The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1864-07-29
From the 57th Ohio Regiment.
CAMP IN TH FIELD,
NEAR KINEsAw 1oUUTAIN, GA,
limo O2th 1854

June 2Sth, 1864.
! DEAR BRoTuR 1T is with an ach
ing heart that Hastily pen you few
lines Yesterday morning we receiv
ed orders to move" We we're re
lieved at our pst, directly in front
of the mountain and about A. Nj
by the clock, vent into line, for ;
charge upon ths enemy's works--th,
57th being one Of the Regiments il
the advance line. At the signal, oui
Brigade moved forward, driving ev
cry thing before them--pickets. 81 ir
mishers, and everything, was driver
into the Notifications. Our line ad
vancing up to the very works, or as
near as man could go and live one
minute, when we met line of fahattis
and stakes driven firmly into tho
ground, with sharpened points,-liko
so many ayonets--toward us. This,
tor time, would bring line o. any
thing to a stand. From the nature of
the ground, or the natural. al.impetIousi-
ty of our men, the Brigade found it's
elf enough in advance of everything
to give the enemy a murderous cross
fire; also, fire direct, under which
they were lying for about an hour,
when the main line fell back into line
holding everything we had gained
the skirmishers holding the front, and
in an incredibly short space of time
had good line of works thrown up
in front, and also IN our reserve line,
except in front of the 1l6th Illinois,
who took sheltcrin u ravine until they
could procure entrenching imple-
mente. And we found we were none
too quick with our works, for about
half past . o clock, they opened their
masked batteries upon us, and then
followed the iiercest cannonading /
ever heard gun answering gun, sec
ton replying to section, aud the bat
teries firing by battery. Oh, what a
scene ! Kissing shell, plunging shot,
crashing tress, bursting shells, rat
tling, gathering canister and grape,
Kissing, whistiing rifle balls, spat,
spat, spud, on every side; and, yet,
comparatively, few were hurt in all
this terrible liring-for our position
and works saved us.
Our Regiment lost heavily: killed,
wounded, and missing, 53--and here
is the point where my pen ialters,-
My Company Co suffered severely.
OF the twenty four men who went in
to action, one third were killed or
wounded all OF them among the
flower Of the Company. God comfort
the aching hearts in Findlay and vi
cinity.
Thv killed. Ire, oergJ. Dahasl w.
Showalter, Corporal John Sager, and
Private Edward c. Glessner; mortally
wounded, Private Gottleib Henry {;
wounded, and in hospital, Sergt. Ez-
ra Hipsher, in right fore arm, ball
passed through, breaking one of the
bones, which was resected, the wound
dressed-and brave, glorious fellow
that he is, with his arm in u sling, re-
turned to the front, and assisted in
bearing OFF the wounded, and staid
with the Company, utterly refusing
to go to the hospital until ordered by
Gen. Smith. Corpl John NJ. Stecler
got bad wound in left leg, bail en-
tering in upper portion of the calf,
ranging down and passing out on op-
posite side, making painful, although
not dangerous, wound of some eleven
inches in length. Private Charles NJ.
Savage was shot through the right
hand and right leg--or thigh, the
ball hattening against the bone
Poor Charley--he is badly hurt; but
his soul is full of ''sand," and he will
20 safely through if nothing unusual
occurs. When he came limping out,
| sang out to him--"Are you hurt,
Charley?" He. replied, laughing,
'Yes, sir; they more than belted it
INTO mel" He refused to inhale chlor-
oform to have the ball extracted, and
when the Surgeon run his finger into
,he wound and began to punch the
flesh in search Of the ball,
le knit his brows and d---d the
johnny Reb" that sent the bail. He
said-"Doctor, give me that ball that
S for Father" Charley was amongst
ihe first in, as far up, and with the
asst that left, and received his wounds
coming out, Private Shelby Curtis
vas wounded in right side, painful,
although not Il dangerous wound
Shelby was also wounded in falling
back into line. He is Il good soldier.
quite Il boy in years, expe-
'ience has made him man.
| want you to see the relations Of
,ur dead and wounded, for the bows
,ount you one OF us-and
"Tell them we fought the battle bravely
and when the day was done,
Full many Il cOrse lay CHASTITY pale beneath
the setting SUM-"
Fell Scrgt. Showaltcr's friends that he
ought braycly, received his wounds
'toically, and died calmly, without
pain, with his last breath sending I'M
lying love to his friends at home,
md TO his comrades still fighting in
ront He knew that he was dying,
md was as ready to go at deaths
,all as he was at his country's, in Is
IL. He was one Of the first to offer
lis life--may he be the last to lose it.
Tell Corp'l Sager's friends that
J Ohm fell close to the enemy's works,
| ball passed through his brain, and
JohD was in eternity in Il second.-.
Farewell, brave comrade hope to
In. lnt,A ..,l,,n 10 -