Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-03-26
"a CLOSE CALL"
An Exciting 1ncidents or the
Battle or Frederic Il sburg.

An Exciting Incident: or the
Battle or Fredericksburg.
lwashington stAr.l
"Did you ever have a very
"close CALI during the WARP
asked a reporter Of q prominent
clerk in the Postoffice Depart
nent, who served in Hancock
old division Of the Second Corps
"'Close callP Yes, several.
We had them nearly every day
from '61 to '65, but the closest
call l ever had was at Fredericks.
burg, when General Burnside
ordered an attack on Mayre's
Heights. Our division was in the
advance and lost moro men that
day than the balance OF the
troops engaged on the right wing
When my regiment filed out Of
the street Of the town we mus
tered 2l8, and that night only 27
answersd roll call. All we're not
killed, but every man left alive
outside of the 27 showed a wound.
I was one OF the number who re-
sponded at muster after the fight.
l will tell you the story of my ex.
psrienee that day. Directly after
ws left the streets to make the
attack I felt . tug at the haversack
BY my side, but I was too busy
looking ahead to investigate the
cause. Next came u decided jerk
under the left arm, and upon ex
animation q hole was found
through both my coats-for i,
was winter, December IS, 1862,
The Johnnies' bullets did not
touch my clothes again until we
got within 80 yards Of the stone
wall, at the base OF the hill,
under the line OF Mayre's man.
sion. The fire from the three
lines OF battle OF the enemy-one
ut the top, one at the side and
one 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 everything before US,
tho jaws of hell seemed to open
on both sides. l never was in
such q FIRE. from Bull Run to
Appomattox, IS We experienced
that moment. Bullets or pieces
of shell seemed to be striking ev-
erything above ground near where
we stood in line, and one by one
our mon fell dead or wounde d.
A small board fence in our front
disappeared in splinters in less
than half an hour. A splinter
from this fence struck me acrcss
the bridge Of the nose and eye
lids, and made the blood fly for
a second or two. 1t was only a
scratch, but I thought at the
time that half my head was gone.
aud concluded to lie down and
calmly await the approach OF
death. Just then a piece of shell
took of my right coat tail. This
FASTENED the movement into
horizontal position on the ground,
from which I did not stir until
darkness put stop to the elaugh-
ter. except to crawl up a few feet
closer to the hub OF an old
wagon wheel that had been stuck
in the ground probably for years.
The rains Of many seasons had
washed the earth down hill
against the hub, and it afforded
an excellent protection for my
wounded (?) head. Once, and
only once, did I venture to look
out OF this haven of rest, and
then q Southern gentleman be-
hind that memorable stone wall
took the cap off my head with a
bullet from his rifle. God only
knows where that cap went, for l
never looked for it again. After
this . bullet lodged in my KNAPP
sack, which was exposed above
the wheel hub. The spokes Of the
wheel we're all knocked out In
fact, the members Of the opposi-
ton behind the wall shot off their
guns at everything within range
until they got tired, and the line
Of blue coats was 80 still that
there seemed to be no life in it.
Some few we're crowded behind q
brick house q short distance off.
These we're the only men who
appeared to be alive, and toward
the last all their energies were
apparently devoted to keeping
under cover OF the house.
"Ju>t at this moment a new
danger appeared in our rear. A
green regiment, over whose backs
We marched into the fight that
night, opened FIRE on the enemy,
as they thought, but their range
was too low, and the bullets from
their guns were striking along
our position and completing the
work OF destruction. My place
of shelter and that behind the
house was open and exposed to
this fusilade. One of the first
bullets fred by this regiment
caught in the hollow of my right
shoe and tore off the heel. This
was the only damage done by
these blundering volleys, but
many Of our men were killed by
the shots from behind. The
knowledge that fellow is be-
tween two fires is not pleasant
and for nearly three long misera-
BILE hours we waited for night to
relieve US from our awkward po-