The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-01-30


From under his thatcn OF wool:
SO hear me all. boys. darlpgs,
Don think Pm tippin' YOU chatf
The right to be killed III divide wId him
Anu give him the largest hall!
A Rebel Account or LOngstreet's
Assault upon Knoxville.
The correspondent OF the Richmond
Wing gives the following account OF Gen.
Longstreet's attempt to storm the lefences
of Knoxville and his severe repGlse by
Gen. Burnside
In truth, matters had arrived at stand
still. Longstreet had pushed his lines for
ward on both sides OF the river as far as it
was prudent to do so, without provoking
| an engagement. Every preparation had
been made for attack whenever the prop-
! tious moment should arrive, and consulta-
ton after consultation was had between
the different corps, division and brigade
commanders as TO the manner of assault
which would ensure success with the least
! possible risk of failure and sacrifice of life.
General Jenkins, anxious to attack in his
front, proposed to break the enemy's line
of intrenchment there, and push Wig
orously into town, and toward the rear of
the powerful forts on the feft, while Gen.
/ Longstreet was also in favor of attackin
| the tortitications, and trusting to the Oft
tried gallantry of his troops for success.
| The latter, howevever, remembered too
well the scenes of Gettysburg to be anx
ious to repeat an assault which promised
equal resistance and disaster, and the Conn
manderi chief, with all his noble qaali-
ties of head and heart, his sterling courage
and obstinate manner of fighting, was eau
tiOus even to an extreme in taking step
attended at once with 50 much Of uncertain
ty and risk.
/ Nevertheless, delay was dangerous. A
/ u - ~. ~
Grant 10 Burnside, threw into our possess
sion dispatches stating that two columns
were marching up, one on each side of the
river, to reinforce the latter, and ordering
him TO hold Knoxville to the very last mo-
ment. More than all. Bragg had been de-
feated at Missionary Ridge, and was falling
back on Dalton. But one resource was ac-
cordingly left us-either to make prompt
effort to capture Knoxville, or to change
our base to some point north of Knoxville,
on the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad.
The former was determined on, and, as
a step preliminary to the fall OF the city,
an assault was ordered on Fort Sanders or
Loudon. This is an immense square
earthwork on high hill to the left OF the
main road. Preparations for the move
ment were in progress for nearly a week.
Troops were thrown across theriver in two
small boats by night, to make demonstra-
tons on the Federal lines and plant Bate
ries there, and, after much difficulty,
eleven guns were got into position at a
point where they tally commanded the
i work TO be attacked.
i Reconnaissance Of Fort Sanders, as far
as practicable under the circumstances,
were made, but a difference of opinion ex-
listed as TO the depth of the ditch in front
of the work. BY some it was contended
that the excavation was very slight; bv
others it was believed that it would pre-
sent an insurperable obstacle. In view
Of this variance, both Generals Longstreet
and jenkins suggested the expedience of
providing the men with fascines, or bundles
offodder, oats, or similar means, that they
might be prepared for any emergency
Unfortunately the advice was no. needed,
and the sequel will show the result.
The brigades assigned to the work of cap
ture were Humphreys formerly Barks-
dale's) Bryan's and Wofford's all of Nc
Laws Division. Kershaw's brigade re-
manned in line, facing the right diagonal OF
the fort, ready to cooperate with the re-
mainder of his division at moments
notice, and Anderson, of Jenkins division,
was to perform similar part on the left. =
Skirmishers and sharp-shocters occupied a
position in front Of the work, so near that
a man could not show his head above the
parapet without being shot and the fire
they maintained had completely silenced
the few guns which it contained.
the whole of Saturday night, the coolest,
dreariest, drizzliest eight hours of watching
to which our troops have ever been expos
ed. -Four O'Clock in the morning found
them chilled to the bone. their fingers al
most frozen to the firelocks, and in the op-
posite Of that buoyant condition which
should ever attend an undertaking of des-
perate nature like that in which they were
about to engage.
/ About this time, by preconcerted ar
rangement, eleven rifle guns opened from
an opposite height, and for an hour or more
/ necessarily shelled the interior of the fort,
and contributed to the decentralization OF
the Yankee defenders. Daylight was
scarcely breaking, and through the cold,
thick mist our troops advanced to the as
sault. Up-up-up, until within few
Il yards ofthe great frowning pile, the storm
ing party silently acknowledgement to
the irregular and uncertain fire Of the host
behind the parapet; then suddenly dashing
forward, with the battle cries that have
rang out on SO many desperately contested
! fields, the COnfederates charged to the
ditch at the very base of the parapet.
But now, what scene of confusion! A
wire stretched along the edge of the chasm
caught the leg of every man who did not
suspect its presence, and tripped him head
lowed, and others and others-those be-
hind rolling like wave on those before,
until the abyss was filled with seething,
boiling. bubbling mass of men and guns,
out of which issued intermingled groans,
shouts, yells, and orders, with the discor-
/ dance of Pandemonium. But there were
those in that throng who could not be dis
mayed by any danger, however great,
though wrapped in the uncertainty of night
| officers as well as private-and, remem-
beriDg the mission on which they were en-
gagged, pressed on to its accomplishment =
Mounting the shoulders OF their comrades
and digging their fingers into the crumb-
| ling earth, they climbed the opposite side
of the ditch, and then assisting others, a
little party was quickly gathered, who now
scaled the parapet and there stood-the he
roes Of the hour. Among these were the