Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1876-08-31

charging into the open jaws of de
struction.
Not soldier in company G.. had
been wounded: not one of those who
fell back to the rivers bank could
show a scratch from bullet or bayo-
net. It had been thus ever since my
first battle. There was nothing to
report under the head of wounded
and missing" but all the names Of
those who had heard the last roll
call went down under the heading OF
~killed in action" When they fought
it was to death.
After Fredericksburg. more re-
cruits came down to us. We re-
ceived them kindly, but we kept on
counting eighteen just as if Com
pany G.. would. be, wiped out when
the last veteran went. And they
said that my company was fated.
Other companies had been decimated,
and other companies could show long
lists of captured" and wounded
but no other company in the brigade
had suffered like Company G. ,i-
Then came Gettysburg. The eigh-
teen old veterans We're there, and the
company numbered sixty-eight with
the new men. Other divisions were
held in reserve, or escaped the hot
test of the fight, but ours was to beat
back the fiercest charge Of the
bloody war-the charge against
Round Top. Somehow Company g.
was at the front again, and as the
fierce yells of the coming Confeder-
ates were heard above the mighty
roar OF the cannon, I looked down
the line. Some Of the new men were
looking this way and that, as il seek
ing covering. but the old veterans
peered cody through the smoke and
waited with leveled muskets to catch
the first glimpse of gray uniforms.
On across the fields came the chsrg-r
ing, cheering host, up the steep hill
side, and then sheet OF flame leaped
out and witheIed them. The gray
line was absorbed in the flame of
death just as water absorbs salt. But
second line sprang at US, and a
third. and fourth, and then they, We're
at the guns which we were support
ing. Some one gave an order, Not
one exactly understood it, but all
rushed for the guns. Shrieks, groans,
shots, shouts, and then the line of
gray pushed back the line Of blue.
They were all around us-front, right'
and left-and men neither gave nor
asked quarter. Back, back. went the
line OF blue. and Round Top, the key
OF Gettysburg was won for, the Con-
federates. .4..a.
But only for a moment. A double
line of blue pushed its way through
the smoke, hurled itself forward and
Round Top was won again. And
how won? Men slipped and fell on
the bloody grass. heaps of dead were
piled up like logs, and the shrieks
and groans OF the wounded were aw-
full to hear.
And when Lee faced southwark
fighting us as he marched, called
the roll again. None wounded, none
missing, but upon the crest Of Round
Top we left ten old veterans and
fourteen new men. Ten out Of eigh-
teen, twenty-four out OF sixty eight.
The blood thirsty fiend who wields
the sword OF war should have been
satisfied with that. Sixteen more
lone widows back In the country
village, more orphans, more sobs and
tears. Not one OF the living could
show wound; but each one Of us
would have rejoiced at the loss OF an
arm, or some grievous wound which
would have made the surgeon shake
their heads and look serious.
Only eight leftl Only eight men
out OF one hundred and three who
marched out OF the hamlet that May
morning! The new men had fought
well, and we respected them, but
went on counting eight Three held
commissions other five were
Sergeants-note enough to officer the
company. ~ 40. be
In the dusk OF the evening Stone
wall Jackson came down through the
forests and thickets beyond the Rap
pahannock, and struck the Frederal
camps and opened the battle of the
Wilderness, The eight veterans OF
company G. we're there, and the new
men made up band OF forty strong.
As we heard the crash OF musketry
over on the left. our skeleton brigade
numbering twenty three hundred in
stead Of four thousand, fell into line
and pushed on through the stunted
pines after a line OF skirmishers.
Company @. was on the left Of the
skirmish line, and we found the en-
emy first heavy line Of gray COM
ing through the wilderness at a half
run. Down we knelt among the
vines and bushes, and our fire check
ed them. They fired few wild shots
retreated little, and then we leaped
up and drove them-a band of forty
drove double line OF skirmishers,
supported by line OF battle. Histo-
ry has not told TO the world, but
blood was left on the vines, corpses
on the ground to prove it. They were
feeling over strange ground, after an
enemy whose strength was not known.
and that was the reason OF our sue
cess. We pushed them hack to the
line Of battle, attacked that and we
were tossed back. torn and bleeding,
almost blotted out OF existence as a
company.
or the eight old veterans, six were
lying dead under the trees; OF the
new men twenty-five answered roll
call after the Wilderness. Was that
war or Slaughter A captain and
| saoord I;autananf uoplv wara left to