The Newtown bee., 1881-01-12
THE BYINeToN BROTHERS.
A Tragic Romance of the war-As Truc
 Story.

Major w, M Robbins, formerly of the Fourth Alabama regiment, con tributes the following to the Philadel- phia Times, beginning with sketch of the siege oi Chattanooga:
 Several times the Federal flags were seen within five paces of our line by tue flashes of our guns. Once tbe two lines came into actual hand to hand collision with the bayonet at a place a. few steps to the right of where where stood. never can, forget the horrid commingling of yelIs, shouts, shrieks and imprecations which burst out for a few moments from that spot where cold steel was doing it's work, while balls came dipping down the line by handfuls as well as from the front. In this crossing of bayonets several men on each side were slain, and among these was Orderly Sergeant Bylngton, belonging to a company in the Forty fourth A ahama, who fell with a bay onet in his breast, having transfixed his assailant in like manner. In this, as well as every other attack so gallantly made upon it that night, the Alabama brigade succeeded, by strenuous exer- tions, in holding it's ground and 1epeiling it's adversaries. We should have been overwhelmed, l suppose, after awhile, and perhaps surrounded and captured by the superior forces opposed to us. But after nn hour or more of the kind of work have described-during Hull in the fiehting-word came to us that Jenkins attack had failed of any useful result and that he had retired. Our action being merely subsidiary to his, we also were ordered to withdraw to our camps, which was done without further conflicB or danger. Our assail- ants must have suffered severely, but l never learned how much. This night fight of infantry, fierce and persi stenJ as it was, and st such close quarters, was one of the most thrilling experiences of the war.
 Early in November Longstreet's corps of which we formed a part, left Chat tanooga with orders to advance on Knox vile and drive Burnside from that town and out of East Tennessee. l mention this siege of Knoxville now merely for the purpose of giving single incident which occurred at it
 Upon the hill on the western or south western outskirts of the town stood Fort Sanders. llanked by strong earth works, forming part of the continuous line of deienses around the place. Our besieging lines of pickets and rifle-pits were pushed forward closer to the deten- sive works, from time to time, as was found practicable. It so hap pened that about tho goth of November, the writer, commanding the Fourth Alabama regiment, was in charge of the picket line fronting the western face of Fort Sanders and the adjoining earthworks. During the night we were ordered to move our line up and dig rife-pits much in advance of our former T D 5sition and within about three hundred yards of the fort and it's flanking works. By dayligLt we mad a large number of rude, squaI holes dug waist deep Tn the ground (the best we could do with the time and tools we had) in 8 line face of the Federal works, but, never. thelcss, curved considerably forward at the left and concealed in that part by shrubbery. These pits were occupied by the men ofone battalion of the Fourth Alabama, while the other battalion was placed in reserve in a piece of woods q little distance to the rear. The ground in front ot our rev pits, especially on the right of the line, was an open, smooth lawn, sloping upward (to the Federal works) at considerable angle of inclination.
 As soon as daylight revealed to the Fedora our new line of riae-pitsr sud denly we beheld springing over their earthworks and dashing impetuously down the slope toward us, Q body of men about two hundred strong, which we soon afterward found was the Seeord Michigan regiment, led by Major Byington, aud sent to dislodge us from our new position. l hurried up in moment the reserve battalion of the Fourth Alabama to reinforce the men in the pits. And then ensued for few minutes one of the tiercest and deadliest combats of the war. These two veteran regiments, both having come 10 the field at the first sound of the tocsin, as their names show (Second Michigan and Fourth Ala bama), thinued now by hard service and many battles to about two hundred men each, but every man of them utterly fearless, splendioly daring and knowing all about war, grappled with each other as in death-grip. If cour- age, such as makes an old soldiers hair stand on end to think Of, could have won against equal courage and supe- rior position. the gallant Michigan men would have triumphed. But the Alabamians had the advantage of shel- ter in their pits, which, shallow as they were, afforded much protection. It sc fell out, too, that tue curve in this line of pits on the left proved of great ser. vice to us, for as our assailants charged in line parallel to, and square against our right, they were enfladed with terri. ble effect by the fire from our pits on the left, which, hidden by bushes, had not been noticed. This circumstance quick ; decided the contest in our favor. Many having fallen or been captured rem. nant only got back to their works some bearing on their shoulders wounded comrades. As it looked too cruel to fire on these, the Alahamaian! were ordered not to fire on any one whC was carrying n wounded man, and th' Michigan men, hearing this order shrewdly availed themselves of it's pro tection by shouldering wounded com rades, so that several made good theil escape by this means. But the grass! slope remained thickly strewn with .h, dead and wounded. Alasl for the higl hearts that were stilled there forever.
 Major Byineton displayed a heroisn worthy oi the leader of such men or O any men. He came on, sword in hand in front of his line, exhorting them t' follow him to victory, and rushed to tn very brink of our rifle pits, where h. fell desperately wounded within a fev feet of me. The fight being quickl, over, had him carried back to the littl piece of woods in our rear snd made a comfortable as possibie till he could b sent to the hospital. His leg was broker and he was shot also in the side, but ba, as these wounds were he seemed t suffer but little pain. While lying ther he inquired the name of my regiment and on being informed, said quickly: '' have, or had lately, brother in you brigade-Orderly Sergeant Byington of the Forty fourth Alabama.h How Il knew so well the brigade of his brothe and the regiments composing it di not think to ask, and do not know Said he: My brother is Mortimer man bv birth, but went South som Al lnr. fon h ] nx.1 l,