Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1884-01-19

playing upon them. The loss of the
Confederate regiment WAS over $50 men.
100 OF whom, including eight company
commanders. died around the battery.
THE RKPULsE AT KESSEsAw.
The day after the repulse of the Fiji
teenth Corps at Kennesaw Mountain
the Fortieth and Fifty seventh Indiana,
Ninety seventh and Twenty-sixth Ohio,
Twenty-eigth Kentucky, and One
hundreth Illinois regiments, each mum.
bering about 800 men, were selected to
make an assault on ridge 800 yards in
their front. The lines were formed in
regimental divisions, and while the,
front was only the width of two COM
panies the depth was thirty lines of men
in open order. It was in fact a giant
wedge of flesh and blood and steel
which vas to drive itself through the
Confederate lines.
As the men stood in line their officers
explained to them in low and earnest
tones what was planned and what was
hoped for. 1t was forlorn hope indeed.
Every man must have realized that there
would be terrible loss of life even be-
fore the salient was reached, but each
one seemed to nerve himself for what
was to come. During the twenty min
utes' interval between forming and the
order to advance there was almost dead
Isilence in the ranks The men leaned
[ upon their muskets and peered through
the forest in their front which hid the
Confederate position. and the supports
on the Aanks moved up and into position
as if fearing that their footsteps would
disturb the dead Of the day before.
It was not positively known to the
Federals that the salient was defended
by cannon. The hope that it was not
gave the men more spirit, as the lay of
the ground-forest, thicket and ridge
furnished fair shelter from musketry
! fire
Soon after O'clock a single low
spoken order brought every man to a
front face. The monaent had come.
|
it was hoped to take the defenders of
! the salient by surprise. The lines were
dressed. and. in a :.moment more were
moving through the woods. From the
valleys at. the base of the Ktnnesaw,
Lost or Pine Mountains to their crests
there is scareefy';a level spot: The
sides are covered with forests and
thicket, and the ground is almost sue
cession Of rocky terraces. Over this
difficult ground the great blue wedge
forced its way at, a rapid pace, but nc
cheer was heard-no shouts were given.
"Crack crack crack -
1t is the alarm from .the Confederate
skirmishers, who have crept down al
most to the base of the mountain. They
are posted behind great rocks apd hid
den behind lodges. They cannot retreat
they must surrender or fight it out
They choose the latter course. Nine
out of every ten hold their positions un
til the point Of the blue wedge reaches
them and brings savage death with it
All along the sides of the grim noun
tam the skirmishers bar the way, seek
ing to detain the wedge and alarm tn
defenders of the salient. Here ant
there Federal throws up his hands ant
falls back, bat the column makes n
halt. Up, mp, up, and nowaan officer il
front waves his sword as the slopes o
the parapet come into sight. Here th
cover suddenly ends. From tha bushe
to the salient, a distance Of 200 feet, tn
ground has been swept bare of tree an
bush, and rocks have been rolled aside.
At the foot of the parapet is palisad
outside of that an abattis. Behind th
works are thousand muskets- thou
sand Confederates with fingers on trie
gers. At regular intervals along thi
line-25O feet front-are six field pieces
each one loaded with grape and canistel
The men within are waiting, Not a
order is given nor a head appears j
sight until the first line of blue is out {
cover
Now, as if one finger had pressed t}
thousand triggers, great sheet of fam
leaps forth and scorches and blister
; and shrivels the advance. The secen
line crowds up over the dead and dyinl
the third and fourth cheer as they com
Now, with crash as if volcano v,
breaking through the crest of the mou
: tain, the six guns belch their conten
! into that mass of men sixty deep.
The effect was horrible What VI
men moment ago are now bloot
snreds blown against the rocks and sea
tered far over the ground. Some of II
), CORY fragments fall upon the lines y
halfway up the slope.
The advance halts in confusion-tl
rear lines crowd up. There Is anoth
e bloody feast ready as soon as the cann'
II can be charged. Then comes the ord
It 70 break lines and divide TO the night al
e left to get out of range of the artiller
le The men rush forward to the abattis
some lie fat dovn-otherS take cox