The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1865-01-18

! plansing through their trunks as wild beasts
/ in heallsAg haste rush through the iungles
/ Great wreath, a moss dropped on the lines
Is u @ dress them for the grave: and
branches 0i thar laurel which tie Romans
crowned iArlr yictOrs with. fell on them also
as II nature would not have any 90 down
70 the tomb un-r0wned Ivy droT ped Cd
their banners. and palmetto leaves strewed
their path, 50 that these Northern men trOd
.Or the first time upon the hated emblem OF
south Carolina, Is they started on their
charge.
Tie lines reached The edge Of the woods,
and waited q moment Tor the order 10 adj
vance. The waving signal 1ag soon brought
Il IrCM cen. Sherman Assault the works
and open our communication with the coast
HE lines H.! crown impatient with even
the short decay. Officers peered hurridlv
along their Front, the COlOr-bearers changed
their clutch upon the banner often. The men
grasped their rifles tightly, and all listened
Tor tie bugle 10 sound Tor then they were
TO start or The widest charge the war has
seen. 4 silence as tf death settled along
the lines. Wlue over head the shot still
Kissed aai crashed. AT last that hugle
sounded. aad as lis notes sweiled alOug.
repeating tAe forward. VI preliminary 10
Tie o. charge each soldier grew stronr for
The great occasion, aud Is Tie first note Of
The hA4l order rang along the rank, cheer
nom AlAe regiments Of hearts almost burs-
ing with Impotence and suspense swept
through Tie dlin arches OF those Old forests.
aid as wave aller wave OF the glorious
cheer rvi.-i backward tArO ugh the solitude.
hose r-hAs with waving banners and eleam-
inS rifles rushed rapidly. Yet with the or
Sanizet tread Of veterans, toward those
il0Wnlng par4pets
The small guns o. the fort were actively
served, but with tie exception Of our SHARP
shooters, scarce man fired a shot in re-
turn Cheers were our soldiers inspiration
and their ouiy weapons. Ii was Is if by
shouting long and loud the walls OF this
jericho would come bOwn. The line crossed
tie open interval IN less time than il takes
u tel. II IL, and is trial had come As it
rushed Tor tie abatIs under the close and
calling fire d; the fort, only liry yards away,
II crossed The line OF tOrpe lOes, and men
were hurled IN every direction. Headless
trunks, arms, les, and bodies mutllated
III al conceivable forms, were lying through
the air from the explosion Of these Internal
instruments OF warfare. Yet the men
braFed Il al, and passing this dead line
dashed full at the thick, strong abatis. Here
was mOmeAtary pause The ranks had
crowded ~ - the long lines neared the font.
and Mhilc those in front tugged al the tree
tops planted IN The sand those behind were
tangled among the uneXploded tOrpedoes
and scattering death in all directions: while
the rebels behind the parapet kept up as
brisk ire as our sharpshOOters would per
nit.
The officers along the whole line took in
the situation at glance, and by a common
Impulse shouted " Forward, bows, for the
Fort :. The line started as if by magic.
crossed that abatis none TO this day know
now, sWarmed across the glacis and crow
ded into the ditch. Here the strong line OF
pointed stakes again checked them. and the
rebels who stood by the big guns which
raked the ditch, waited an instant until it
should I'll with men, and hastily sent their
charge-through that mass? God
De thanked, no. else had we failed. The
lerceness OF the charge had unsteadied
Their nerves, and the shot passed over. /
These stakes were crossed IS The other OBJ B
'tacles were, and the parapet OF Fort Nc (
AuiSter was blue with heroes. Here the in /
ahlry ugnling began, but lasted for u mo
nent only, iOr our men were in the fort.
lighting hand TO hand Rebels were killed /
" in tie OayOmet. and cut down with the
sword within their works, for they fought .
ike tigers. One end OF the fort surren-
Tered, and our flag floated there. while in .
he passage ways at the opposite side the /
Jattle still went on. But numbers tri- /
lmphed and the work was won. Strong
hearts aud hands, and the bayOnet had done
{ all, aud from the time that cheer rang
u, scarce ten minutes had elapsed before
line tatteted battle-hags were waving over
he fort.
The color sergeant Of the 10th Ohio fell
lead on the abatis. The standard-bearer
ii the 5ith plunged headlong into the fort.
lead, yet clnging to his fag, and planting
Il triumph with his Wild death-spring. Col.
ioOre has one Of the smallest. but one of
he best regiments in the service. The line
lever broke at any time. II was the resist
eSs flow OF tide that had no ebb. Our
oss was but twenty-four killed aud eighty
wo wounded. This was owing TO the fact
hat our sharpshOOters kept the most avail
bic guns for land defense partially un-
named, aud then the line was scarcely ten
minutes under fire. The rebels lost four
cen killed and thrty-two wounded. The
est were captured.