New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-11-21

1
| far away a mocking bird singing. Near where
was an old dead tree had fallen over on to the big
arms of one of IFS nelehbols, and on one OF us &c
Caying branches red squirrel popped up lts head,
looking down at is along the brownish streak that
marked his usual highway TO the ground -,
| Bang cr-r-rrrr-an1 bang cr-rr-r-r-r-ang "
| came two shells from the peaceable country in
fir mt, bursting over the heads OF the grous ID the
road. There was running TO and no and almost
| Immediately DeGolyer replied with his TWO guns
| IN this sudden challenge of the enemy whose eNs
| tence we ha Just been dsputins. We all Jun 81,
of course, every man feeling as he hadn felt since
the last time ne caught stealing apples But
we hadn't time 10 more than turn our heads when
| from out of the quiet woods on the other side OF
! the brook there came great Scl. Of thousands Of
| voices followed by such crashing roar of mus
| Retry one doesn't very often hear unless he has
| been prepared for it.
march, shouted Colonel Force. and we all blessed
him for <nOwing exactly what TO do. and for doing
it As one man. the boys seized tFfr guns-some
were barefoot. for they we've washing their feet in
tho brook: some had the coffee in their hands
which the first scare had made them clutch from
the fire. AM some twenty or thirty were dead or
wounded from that first vOlley. But quick
| thought al who could stand had taken their guns
and had pun-ed through the brook. On the othe
side not fifty yards distant the enemy were crash
| ing through the underbrush in magnificent line
determined TO carry all before them.
Two briGades of Texas troops had been WATCHING
sion, ri for our noOnne -heir tickets not
hundred yards from our sldimish line. The NOV
ing of our main line TO the edge Of the woods with
out sending slirmishefs on in front had given them
their chance for a surprise. Three regiments had
Come ouiclIly TO the thicxet in front of us got all
really. and made their rush with or eight
other regiments backing them up.
On our side our own bricade happened TO be
in line. but was not expecting any such un 10
voked assault What cav airy We had. had
been sent of to the left to take lock at things
toward the Big B ack, where, after all the chief
danger seemed 70 be. DE Golyers battery was
watering its horses to the skrnsh line that
If the infantry was driven back an inch it woul
be captured by the swarminl rebels lng before
If.iD no frsnrn oil hriO flp
other two brigades of our division were scatteieo
along the road. Iust where they hapLenc to be
when they received the order TO halt for lunch.
Al the first rush the rebel line far outfanked the
Indiana reeiment on our right and the whole regl
ment broke into inch bits the boys making good
road to pass flank. and they made good Use Of
their chance. work well To rear before long
and putting bullets into the reverse of our line the
the brigade, and certainly Of our battery down
there in the road. depended on the ssbility of
our holding those fellows at bay until the Other
br1gades could be brought up.
When we rushed through the brook found
the enemy upon us but we found also that the
hank of the brook sloped of bit with klni of
rate shelter SO we drop ed on the ground night
there an gave those Texans al the bullets we
could cram into our Enfeds until our guns were
gered back like ship in collision which tTembes
in every timber from the shock Then they too
gave us volley after voley always working up
toward us. hreastlnr our fire until they hai come
within twenty or even fifteen PAGES In part
OF the line some of them came nearer than that.
and had TO be roked back with the bayonet
IL was the 18th Texas which had struck lis. q
REGIMENT which had never been beaten in any
fight We soon found that they didn't scare wortt
cent They Kept try ne TO pass through our tire |
jumping up pushing forward a step. and then fall |
ng back into the same place, Just as you NAV see
lot OF dead leaV es in a gale Of wind. cidying 10
and fro under bank, often rising up as i to fly |
away, but never able to adj ance a peg /. was a
question Of life or death with us TO hold II EN- for
Tn
those that were left Of us-if we could not stan
acanst the scorchng fire which beat into our faces
in that first hour
Meanwhile the ,Iohnnies sent IN another regiment !
eft to pick up De Golyer's battery. a kin
of pastime like But tie battery hal given back |
a little for the sake of better Crounl and when |
tho ohnnies tried to 60 there they rot the fire Of
the 18th and 6sth. besides much canister as
they could digest for one While. So they CT include
that they would not take lie GOlycr Just then
General Logan sent all his aids on a run down the
rOa for the other bi1gades of the division while
which was falling back from our right ami got TIE
boys TO face about and take position where they
could pepi er the Rebs who were firing into our flank
and rear. Gene al LOcan knew that he had the
whole corps behind him and Mcpherson was al
ready on hand sendin, back to Croker 10 hurry
up his di isOn but he also knew that this SORT OF
three or four of his rc-lments-cOuld not go on
\ cry long. 80 the other br1eades seemed to him
terribly long time in getting up.
In the midst of all this anxiety one Of the staff
came back 10 General Logan from one OF the
wished for brigades an said: General - VII
be here before very n. He SAYS that he will
start soon his men have finished their coffee
Even In the hurry Of that rough time this
swcT male General Logan stop and stare His
feelings were too deep for proper utterance. He
nnly said, "Go tell General that he isn't
worth h room" and rode of to place the reai-
ments Of the First Brigade. which now began 10
The staff officer mounted his horse and gallo ell
down the road He is said to have given Logan,
message word for word. | am sorrv 10 say that
have not the papers to prove this statement. but
II believed by all the BOYS at the time am
If it was not true ii ought 10 be
All this time we were han ing 10 the bank
II the brook with those fellows pouring glnpowder
smoke into our faces. and answetin, back So
he fatigue Of it As for the noise Of that discus
son between the goth Ohio AMI the 7th Texas. a
lap Of thunder is nowhere 1t was more like
heet of thunder. a wicked with no sepsTa,
hons between the bolts. and all the time the
Iohnnies made ii hot for us in flank and
veil in front.
The .lohnnies seemed rather to like it. We
'Ould see them tumble over pretty often. bur
hose who were left didn't mind it One officer
luietly loaded up an old mecschaum. lit match
ms pistol hanging from his wrist and when he
rad got his ipe well agoinC he got hold Of ms
istOl again and won't on poppng away at as
cisurely as if he had been shooting rats VII,
hat fellow didn't get shot | don know. The
act is when YOU start to draw bead on any cha
% such fight you have got TO make up youi
mind mighty quick whom you'll shoot There are
10 MANY the other side that look as If they were
uSt cel1lnt a Dead on YOU tfial IL taxes a lot OF
lerve to stick u the YOU first wanted 10 at
end TO- You generally feel like tryin- 10 kin
( distribute your bullet so as 10 take in all VIII
'ught TO he hit. so a good many get OF who
rear ENOUGH 10 be knocked over the first time
We could not understand why somebody wasn't
ont out TO flank in place Of the In llama
elbows 1t seemed as if we were forgotten :,
when they sent us some ammunition il was like q |
lift from distant friends and did good like |
Ii quite well that we di |
rot know that the first of two rear brigades |
al come up and had deplOyed on the right Of tlr
allied Init mans but that even then Logan foun
nnself Outnumbered two 10 one The fellows on !
he right let the Rebs from SCORING up bur
Orld not get forward enough 10 cover our flank |
nd had to fight like everything 70 hold their own |
The brook bank protected some. The leaves
nd twirs novel from the bushes by the Texan
ullets fell softly about but those fellows shot |
-. |