The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1882-01-28

base of the Ridge they moved at double quick,
which soon broke into run, and as line after
line came up they lay down at the foot of the
Ridge, and now the work of death began. They
had now got within range of our small arms, but
our artillery could not be sufficiently depressed to
reach them.
l noticed when the Federal lines dashed up to
the Ridge an officer riding sorrel horse When
he reached the base he dismoHnted and his horse
went scampering to the rear. He walked up and
down the line waving his sword and seemed to
be urging the men forward, but they lay like
blue ribbon as far as / could see with one excep-
ton. Just to the right of the position occupied
by this officer one regiment was slowly and
steadily advancing up the Ridge directly in front
of Anderson's brigade. A shell from a Federal
battery about this time exploded about twenty
feet to the right of my position, killing two men
of the Tenth South Carolina regiment. pro-
cured one of their guns and put down my sword
which by the way, left on the Ridge when
concluded to go to the rear a few minutes after
wards; several of us amused ourselves by firing
at that officer as he marched up and down in our
front We doubtless struck some of those lying
all around him, but | never saw any evidence of
the effect of our firing on him. Major Pocher of
the Tenth South Carolina who, believe, was act
ing on General Managaults staff that day, came
up to our part of the line and remarked to me
that the enemy did not appear to be advancing
on our part of the line. / called his attention to
the regiment on orr left which had now reached
half way up the Ridge He directed us to fire on
them Just at that moment Captain Hazard
came up behind Major Pocher and asked him
where he could end detail for ammunition. The
Major turned to answer and for a moment his
back was turned to the enemy. A dull heavy
thud and exclamation of Oh.n and the gallant
South Carolinian fell full length on his face.
never heard of him afterwards All this time
the Federal regiment continued to advance slow
ly but surely in front of Anderson's brigade.
The battery in our rear could now bring their
guns to bear upon them an enfIading fire, and
with every discharge some would fall but still
the others would cluster around their colors.
By some bad management or engineering An
deTsons brigade had their works constructed so
far behind the crest of the Ridge that they could
not see an enemy approaching in their front I'M
til they would be within twenty or thirty feet
of their line. But knowing the material of which
that brigade was composed, remember remark
ing to some one near me that whenever that
Yankee regiment reached the crest of the Ridge
they would he swept out Of existence in the
fash of gun. However, one of those incom-
prehensible things happened which so frequent
ly turned the tide of success to one side or the
other during Our civil war When this gallant
regiment reached the crest Of the Ridge there
did not appear to be more than fifty or sixty
huddled around their flag. Yet this gallant
band, summoning all their energies, hurled
themselves with q yell right upon the lines of
AndeTson's old brigade Of Mississippi veterans
of many hard fought battle who had never
before finched from any enemy. But now they
fred not one shot, but with one impulse were
swept out Of their works, and the little band of
Federals took possession of the battery stationed
there, waved their flag over it and trained the
guns so as to rake our lines. Their comrades
began swarming up the Ridge to their support.
The confederate line gave way to right and left
and the battle was won for the Union more
through the gallantry of that single regiment
than the effort of the best division Of Grants
army.