The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1883-12-14
A CLOSE CALL.
"A Storm of Bullets-An Incident OF
The Battle Of Fred dericksburs.

"A Storm of Bullets-An Incident OF
The Battle of Fredericksburg.
Did you ever have very close CALI
during the war? 'asked Star reporter of
a prominent clerk in the Postotfice de-
partment, who served in Hancock's old
division of the I'd corps.
CLOSE call"-yes, several. We had
them nearly every day from '6l to '6';
Fredericksburg, when Gen. Burnside
ordered the attack on Marye's Heights.
Our division was in the advance, and
lost more men that day than the balance
of the troops engaged on the right wing
| When my regiments filed out of the
streets of the town we mustered 2lS, and
that night only twenty-seven answered
roll call. All were not
killed but every man left alive out
| side of the twenty-seven could show a
| wound. | was one of the number who
responded at muster after the fight
Our adjutant was also present, yet dur
ing the engagement he received an in
jury that prevented him from lying on
his back or taking comfortable seat for
| two weeks. We noticed something Pc
cullar in his gait, but, he being proud
map, no one dared to ask what was the
cause, and it was months before we found
| OUT
II will tell you the story of my ex-
| perience that day." continued the vet
eran. Directly after we lett the streets
to make the attack, l felt q tug at the
! haversack by my side, but, was too busy,
looking ahead, to investigate the cause.
Next came decided jerk under the left
| arm, and upon examination hole was
found through both my coats-for it was
winter, December 18th 1862. The
Johnnie's bullets did not touch my
clothes again until we got to within 50
feet OF the stone wall, at the base of the
hill, under the Maryes mansion.
The fire from the three lines of
battle of the enemy.-one at the top,
one on the side. and ore at the foot Of
| the ridge,-had been steady all the way
| up the slope from the town; but when
we reached the vicinity OF the wall, and
it appeared we were carrying every
thing before US, the jaws of hell seemed
to open on both 81 les. l never was in
such fire, from Bull Run to Appomat-
toN, as we experienced that moment.
| Bullets or pieces Of shell seemed to be
striking everything above ground, near
| where we stood in line, and one by one
our men fell dead or wounded A small
board fence in our front disappeared in
less than hall hour. A splinter from
this fence struck me across the bridge Of
| the nose and eyelids, and made the
blood fly fora second or two. 1t was only
scratch, but thought at the time that
| halt my head was gone and concluded to
| lie down and calmly avail, the approach
| of death. Just then piece ofa shell
took off my right coat-tail. This hasten
| ed the movement into a horizontal
| position on the ground, from
which I did not stir, until dark
ness put stop to the slaughter, except
| to crawl up few feet closer to the hub
| of an old wagon-wheel, that had been
| stuck in the ground probab' y for years.
| The rains Of many seasons had washed
the earth down hill against the hub, aud
it afforded an excellent protection
for my wounded (?) head. Once, and
only once, did l venture to look out
from this haven of rest. and then a
southern gentleman behind that mem
orabe stone wall took the cap off my
head with q bullet from his rifle. God
only knows where that cap went, for
never looked for it again. After this q
bullet lodged in my knapsack, which
was exposed above the wheel hub. The
old spokes of the wheel we're all knocked
out. In fact the members Of the oppo-
sition behind the wall shot off their guns
at everything within range until they
got tired, and the line of blue coats was
SO still that there seemed to be no life
in it. Some few were crowded behind a
brick house short distance off. These
were the only men who appeared to be
alive, and towards the last all their en-
ergies were apparently devoted to keep
ing under cover of the house.
Just at this time new danger ap.
peared in ourrear. A green regiment,
| over whose backs we marched INTO the
| fight that morning. opened fire on the
enemy, as they thought, but their range
was too low, and the bullets from their
guns were striking along our posi-
ton and finishing the work of destruc-
ton. My place of shelter and that be-
| hind the house was open and exposed to
| this iuciade. One of the first bullets,
| fired by this regiment caught in the
hollow of my right shoe and tore off the
heel. This was the only danger done
me by these laundering volleys, but
many of our men were killed by the
shots from behind. The knowl-
| edge that fellow is between two fires is
| not pleasant, and for nearly three long
! miserable hours we waited for night to
| re ieve us from our awkward position.
| 1t was by this fire from the rear that oul
gallant adjutant was damaged in the way
| l have mentioned.
when darkness came on the few who
had strength enough to move era Hled
| down to the city. A tall old veteran,
| who had followed Gen. Scott through
Mexico and who was then a member of
my company, was the only man in my
immediate neighborhood whom l could
recognize as belonging to the regiment
of 2lS men who faced the heights that
| morning. We brought out tho colors
and by rolling and creeping succeeded
In reaching shelter under the brick walls
| of the town. Nearlv two and half
years after, when Lees army stacked
arms for the last time, l asked what was
the hottest place he was ever in, and
he replied, without a moments hesita-
ton, fredericksburg That night while
old Mike ahd were prepar 'ng to have
some supper. near the corner OF Prin
cess and Caroline streets, put my right
hand in my haversack to get some crack
ers and upon examining the handful
had caused the first tug at INV side that
morning. This discovery led Mike TO
remark: Better have 1t in your hand
shan where you are putting that hard
tack ana coffee"
That is the story Of one days life in
the army of the Potomac" added the
veteran. "The experience is not ex-
clusively mine. Hundreds can tell a
similar story; and for that reason you
are not to use my name. All YOU want
is some more light on the events OF q
day that will never be efaced from my
memory if | live to the age OF Methuse-
ah."
|
Miss Juliet Corson, is IN Oakland, Cal ,
organizing classes in cooking and deiiv.
l fraA'ta,,fIrrao an ~. ,