Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1882-07-13

their infantry were conferred on us alone
At every step fell our men, vet no one
wavers; every gap is closed up, and
bringing down their bavonets. the bows
| press shoulder to shoulder, and disdain-
ing the fictitious courage proceeding
! from the noise or excitement. without
word or cheer, but with silent desperate
| determination, step firmly forward.
Five color bearers are shot down. and
live times our flag, proudly waving,
! goes forward as before.
STEADY they sttpadown the slope steadily down
! the hill
/ Steadily load, and steadily ERE. and march right
onward still
No unlikethe famous veterans Of Fon-
tenoy, they are unsustained BY the cx-
! element Of firing. Within a hundred,
within fifty yards Of the fire, one-quar-
ter of our men already fallen, and vet
no shot has been fired at the enemy,
whose foremost rank, consisting of For
ney ;, Hurbert's :. and other regiments Of
the Alabama brigade. commanded by
| Wilcox, and portions of Barksdale's
| brigade Of Missippians, all OF whom had
| lost their order and alignment, and be-
come mingled in one advancing mass
during their fight with and pursuit of
the Third corps. Behind them in alig-
ment came body of troops, since un-
derstood to be Florida brigade, which
had not been actively engaged, but was
supporting the victorious advance of
/ their comrades. As soon as our move
ment was noticed the advancing mass
stopped and opened a murdelous fire
upon us at not more than fifty yards
| distance.
Charge, men," ran the order along
the line, and with wild cheer we ran
at them. Their extended front swept
around our fanks like the water round
a rock. But before us they gave way.
! for we empty our guns with the muzzles
at their very hearts, and but little amun-
ition was wasted at that volley. A per-
feet swath of men sink upon the ground,
and their living recoiI back upon their
second and third lines, and the body of
many chiyairic southerner lies beneath
the feet Of our men. Their supporting
lines, confused and excited, wildly com
mence firing through the mass in front,
slautering their own men by hundreds,
and throwing the whole column into
confusion, while their artillery from the
rear fired on friend and foe alike Their
officers endeayoredtosto pthe firing and
restore order, and there like some small
obstacle thrown in the way of locomo-
tiyetO stopthe power that will grind it to
dust, we had momentarily checked the
momentum of the mass, which in
another moment would recover
itself and sweep us from the
earth; but the time has been gained, and
at that instant a battery on our left
opened, and pouring few rapid volleys
into the confused mass, swept it from
the field; and before we had recovered
from the shock we found ourselves
among groups of disarmed prisoners,
and our bewildercd senses take in the
fact that the enemy have somehow dis
appeared from the plain, all but his
dead and wounded, and over their pros
tratc bodies ring the hearty cheers OF
our reinforced troops.
This is the manner and order in which
these things happened as | have been
told bl' those whose position made them
lookcrs-on. For who that was an actor
there can give the order or detail the
changes of the eventful and exciting
moments following that word Charge
When we heard neither ball nor shell nor
nor saw our comrades fall; when the
blood rushed like fire through the dis
tended veins md every faculty was alb
sorbcd in the one desire to conquer or to
die no, not to die, for though thoughts
of the icy King of TeTors may for a
minute chill the heart of the bravest
whom the battle is commencing, and the
blood is cold every fear OF that grim
dwclcr on the threshold Of eternity is
long since lost in the glorious cuthusi-
assn of action.
The almost fatal attack was repulscd:
but where was the First Minnesota?
Had they deserted the field for the first
times This was the first idea that came
to my senses, half Obvious of what had
passed. But forty-seven men now gath
cred round the colors Great heaYensi
is il possible that the other 205 lie bleed
inc under there? Yes they are all there
within a hundred square yards Of Grim
son Sward POO killed, wounded, and
none missing.