Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-08-13

every hillside commanding the enemy's no.
sition, there belched out sheets of flame and
milk-white smoke, while the shot and she'll
sped forward, screeching, bowling, rumbling
like the rushing of hundred railroad trains
But why attempt to give an idea of such in.
describable sound The sudden transition
from utter silence to fercest clamor was ter
rible. So the rude combat ragged without
sign of slackening for two long hours AT
first the enemy was slow in replying to our
fire, but gradually their lines were brought
into action, and in less than half an hour
banks of angry smoke partially yelled the
scene from both sides. st@4
In accordance with the plan of battle, the
First Division of the Ninth Corps, Qedlie's,)
was made the assaulting column. Gen. Led
lie formed his troops in three lines of battle,
having each a front of about six hundred
The Second Brigade of this division, (CoI.
Marshall led the assault, followed by the
First Brigade, (Gen. w. F. Bartlett), and the
third line made up of the Third Brigade, (Col.
Gould's) The left of Ledlie's division was
supported by Brig. Gen. bankruptcies brig
ade of the Third Division, (Wilcox's), and its
right by Gen. Grifin's brigade of Potter's d.
vision. The Fourth Division of the Ninth
Corps (al negroes) was posted directly in the
rear of the assaulting column, to press for
ward whenever practicable. The Fourteenth
New York Heavy Artillery were the first to
enter the breach made by the explosion
They bounded forward at the word, in the
midst of the shock of the artillery. through
the dense clouds of flying dust, and Chamber
ing over the debris, found themselves VIC
lently pushed down into the yawning
crater. The sight which there met them
must have been appalling. Bodies of dead
rebels crushed and mangled out of all resem-
blance to humanity, writhng forms partly
buried, arms prOtruding here and legs strug-
Cling there-a very hell of horror and tor
ture, confined to a space so feet in length
and half as many wide. But the time was
not favorable to the play of humane prompt
ings. This chaos of mangled humanity mixed
with debris of implements and munitions of
war must be UNDECIDED. Enough for the
stOrming party to do was found in exhuming
two pieces of rebel cannon with their Gals
sons, and, in obedience to the law of self
preservation, turning these guns upon the
enemy, who was throwing into the crater
shower of shells and mimic balls from the hill
beyond, and from points on either side, which
they still held on this first line. Getting
these pieces into position promptly, and I'M
der cover of their fire, the assaulting column
was reformed, and at the word of command
dashed forward once more to storm the crest
of the hill. 1t was a task too great They
calamity assayed it, and nearly gained the
summit, subjected all the time to a whitening
fire, which increased in ferceness at every
step, until they became the center of con-
verging storm of shot and shell. Attacked
on the right flank and the left flank, in front
and rear, they were compelled to fall back to
the partial protection of the crater, leaving
their course thickly strewn with the dying
and the dead
The cOlOred troops, upon the heel of this
repulse, were ordered to charge, and they
moved out calamity. A hundred yards gained
and they wavered. Then the Thirty-ninth
Maryland Regiment, which led, became panic
stricken and broke through to the rear,
spreading decentralization swiftly. Their off
GERS urged them, entreated them, threatened
them, but failed to rally them, and, the mass
broken and shattered, swept back like tor
rent into the crater that was literally choked
with white troops. The confusion, incident
to this wholesale crowding and crushing OF
the negro soldiers into the ranks of the white
troops, very nearly caused the panic to
spread. Had such been the result, it might
have been fortunate, and many brave fell
low who afterwards fell, might have escaped
his fate. But at the moment the rebel fire,
which had been murderously directed upon
the place, materially slackened, and the
white soldiers recovered their stamina. Our
lines were once more Strengthened, and Just
in time to check an impetuous charge, which
was afterwards repeated, and with a similar
result of heavy loss to the ASSISTANTS.
So the morning waned. 1t became appa-
rent, doubtless, that the position gained
could not be held without more sacrifice of
life than could well be afforded at this time
At any rate, this seems a fair inference, or
the other corps would have been ordered to
advance upon those portions of the first line
still held by the enemy, and as far as l can
ascertain, no such order was given. On the
contrary, about noon the order was given TO
retire-a matter not easy of execution, as to
gain our works an open space must be tray
ersed, over which one man in every twenty
was sure to be brought down by the cross-ire
that swept the spot.
l omitted to say that when the negro di-
vision advanced to the charge, they were
supported on the right of the Prince George
Courthouse Road, by Turner's division of the
Tenth Corps, which calamity advanced long
way beyond the spot where the negroes
broke, and strove unavailingly to breast the
storm of their retreat. The list of casualties
in this division was heavy. forward the
names of those in hospital.
The losses on both sides, considering the
numbers engaged, were very severe. The
wounded in the hospitals are more than one
oners, and the killed and wounded swell the
list materially.
Later reports reduce this number. The rebels
only claim to have taken 9s6.-EDs STATE JOURNAL.