Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-11-17
"a CLOSE CAlf.~
a Storm Of Bul1css-Au uuctdcus NJ ,a>.
battle 90 Frederic sburv.

Battle 90 FrctcriC 4 sS"rx. INC
TIE ASSAULT on MaHYs's HEIGnr-Tnr Story M
ONE WHO WAS ~ THs sLaUGHTER-rES-A
Il .GINsNr REDUCED FROM Pts To- % MEN-rHs
THRILLING ExPsRIkNCE or A VETERAN.
"Dii You ever have q very close cali during
the war? asked a STAR rep Drtcr ola prominent
clerk in the Post Once depart mrnt who served
In HancocN'S Old DIVISION ~ the 2ld corps.
Close ca?--yes. several. We had them
nearly every day from 81 To n. but the Closest
cal! ever had WAS ut Fred ,rcNsburg when
ten buras!d' ordered the attack on Nirvr's
h"iGAts. Oar dvis.ol was in the advance and
LOST more men that day than the balance OF the
troops engaged on tue r.-ht wing. When NV
regiment filed ont of the streets of the t,U.pwe
mustered DIS and that night
ONLY rwaNrY-S:yEN ANswsRrp ROLL CALL
Alwerc not Killed eut every mau left alive ont
side OF the twrnty-ses.a could show a WOUND
| was one of the HUTher who responded M
muster after the light. Our aiiulant was also
present. Yet during the engagement he received
IN Injury that prevented him from ling on his
back or taxing comfortable seat FOR two
weeks We noticed something peculiar TIA his
gait. but. he being proud man. no one dared
before We found out.
Il VIII tell yen the story Of nv experience
that day. continued the veteran III. rect n MI.
Ter we ieit the streets To make the attack | felt
"a Tug AT the hayersack by M, SIDE. lut "A A. tno
busy, looking ahead to iny,,Sfiuaf. ia. .,,,.,
Next came a decided Jerk under thu, len arm
and upon examination ahole " A. found throu,rh
oo,a my coat>-iuf 1T waswintrr. p"Ccuib,.r 18Th
| 1862. The Johnnr's bullets did not tnuch NV
Clothes again until got To- within ~ Narls ~
the stone wall al the base OF the hill under the
Marye's mansion The fire from the three line, of
battle al the enemy.-one al the top one on
! rgl., a
| had been steady all the way up the slope from
the town: hut when we reached the vicinity
OF the wall. and If appcarcd We were carr,in
| everything brloie Us. the
| JAWS or HE'LL SEEMED TO OPEN
on both SIDES. l never WAS in such fire from
| Bull Run To AppomattoN "a We experienced
that moment. Bulletsor pieces of shrl! seemed
To be str king everything above ground. near
! where We stood IN line, and one by one our men
Tell dead or Wounded. small board fence i'm
/ our front disappeared in splinters in less than
/ half an hour. A splinter from this fence struck
| me across the bridge of the nose and cKrllds
and made the blood fly for a second or
| two. IL was only scratch. but thought
| at the time that half my head Was gone and con-
| cuded to lie down and calmly await the an
| proach OF death Just then piece of a shell
| took of my right coat-tall. THIS FASTENED the
| movement into a hor zontal position un the
| ground. from which did not stIr. untl dark
l Il. I e
| up few feet closer to the hub of an old " AEON
| wheel. that had been stuck in the ground prob
| aby for Years The rains of many seasons had
| washed the earth down hill against the hub and
| IL afforded an excellent protection Tor my
| wounded p head. Once. and only once did /
| venture to look out from this haven of rest and
| Then a southern gentleman behind that me-
! morable stone wall took the cap of my head
| with "a bullet from his rife God only knows
| where that cap went. for never looked for il
again After this a bullet lodged in nv KNAPP
| sack. which was exposed above the wheel huh
| The Old spokes OF the wheel were all knocked
| ont. In fact the members OF the opposition be-
| hind the wall shot off their runs at everything
within range until they got tired. and
| THE Line OF BLUE COATS
was so still that there seemed to be no life I'm Il.
Some few were crowded behind a brick house
short distance off These were the oniy men
who appeared ia be alive and towards the last
all their energies were apparently devoted to
| keeping under cover of the house
just at this time a Dew danger apneared I'm
our rear green regiment. over whose backs
We marched into the fl. that morning. opened
| IRE on ce enemy. "a they thought. but their
| RANGE Mas too low. and the bullets from their
/ guns were striking along our position and fin
| fishing the work of destruction. Ny place ~
shelter and that behind the nonse Was onen and
exposed to this fucIllaie. 'oae OF the first bull
| lets, Tired 10y this regiment caught in the hol-
| low oil my right shoe and tore of tli. heel
| rms was the only danger done me hy these
| laundering yolleys. but many OF our men we're
Killed 10y the shots from behind. Tile knowl-
| edge that fellow * between two fires IN not
Pheasant and for nearly three long miserable
| hours we waited for night to relieve Us from
| our awkward position. Ii was by this fire from
| the rear that our gallant aiutaut was damaged
| ia the way have mentioned
| "Whcn darkness came on the few who had
| strength enough to move crawlrd down to the
| city. tall old veteran. who had followed
| Gen. Scott through Mexico and " ho'was then a
| member of my company, was the only man In
| my immediate neyhbOrhood whom 1 could
| recognize as belonging to the regiment Of 2ls
| men who faced the heights that morning. We
brought out the cOlOrs and by rolling and Creep
| Ing succeeded in reaching shelter under tho
| brick walls of the town. Nearly two and half
| years after when Lees army stacked arms lor
the last time, asked him what
| THE HOTTEST PLACE
| he was erer In. and he replied without mo-
| ment's hesitation, fredericksburg That night
| while old Mike and were preparing to have
| some supper. near the corner of Princess Ann
| and Caroline streets. put INV right hand In INV
| haversack to yet some crackers and upon eX.
| aiming the handful brought out we found the
| bullet. which had caused the first tug ut m,
| side that morning. This discovery led Mike &c
| remark: Better have IL in your hand than where
you are putting that hard tack and coffee
That IL the story of one days life in the
| Army OF the Potomac. added the veteran The
| experience ia not exclusively mine Hundreds
can tell similar story; and for that reason YOU
| are not to Use my name. All YOU want il some
more light on the events of day that will never
be effaced from my memory il live to the age
| Of Methuselah."
Clean Off the Mud.