The National tribune., 1882-02-04

town TWO OF our brass guns hrlng up the Street
or pike which forms the one main street of the
village All this was only preliminary to the
real battle W hich was fought late in the day on
our extreme right.
Our regiment first took position Just on the left
of the turnpike in little field close up to the
town. While there we witnessed some nice sharp
shooting at a clump of the enemy's officers by
some men from a Massachusetts company of
sharpshooters. To keep in line we fell back per-
haps three hundred yards into wood. About l
D. M we moved to the right of the road to sup
port our battery upon the hill in the CENTRE which
commanded the whole line. No apparent advan
tage had been gained by either side up to about
4 D. M, when Jackson attempted to turn our
right Our line was too extended for our little
force, but owing to the position that could not be
avoided. The pressure on our right soon told,
and detachment after detachment of Union troops
crossed the large field to strengthen our line while
through the open woods in front of us could be
seen glimpses of gray lines of the enemy hasten
ing in the same direction. The musketry our
right had become heavy and continuous, which,
with the deep basso profundo of the cannon, was
grandly awful and fitting music for the terrible
drama then upon the stage Our forces appeared
to suffer greatly. Our lines wavered in places,
and needed continued Strengthening. Thes streams
of wounded men who were able to walk to the
rear soon reached across the large field. The con-
testing lines at that point were so close that it
was impossible for either side to use artillery.
An aid-de-camp dashed up the hill to us, and our
regiment, apparently the last support Of our bat
terry, was ordered in. It was scarcely half a
IL 81,
swallow all who disappeared in the smoke. With
Just one thought of home and the shortest prayer,
we left the battery and C: Ossed the field at a
double-quick, entered a narrow wood in little
valley, came to front and advanced
We were to take the place of a gallant Penn
sylvania regiment, the Eighty seventh, believe,
which had been literally cut to pieces. The
little wood pasture was filled with the wounded
of the Eighty Pennsylvania and Fifth
Ohio, who had been able to crawl down from
their line on the hill beyond the woods. The
bullets ratified like hail in the tree-tops, but in
this depression only few were hurt by glancing
balls from limbs above. AS we advanced rabbits
sprang up and away, and Tom Thompson {" Old
Bustinbinder"), threw stick at some Of them.
A dog flew across our front, but he was not after
legs. From habit we noticed these little Incl
dents as we went into that awful place. but we
may not recall them for days or months or even
years afterwards. Quickly out of the little
wood, we crossed a rail fence. Twenty yards to
the top of hill in little field, we came into
position upon the left of the Fifth Ohio infantry
a brave regiment that lost five color-bearers
killed at that spot. A few men of the Pennsyl-
vania regiment still chung to their old line on the
hill AS we appeared over the brow of the hill
a perfect blizzard met us. The very air seemed
to grow heavy with bullets, which, striking our
men, sounded like the busting of carpets with
rods. We scented what have never seen in print
or heard mentioned-the peculiar odor of lead in
violent friction. In front of u.s. across little
level field but sixty seventy five yards distant
stood substantial stone wall, from behind
which Jackson's men were coolly shooting us
down. Just back of the wall was a rather
abrupt hill, upon the brow of which stood
second line of the enemy also pouring a muir
derous fire into our ranks It was perfect
storm of concentrated fire. Already one of our
regiments had melted away like snow under the
sun. Dead men, with horses here and there,
were thick along the line, and | remember think
ing as we stood there that this little field came
nearer filling my boyish ideas of a battle field
than I ever dreamed of seeing
I come now to the man whom considered the
hero of that battle-if may make distinction
the gallant old Paul Truckee, private of Com
pany G Of the Fourteenth Indiana As we stood
in the whitening blast and fired and loaded once
we had time to think-and one reasons like
flash at such moments-that one brave regiment
had failed after a great loss. Our fire effected
but little, while that of the enemy was so deadly
that in less than five minutes we should be in
the condition of the egiment whose place we had
Just taken. We felt that it was waste of life to
stand there; that brave men could fall back from
such place without dishonor. We had not been
in the roaring place more than third of min
ute-just time to fire and load Once-but it was
long enough to lose sixty-fve men. We must 90
forward or back. Just at the critical moment out
sprang Paul Truckee' in front of our line WAY
ing his gun over his head and shouting "Come
on, boys!" he dashed at the stone wall. 1t was
not much to say, and but few could hear him, but
his action was an inspiration. Our regiment
charged as one man and the stone wall and the
hill beyond was ours almost before the enemy
knew what was the matter. Just at this point
the writer was winged and to follow what seemed
prevailing fashion he grabbed his right arm and
carried it off the field. On the top of the hill
where the second line of the enemy had been we