there nearly the whole of the LIST and
32d Maine. a part of the 18th Vermont,
and a few from the 18th N. H.. all OF
our brigade. The Johnnies having reta-
ken what they had lost, did not attempt
an attack. Our generals not deeming it
advisable to renew the contest, the en-
gagemcut ended with no loss, Oh gain
of grounl to us, but with loss of 1900
or 1000 men, we accomplished no poss-
iblc gain except few prisoners and the
destruction of the fort. This might have
been done without the loss of single
man. Our regiment lost 63 out of 100,
with which we entered the engagement,
and our company 8 GU: of l6.
The appearance of the fort when we
entered it beggars description. There
we're huge Jumps of dirt weighing tuns,
thrown up from depth of Is feet or
more to the surface, and loose dirt was
thrown over an acre Of ground. There
was large hole made in the center of the
fort fully Is feet deep. | will not at
tempt to give the dimensions, but suffice
it to say it was very large, Half buried
guns, carriage wheels. swab. sticks, and
countless artillery appurtenances were
lying about in the greatest confusion.
But the greatest sight was to see men
half buried and alive-somo with their
heads downward, and their feet and legs
portruding-others with their feet down,
buried to the waist and even shoulders,
with one arm out aud some with neither.
Many were very likely buried entirely
while alive and others were mangled aud
form in niAcea Rebel nrisonera saw 500