The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-05-05

Ihe gaps IN the lines nave become 81
large and 30 numerous that we have tt
make continued efforts to close them
and the command "Guide centre" il
frequently heard. French nears the
entrenchments of the Confederates' frs
line, and the enemy redouble their ef
forts. The struggle is hopeless. Hi:
lines wave like corn in hurricane
recoils, then breaks and the shattered
mass falls back amid the shouts and
and cheers of Cobb's and Kershaw's
brigades. that line the trenches in oul
front. Now Hancock, with the division
that never lost gun or a color, sweeps
forward, and being Joined by many o!
the gallant men of French's command
makes the most heroic effort of the day.
Passing the furtherest point reached by
the preceding troops he impetuously
rushes on, passes the brick house so con
spicuous on the field-on, on until his
flags waved within twenty-five PAGES OF
the fatal stone wall. Then with a MUIR
derous fire everywhere around US we
realized the full absurdity of the attempt
to accomplish an utter impossibility,
We had not yet fired shot. We had
only reached the spot where our work
was to begin. Forty per cent. of the
force had already fallen. No support
within quarters of mile. In our
front, line after line of works followed
each other up the terraced heights to the
very crest, which was covered with artil-
lery. To carry the assault further would
be extreme madness. Should we take
and occupy the first line, it would simply
be to meet the fire of the second and
third. To fight the host in front was not
possible. We were here only to be shot
down without being able to return the
blow. So the division, or rather the half
of it that still existed, began falling
back; but Hancock would not be driven
from the field, and halting where the
formation of the ground afforded some
shelter to his hard-tried command, he
remained until relieved at nightfall.
And now the long, long dreadful after
noon that awaited the thousands wound
ed, who lay scattered over the sad and
ghastly plain:
The only place of cover was the brick
house near the stone wall. To this
hundreds of the wounded dragged them
selves, and a sreat mass of sufferers hud-
died together and struggled to get nearer
the house, that they might escape the
fire. All around the great heaps of dead
bore testimony to the ferceness of COM
bat. Near by color.sergeant lay stark
and cold with the flag of his regiment
covering him. Just in front of the stone
wall lay line of men of the Irish Brig
ade, with the green lockwood in their
caps. It was not yet o'clock when the
assaulting column retired and we had
nearly five hours to wait for darkness.
We heard the clock in the Episcopal
Church in the city strike the hours that
seemed so long. The sharpsh ooters of
the enemy soon got position from which
they could enflade the house, and when
any one moved among the mass of bleed
ing men it was the signal for the rifle
balls to whistle around. Few of us
expected to live until night, and but few
did. Keeping very quiet, hugging the
ground closely, we talked together in low
tones. The bullets kept whistling and
dropping, and every few moments some
one would cease talking never to speak
again. How quietly they passed away
from the crimson field to eternity, their
last gaze on their waving flag, the last
sound to reach their ears the volleys of
musketry and their comrades cheers.
THE BLOOD OF ALL NATIONS.
What cosmopolitan crowd these dead
and wounded veterinarians from the
Atlantic coast and the Pacific States,
from the prairies, from the great valleys
of the Mississippi and the Ohio; Irish
men from the banks of the Shannon and
Germans from the Rhine and the blue
Danube; Frenchmen from the Seine and
Italians from the classic Tiber mingled
their blood and went down in death
together that our cause and the Union
might live. Every little while we could
see other columns emerge from the city,
deploy upon the plain, march forward,
but never get 80 far as the brick house.
The appearance of these troops would
draw the fire of the batteries on the hills
above US and hundreds of deadly projec'
tiles would 60 screaming over Us and we
could see them bursting in the midst OF
our friends. Evening came at last; the
sun went down behind the terrible
heights and we anxiously watched the
shadows lengthen and steal across the
field of blood, creeping slowly over The
plain, through the houses of the city in
the shade, then up the church tower
until the only object that reflects the
rays was the cross of FURNISHED gold,
which sparkled a moment against tho
purple sky and then twilight was upon
US and deepened until it was difficult to
discern objects. We thought the
battle ended, when through the
darkness loomed up the division OF
Hooker. Nobly they came to the work,
with empty muskets and orders to carry
the position with the bayonet. The dark
mass passed the brick house and almost
to the point that Hancock had reached
They had come up through the cleaning
unseen and surged against the base Of
Marye's Heights.
Again the hills flashed FIRE, shook,
rocked, roared and belched forth more
tons of iron on the red plain, more min
utes of useless carnage. The sombre
wave rolled back, the last and most
absurd attempt of the disastrous day bad
come to naught, and seventeen hun.
dred more had been added to the ponder.
Gus list of casualties. Clouds over
sbadowed the skies, and, guided by the
iurid fires still smouldering through the
ebony darkness, the immense crowd Of
wounded began crawling, struggling
dragging themselves towards the city
those who were slightly hurt assisting
others who were more seriously injured
those with shattered limbs using mus
kets for crutches, many fainting and
falling by the way. And, when in the
town, how hard to find spot to rest or 0
surgeon to bind up the wound. More
wounded than the city had inhabitants
every public hall and house filled tc
overfloW the norches of tle residences