Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-11-09

Drained with musket on the works. This
was the situation to the right of the Column
bia pike.
To the LEFT Of the pike Gordon's brigade
had in the meantime driven Strickland
from the works and men and caissons were
rushing wildly down into the village. For
q moment victory seemed sure, but the
officers on each side of the gap held their
men firm, while Opdycke led his 2, 600 fresh
men, with ranks unbroken, against the
thinned and somewhat scattered brigade of
Gordon, now numbering not over 700 or
500 men. Swinging around on each flank
the blue almost encifcled the gray, and
after q desperate hand-to-hand melee,
captured, killed and wounded nearly all
the gallant men. Strahl and Carter,
Browns reserve, now came up-too late to
save Gordon, but III time to occupy the
outside of the captured breastwork and pre-
vent the enemy re-occupying it. Strick-
land and 0pdycke hastily threw up bar
ricade across the gap and Schofeld's line
was again restored.
Where the Carter's creek pike enters the
village Bates had led his division against
KimbalPs left and Moore's brigade of Ru-
gers division, Finley's brigade, which was
in reserve, sweeping around to the left of
the pike so az to enfilade Moore. Jackson
succeeded in making Judgment in the
ditch in front of Moore, but could not break
the line and after sharp struggle was
forced to fall back
To return to the centre, French's half
division, overlapped by Walthall, had
closely followed the division into the fray
and its two brigades had, one after the
other, been dashed against the works in
front of the cotton press. But even the
famous Missouri brigades, led by Cockrell,
could not cross that death-dealing line of
fire. The reserve line of Walthall and
Loring had also reached the fatal ditch and
exchanged blows with the gallant men on
the other side of the parapet, but all to no
purpose. Flesh and blood could not stand
that horrible slaughter-pen and the suryi-
vors fell beck as best they could. But they
were not panic-stricken, and Walthall,
Loring and French rapidly reformed their
thinned ranks and once again sent them
across that field of death. Again they
reached the ditch, but it was weak blow,
and the dusk that enabled them to with
draw was gladly welcomed.
For two hours the battle had ragged with
fearful slaughter. Major Cleburne,
the incompatible leader, had fallen riddled
with bullets; Brigadier Generals Gist, John
Adams, Strahl and Cranberry were also
dead; Carter was dying; Major-General
Brown and Brigadier-G Generals Quarles,
COckrell and Scott were wounded and Cor
n A nDn
ates were lying dead and wounded on the
ground. Night had now fallen and except
where Brown held the gap the firing had
nearly died away. Assault after assault
had failed to drive Schofield into Harpeth
river. The survivors of the commands of
Loring Walthall, French and Cleburne
had availed themselves of the friendly
shelter of the night to crawl from out the
dead and dying and had reformed, waiting
further orders.
Suddenly to the left again ran out the
rebel yell, and the roar of battle was re-
newed. Hood had sent Johnson's division
into the fray. Feeling their way through
the darkness and stumbling over many
bloody corpse these four small brigades,
not over >, 900 musketS, stOrmed
the works assaulted by Bates in the after
noon and so calamity held by Moore.
For few minutes victory seemed once
again within the grasp of Hood. Sharp's
and Brantley's Mississippians went over
the works, and in a hand-to-hand encounter
three stands OF cOlors. Dea's and
Alabama and South Carolina
brigades, with equal bravery, dashed into
the melee, but all in vain. Kimball gave
Moore all the aid he needed, and the Con-
were driven back, but not till
many of their number had been added to
the CHASTITY heaps already on the ground.
General Manigault fell severely wounded;
Colonel Shaw, who succeeded TO the COM
mand of the brigade, was killed, and
Colonel Davis, the next in command, was
wounded. This ended the battle, except
that now and then n volley was exchanged
between Browns men and the Federals
him.
So soon as firing ceased SchOfield began
for withdrawing, and by )
o'clock the next morning his army was on
the other side of Harpeth river.
The mornings light revealed an appall-
ing scene of blood. In some respects the
battle was unparalleled in the history of
the civil war. 1t had been fought on q
strip of ground less than mile in length
by about 100 yards in width-the Slight
struggle at the advance works excepted.
On this narrow battle-ground were lying
cold in death on that December morning
nearly 1000 men, gray and blue. The
blood of ), 900 more stained the sod, and
very many of these still Law grOaning and
writhing in death where they fell.