The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-07-09

49, dWhll Yl1a.a
BURLINGTON ;. w
Of the brigade held points within fifty
yards Of the enemy's line. but all suct
were thinned out by the deadly ri6eman
who, nearly secure himself, was at liberty
to indulge in the uncommon luxury o.
gloating over foe, before firing with cool
nants Of the brigade started back, long
lines of rebels swarmed from their trench
es, pursuing rapidly with internal yells.-
They soon swarmed back, and faster than
they emerged, when our reserves opened
on them with whitening fire Of small
' arms and artillery. ~ 81 -
vacated In the morning, leaving over zoo
killed and wounded. The proportion d
officers lost 10 larger than the average, and
here, as elsewhere during the assault. an
unusual number were hit In the bead
Wagner's brigade left winter quarters last
spring nearly two thousand strong, but it
was reduced to less than half that number,
wounded during the campaign. General
Wagner fought, where he always fights, at
the head of his brigade, and his escape
from hurt is almost miraculous. Two or
three hours after the assault his men were
bustling around their camps, making their
coffee, having already exhausted CONVERSE
had furnished. "bamn these assaults il,
c0lumn;" heard one of them remark a.
he punched up the blaze under his coffee,
'they make man more afraid Of being
trampled to death by the rear lines than he
is of the enemy. They might do on a
marble floor" His comments would Of
fend Jomini and Montecuculli; but the
speaker, as = member Of one Of the ad-
had clear right to speak his mind.
The heaviest loss IN the assault of Wag-
ner fell on the noble 10th Indiana, which
sustained nearly one-half the casualties of
the brigade. The regiments in the rear
suffered but slightly.
I believe with justice, that it was the last
Of all to fall back. Yet such, II the fact,
oan have but little Significance. The self
same heroism inspired each Of the ASSAULT
ing brigades; all did their utmost, and all
deserve like chaplets for their brilliant
and not wholly unavailing outbursts of
courage and endurance.
Hank ELK y ASSAULT
Harker's brigade held the right Of New
| toms division, the 125th Ohio, Colonel
Opdyke, in advance. Like Wagner's It
was deployed into q column of divisions,
the six regiments forming a column just
thirty lines deep. When the bugle pealed
forth the clarion note for the advance, the
brigade sprang into line, and marched
the enemy's scattered pickets and gaining
the rifle pits where his skirmishers were
posted. The enemy opened q terrible fire
of musketry, grape and canister but our
boys poured into the ravine equi-distant
from the hostile trenches, and began to
ascend the slope beyond, fast becoming
slippery with blood. At this moment
the column and disordering its lines, with
out, however, lessening the impetuosity
Of the lads. Many swarmed to the rebel
works, and after vainly endeavoring TO
scale the works, took Judgment at their
base, fighting desperately within reach Of
each other over the parapet, 30 close that
several Of an advance regiment were drag
ged over by the hair and captured.
The struggle lasted one hour and twenty
minutes, regiment after regiment planting
its 00l0rs on the ramparts only to be driv-
en- back. Harker, the fearless and beloved
commander, upon whose shoulder the star
had rested but brief month, fell MORALLY
died two hours after. No one who saw MS
cheerfulness on gong into the fight, and
his glorious bearing during the action to
the moment he was hit, would have dream
ed that few hours before he had handed
q packet to q comfade not selected for the
assault, asking him to send It home. ~
shall be killed." said he. in conclusion
Stout hearted, kindly, noble Harker; such
souls as yours are the safety Of the
country. The yawning rent in our forums
would have closed when you fell with an
instant and thunderous clang, If . type Of
the richest treasure of the Republic were
the only sacrifice demanded. THE noble
ing chief with them, leaving fifth OF their
number killed and wounded on the field /;
and to the eternal infamy Of the wretclies
who fought us at that point, several Of the
latter were made targets after our troops
had retired. Lieut.. Benham, Of Harker's
brigade, was one Of the victims, the infer
es on Se n eroand ss
lines, and hitting him not lees than four
times. This II the only instance in which
/ obtained the name, but many Who par.
ticipated In the assault assured me that
other wounded officers were similarly
butchered.
Kimball's brigade, though It did not en-
deavor to storm the rebel works, acted eff
ficiently as = support, and being without
our trenches and within easy range of the
enemy, its loss was scarcely less than that
Of tt fellow brigades. No higher compli-
ment can be paid any body Of troops than
to say that they endured heavy fire
which they might not return coolly and
without wavering. Theloss in the brigade
is 100 including Lieut.. Col. Chandler and
other valuable officers.
THE RESULT.
BY noon both armies were tranquil again,
the enemy on some portions Of the line
where assaults were made, permitting US to
remove our dead and wounded, which was
speedily elected. A series of vigorous as
d s.s .lnn s The Whole Iins h':,
the repulse Of the former, beyond the loss
Of many ~ brave men az were ever mar
shalled, has but little bearing upon the
prospects for She rnan's eventual success.
We advanced our lines materially, which
could not have oeen done by any feeble
effort; we failed to pierce thelines Of john