Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-05-29

men were staggering over thefields, and
falling in ones, twos and threes, as they
came together for aid, between the lines
of dead. The men hesitated. They
realized that they could not carry the
works. Their line officers tried to hold
them. They staggered few feet nearer
the federal line, firing wildly the while,
to be scorched by the hot breath of can
non and rifles. They wavered badly,
tried to hold on, then broke and ran for
cover. We were under fire for about ten
minutes, and one-third of our division,
Reynolds, was killed or wounded.
Stunned, bewildered and horribly disap-
pointed, we gathered in q protected po-
sition and were speedily reformed. We
we're allowed to rest for awhile.
''Of course the planned Simultaneous
attack by several columns had failed. OF
course they did not get off together:
They went in one after the other, and
they were all whipped. Again We were
formed into charging column. Our
officers briefly explained the necessity of
carrying the works. We swore to take
them OF die in the attempt. 'Ab,' said
Thomas, it is easy to swear to do things
when you are not under fire, but hard,
exceedingly hard, to accomplish them.
We rushed to the assault again, again to
be met by fire the heat of which warped
us out of line. It seemed to me that
the air was so full of bullets that I could
have caught some by simply grabbing
on either side or above me. We advanc-
ed close to the works, and again
we broke and fed for cover. The Yankees
now thoroughly angry, and merciless,
began to shoot at every living object
within range of their rifles. Wounded
confederates, who moved an arm or a
leg where instantly selected as targets,
and were literally shot to pieces.
Darkness descended and still the
battle torn Confederates were formed in
to charging columns and launched
against the Yankee works. We advanc
ed stumbling over our dead and wound
ed. The latter sh1ieked as we trod Oh
their mangled limbs. Powder smoke
hung over the field in clouds, which re-
hected the lurid fire that blazed along
the Yankee parapets. Eight o'clock, 9
o'clock $50 and we are still fighting,
still dying, still trampling our dead and
wounded comrades into the earth. Then
we gave it up. We had made five des-
perare charges. Pat Cleburne's men had
made six and he fell dead while leading
the last. Every general officer in the
army, excepting Hood, was killed or
wounded. Our losses had run high up
in the thousands. We stacked our arms
and lay down. All night our wounded
comrades crawled off of the field and
sought comfort and rest and water
among their unhurt brothers. Men with
one leg trailing on the earth behind
them, others with shattered shoulders, or
with smashed jaws, or eyes shot out
would crawl, walk or be led into our
ranks, where they would sink beside us
and murmur: 4 am glad to get home to
you. 1t was hell itself, boys? And
they would sink into sleep or death.
1--WE were awake early the next morn
ing to discover that the Yankees had
crossed the river during the night,
and were probably well on their way to-
wards Nashville. We were mighty glad
they had gone. Hood seemed to be
stupefed at the disaster that had befall-
en- us. He allowed his discouraged army
to remain in camp by that bloody battle.
The men, already dispirited and doubtful
of his ability as commander, were per
mitted to roam at will over the corpse
sire wn field. never before or after saw
such frightful battle ground. Many
of the dead we're shot to threds. And I
saw scores of men who had been wound
ed-legs broken probably-who had put
their thumbs into their mouths and
chewed them into shreds to keep from
crying, coward like, as they lay exposed
to the merciless fire of the Yankees,
waiting for death to keep them from
voicing their fear. Franklin was the
only battle ground ever saw where the
faces of the majority of the dead ex-
pressed supreme fear and horror. Dead
mems faces were drawn awry. Their
eyes were wide open and fear-staring.
Their very attitude as they lay prone on
the ground with extended, earth-clutch-
ing fingers, and with their faces practi-
cally buried in the soil, told the tale of
mental agony they had endured before
death released them. And then,
the chewed thumbs, showing the direful
necessity they had to brace themselves to
receive death, was inexpressibly affect
ing.
1.-THE repeated disasters we had en-
countered under Hood had dampened
our ardor. The unwise rambling of our
men over the battlefield of Franklin
broke their spirit. We would not fight
at Nashville; we lost that field because the
specter of Franklin, ivid, with distorted
features, with Understanding wounds,
with ghostly, horror stricken eyes, chew
ing and crunching it's thumb, stalked
among US. It was in the columns as
we marched. It rode astride of the
Napoleon guns. It sat by our camp
fires. It stood in the trenches at Nash
vile. 1t lay in the rifle pits o'nights."
Thomas ceased talking, and looked in
tently and sorrowfully into the fire, as
though he were searching for the faces
of the comrades he had lost. I did not
intrude on his grief, but quietly rolled
myself in my blankets and lay down,
not to sleep, but to think of the horrors