Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-07-27

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cling outward. A section of artillery was
in position at the bottom of the letter.
Blake's and Kimball's brigades were, IL
will be remembered, building rail barrl-
cade on the crest Just carried--the men
with knapsacks unslung, and many OF them
some distance from their arms, conveying
rails and logs to the rising parapet. The
fresh skirmish line was just going forward
when a growl came from the front. AT the
same moment cheer arose-a wild tumul-
tuous, shrill cry, from thousands of throatss
falling on the ear like sudden and
unsuspected clap of thunder. Our skirm-
ishers commenced firing and falling
back at the same moment. with
lightning-like celebrity heavy columns OF
rebels appeared in front of, or rather tum-
bled out of, the forests, their. columns SEEM
ing to be endless, and carrying themselves
with q certain indescribable verve IN the
onset which made every one who beheld IL
from our fines tremble. slow will that
fearful wave be broken?" was the piercing
fear that filled every bosom, which was not
allayed to see our lines IN apparent conftl-
sion-the confusion of men grasping their
muskets, taking the touch of the elbow and
facing to the front. Words can not describe
the crushing suspense of the first five min
utes of the charge. Newton lines were SO
thin they looked, in some places, like skir-
mish deployments. They. opened, and the
section of artillery in position opened. but
the momentum of the dust colOred phal-
anxes was hatefu'ly steady. Their colors
snapped saucily and streamed on steadily.
Soon every musket in Newton's division
was blazing; for at the instant Walkers
rebel division attacked Blake's and KIM
balls brigades, Bates rebel division appear
ed on the flank and confronted Bradley 8
brigade, aiming for the bridge on Peach
tree Creek. They seemed to spring from
the ground and to continue springing. ,
A stream of n-combatants commenced
flowing across the bridge. Pack-mules,
imprudently taken close to our lines Dy
fortuitous darkies, came scampering back,
the latter turned tawny brown with fright,
and reeking with perspiration. Ambu-
lances tumbled over the bridge in demoral-
lied columns. A few armed stragglers
stalked sheepishly along, the consciousness
that everybody who met them would faith
ON their meanness, imprinted on their faces
and in their movements. The curtain OF
pickets guarding the interval in our lines
came rushing along, bedaubed with mud
and bedraggled with water, having barely
escaped the rebel rush with their liberty.
Orderlies dashed up the road yelling for
ammunition trains, and teamsters climbed
trees for lookouts, and reported that the
Johnnies were charging by the acre; that
our troops were in confusion; and finally
summed up the first aspect of the situation,
announcing it rs ID scaly.
There are some things happen in battles
which 90 to show that Providence does not
always favor the largest battalions. Napo-
Icons own military career disproved his
favorite maxim. 1t falls to the lot of some
men to do the lucky thing at the lucky mo-
ment; and when Capt. Goodspeed, Newton's
chief of artillery, twenty minutes before
the charge, ordered ten guns from the
north to the south bank of Peachtree Creek,
he probably little thought that he was to
contribute so much toward crushing the
rebellion-to the repulse of what many
think the most reckless charge the enc
my has made during the war. 1t was
the work of moment to hurl the ten
guns, already near their destination, to
the proper point on Newton's flank, the
work of another to unlimher. AS the en-
emy reached a point within seventy-five
yards of our lines these twelve guns open
ed. What exquisite music was in their
crash. How Joyous was the whirl of the blue
glamour from their throats. How fiercely
flew swab and rammer. How ceaselessly
the laDyards were jerked. How hOtly the
cartridge bearers shot back and forth from
their caissons; and how, Notwithstanding,
the looker-on felt like goading them to eff
forts still more desperate. There was some
thing satisfying and reassuring in the ear
splitting din. We could tell from the pc
culiar whistle that our gunners were firing
canister, and we breathlessly waited for
the smoke to clear away for moment, that
,;,.It .ts afl,n Tho nt1lOt ant
With a ragged front line the rebel column
had halted and were firing wild, but tre-
mendous volleys. Colors disappeared and
alignments were lost. Colonels rallying
their men became tanglcdup with the sway
ing and disordered lines, and melted out of
view like Edgar of Ravenswood. Rider
less horses plunged across the field with a
puzzled gallop, swaying from side to side,
snuffing the terror of the moment and
screaming with fright. Four guns of
Smiths 1st Michigan battery went into ac-
tion hastily on Newton's right flank, and
added theirs to the intermingling detona-
tiGns. Portions of the assaulting lines made
shiyering little efforts to advance, and the
next instant fell to pieces. In twenty min
utes-no more-the rebel columns were
routed and flying back to the forests from
which they came forth, with an almost COM
pete loss of organization. 1t was the last
seen of them in that portion of the field,
and the stirring cheers that went up from
Newton's men were the charmed peroration
of the history made by the unfaltering lads
in blue on that field.
'Wasn't it dusty" exclaimed General
Newton, as he came riding back. his face
aglow with triumph, and his horse laboring
for breath. Up and down his division he
had ridden during the fight, just as gallant
Phil. Sheridan used to ride, when he mar
shaled the same battalions. Whatever OF
regret there may be in that division for the
loss of the little Corporal now at the head
of our cavaliers, anu whatever OF GOODNESS
a new commander encounters after replace
ing an universal favorite, both were dissi-
pated that day by General Newton. Such
courage as he displayed is carte blanche to
have won it by other means. He bought II
that day in good.sterling martial coin.
For once, stragglers werepu to some use
and distinguished themselves. General
Newton caused all hecould fipd to be placed
with his batteries as support. AS such
they contributed materially to break the
rebel line when it dashed nearest the guns
1T was in Newton's front that General
Stephens, s,commandinga brigade in Walkers
division, Hardee's corps, fell. For every
casualty i'm Newton's division, two dead reb-
els were picked up in his front the next
morning; and it is safe to say that the loss
in the two rebel divisions that assaulted hi
position cannot be less than 1900. Among
his prisoners is rebel surgeon, who unsus
pectingly drove into Gen. Kimball's line
With al ambulance and brace of splendit
mules. He asked the first Yankee he en-
countered where he was captured, ant
could hardly credit his senses when he foun,
the brogan on the other extremity.
1t is superfluous to say that Gen. Kim
ball gave fresh instance of his heroism tina
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