The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-07-12

to go How many would live to pass up the in
cline and down into the railroad cut and up
again over the works? We were allowed to
rest again. and General Warren rode along be-
hind US with the corps headquarters flag,
accompanied by his staff. He passed through
the line little to the left of US, rode up
through the small trees in front, and sat on his
horse examining the works with his glass till
the enemy shot at him. He then rode back,
and we learned that he had sent word to Gen
eral Meade that ne had $4,000 men, but did not
think it possible to get 1000 inside the works
alive. The answer came back that he was not
to go. l have said to my friends, and l repeat
it now, that to General Warren's good judg-
ment | owe my life. We of the Second Corps
knew his ability and his quick decision in try
ing circumstances. For instance when Meade
was retreating from Culpeper to CentrevIlIe
in October, 1868 and the Second Corps was the
rear guard, A. P. Hills corps lay at Warren
ton, while we were at Warrenton Junction
and Longstreet's corps at Catlett's Station, so
that we had to march all day between two corps,
each of which outnumbered us three to two.
Yet we fought A. p. Hill, beat him back before
Longstreet came up and gained time enough
to get our trains and ourselves out of the way
before these two commanders could concentrate
and wipe US out. | have always felt sad on
account of the shadow that rested over General
Warren in the latter part of his life because of
his action at Five Forks, while commanding the
Fifth Corps. For one, felt that l owed him a
debt of gratitude which L could never repay.
NJ. r. JOHNSON,
ELGIN ILL. Co. B, 10th Mass Vol. Inf.
ANOTHER GRAPHIC ACCOUNT.
To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:
In your issue of the 26th June, in an edito-
rial referring to the pathetic" Mine Run in
cident, of which two versions" were given
under the heading, Ready to Die" on page 8
Of tla 81.
survivor of Warrens command, who was at
Mine Run November 80, 1868, probe his menu
DRY and give us an account of the event as he
recalls it?" / was at Mine Run at the time
referred to, connected with hard-fousght Con-
nectlcut regiment, in the Third division of the
Second Corps, then commanded by General
Warren and l have most vivid recollection
of the events of the morning of the Both No
vember, 1868, and particularly of the incident
referred TO. 1t remains in my memory one
of the most pathetic and inefiaceable of my
war experiences. My diary shows that we
reached the position at the extreme left, and
halted a short distance from the enemy'S lines
on the evening of the 29th November, after
hard days march, some of the time under
fire. The weather had become suddenly cold
and the ground had been frozen to such
depth that we could not put up our " shelters"
We spent the night, mainly, in dancing around
our fires, built behind the hill that screened US
from the enemy, to keep from freezing. Or
| ders were passed around late III the evening to
have our coffee prepared by o'clock in the
morning, and be ready to move forward noise
| lessly, before daybreak. The order to move
came on the morning of the 30th, at early day !;
| we could but dimly discern the piece of woods
under whose shelter we were to form, prepara-
| tory to making the charge. Our men awaited
| in suspense, shiyering, with the cold, the
order to charge, but little dreamed of the diff
4 of bafOr A5t
| light increased and the order to attack was de-
| layed some of the officers took occasion to pass
| through the narrow piece of woods hiding the
| enemy's works from those in the ranks, in or
| der TO inspect, from the farther edge the field
of the anticipated struggle. All came back
with omInous expressions OF countenance and
| lip. I" 1t is fredericksburg over again-only
| WorseI" some said, and the men of our divis-
| ion knew what that meant. We'll never
come back, boys, you may be sure of that ~
| was the frequent expression. The writer him.
| self went through the woods to take look Just
about SUNRISE when all the preparations of the
rebels were fully revealed. They had, during
| the night, prepared strong and high works of
timber and earth, with abattlS, IN front Of US
and stretching far away to our right 1t was
/ plain that they could pour upon US a heavy fire
| in front and an enfilading fire from a long dis
| lance, and that once upon the field with the
| fire opened. we would be at the mercy of the
| foe Scarcely man could hope to gain the
| enemys works, and none could retire with a
| chance of safety. The skirmishers on both sides,
separated from each other by but little space,
| occupied their scooped-out holes in silence, for
4 it seemed frivolous and murderous to attempt
| to kill a few, in advance of the wholesale
| slaughter about TO ensue. So confident were
| the rebels of success that they stood in crowds
| upon their works and tauntingly beckOned US
| to come on. One cannoneer, in charge of a sim
ola ioht
| the extreme right of their fertilization, would
run down two or three rods in advance of his
| piece, beating his hands to warm them, and
making earnest signs for us to come on, and
then return to his gun and wait.
| DETERMINED TO DIE GAME
| On my return to our men found that the
| impression of the hopelessness of the undertake
ing had so got hold of them that an ominous
silence pervaded all the ranks, and mems eoun-
| tenances and words told that they had settled
| down to the purpose TO heroieally brave death
and to sell their lives as dearly as possible.
| Pale, stern faces seemed to say, though it is a
| hopeless task, we will do our best and die
| game"
| Then those "slips of paper from let
| tiers, envelopes, newspapers, borrowed for the
| purpose, in some instances, and many soiled
and dirty = began to appear, pinned upon
| the breasts of mems blouses, whereon
| INC men ldO WTIIt6A EDSlr udI1SS anu
their homes that they might be identified
after the had fallen; and these touching, and
now historic, bits of paper increased IN num-
/ Der as the snow flakes upon the ground in .
/ December storm. Men fastened to their but
| tons the straps of their cartridge boxes and
| cap-pouches, that they might have no him
| drance to quick work upon the bloody field. 1t
was thrilling, pathetic moment to US all.
| Never did men face death more consciously or
| more heroieally Not man quailed, but all
spoke coolly and calmly of what was to come.
| They gave US, in unusual quantities, their
watches, priced mementoes and hastily writ
ten notes to forward to their friends, thinking
we might be less likely to fall than they.
Brave old Aleek Hays, our division commander,
| called bugler up to him and asked, :" Can you
call the assembly," yes" was the reply.
"Can you sound the charger" yes" was
| again replied. "That is all I want of you !;
| you will not have any occasion to give any
other CALL" said the general. As the morning
wore on, General Meade was observed to come
down to the left and hold a conference with
| General Warren. As he was remounting his
horse, after the conference to leave one of the
men of my regiment heard him say to Gen
eral Warren, "Well, there IS no use in trying
to mount a wall with tlro ladders" 1t did not
take US long to guess his meaning. General
Warren's effort 10 prevent useless sacrifice of
brave lives, even at risk of loss of personal
reputation, wonderfully endeared him to those
under his command, as was evident from the
expressions that fell from the lips of those who
felt that life was given back to them when his