The National tribune., 1885-07-30

| was with Buell's Brigade. / went near its
left and observed the enemy advancing over
| the open field, but saw no need of retreat
ing. Fire was opened on the enemy, but
| their line extended considerably beyond
Buell's left flank. l went to the right OF
| Buell's line, which was near the woods.
There was some fighting going on at the left
| flank Of Buell., but none on the right, just
| then. The enemy had advanced to within
| so steps of Buell's line on his right and
| halted. Iobseryed the right file in the right
regiment of Buelps Brigade, and thought he
was becoming nervous. To give him confi-
dence / took his musket from his hand and
| fired it at one of three Confederates stand
| ing between two trees, about 25 or 80 steps
in front. 1 turned to my left to return his
| musket to him, and he alone of all Buelrs
Brigade was to be seen on the line it had
held. This man had remained in order to
get his gun. This disappearance of Buell.
| was a surprise 90 me. Taking a glance to
| the right, where RObinsons Brigade had
| been, / saw the Confederate flag waving over
| the wooden breastworks, and line of Con-
federate troops holding the works tena-
ciously-that is, lying against them closely.
| They were OH the safe side of them then.
The flag saw could not have been 40 yards
| from me.
WAS ABSOLUTELY ALONE.
| Not an officer or man who wore the Union
blue was in sight. There was a compact
line of Confederates not 80 yards from me.
| / was dressed in new uniform of Brigadier-
General. The question of surrender or run
| was presented to my mind as requiring an
instantaneous decision. / decided to walk
deliberately to the rear until forced to sur
render or brought down by shot For
| hundred yards walked down a slope to
| dry rayine, during which not shot was
fired at me. After crossing the little ravine
l commenced to ascend the slope on the OPP
posite side. Then for the first time the
enemy seemed to notice me. A sharp fusilade
was opened on me by the line in my rear.
1t would be impossible to say how many
bullets were fired at me, but they seemed to
come in sheets. The ground was torn up
around and under my feet Little bushes
were cut off all around me. At one time /
was ON the point of turning around, saluting
the enemy and surrendering. Just then l
observed some trees in my front, and rea-
soned that if / could reach those trees they
would hide me from the enemy, and that
they would cease to fire at me. l reached
the trees, or rather bushes, and the firing
ceased. In q few steps farther / fell in with
eight or nine young Union soldiers, one of
whom asked me my name told him my
name and command. He said: General,
we are proud to see you here, meaning
that they were proud to see general officer
there. These young men were singularly
handsome, bright fellows, and mere boys in
years. They did not belong to my COM
mand, but one of them said:
General, can't we do something to stop
the advance of the enemy? We have been
picking off color-bearers and officers for some
time"
1 replied: "Fan into line. I'll try the
effect of noise upon them"
The rebel line was then advancing very
deliberately and in perfect order. / COM
menced giving commands as if to regiment,
and in q very loud voice; but this device
did not perceptibly retard the advance of
the enemy. / dismissed my valiant and
heroic little squad, with directions to find
their proper regiments as soon as possible.
One of these young men-the one who talked
to me-said, to the best of my recollection,
that he belonged to the 31st Wis. / may be
mistaken. / always regretted not taking
his name down, in order that / could recon-
mend him for promotion.
/, too, determined to find my proper COM
mand, and knowing it to be somewhere in
the rear, though in what condition l knew
not, started in that direction, but turned
to any left in order to find the road. The
walking in the woods was very fatiguing.
1t was not far to the road, only about $50
yards. / had arrived within 80 steps of it,
and saw the rebel line marching steadily
and firmly forward only 40 or so yards from
me, and In front of their line was tall man
in gray clothes and red trimmings about
collar and cuffs. He rode mule and car
ried huge horse pistol, which was leveled
directly at me; and he rode directly towards
me, muttering strange words which l did
not understand. l did not care to meet him
just then. He was kind enough not to fire
his big horse pistol. Friendly trees again
came to my aid, and I placed some of them
between him and me. He certainly deserves
my gratitude for sending only discourteous
words instead of a big leaden bullet at me,
for he was dangerously close to me. So
veered off into the woods again for another
hundred yards, when turned into the road
through sheer exhaustion. 1 saw two bat
terry horses with their harness on tied to an
oak tree. / resolved to unite one of the
horses and mount him, even at the expense
of being laughed at by the first troops l
should meet. 1t would doubtless have been
very ridiculous for a Brigadier-G General to be
seen mounted ON horse with harness on,
but without saddle; but even that con-
sidered preferable to capture and confne-
ment in prison even for short time.
But these horses were so thoroughly tied
that could not unite them quickly. While
/ was struggling and tugging away at the
hard knots in the halter straps, the rebel
line of battle again came up very near me.
abandoned the horses and the idea of rid
ing. Fortunately, was near our own lines.
In another hundred yards I found the
Twentieth Corps formed across the road.
Col. West, of a Wisconsin regiment, held the
road. l sent message to him that the
enemy were but a few steps from him and
would be upon him in minute or two. In
minute or two volley rang out on the
air, beginning on the right-that is, at the
road held by Col. Vests regiment-and ex-
tending around to the left. The Twentieth
Corps was formed in a line curving to the rear
toward the left. The advance Of the enemy
was checked. There was little fighting there
| afterwards. Morgan continued to repulse
| the attacks of the enemy, which were made
| on all sides. He was fortified SO as tOmeet
an attack from any direction. Two or three
| hundred yards in rear of the Twentieth
Corps line / found Buell's Brigade and
| Hobart's, my horses, staff and escort. Col.
| Miles's Brigade had been driven off by the
| rebel advance into a swampy region to the
| right and rear of the position occupied by