Wichita eagle., 1886-11-24
BETWEEN TWO FIRES.
A THRILLING INCIDENT AFTER kEE-
MANS CHARGE AT HAZEL GROVE.

A THRILLING INCIDENT AFTER KEE-
MANS CHARGE AT HAZEL GROVE.
Maj. Clifford Thomson Rides Out to
Identify the Confederates Under Fire
From the Federal Batteries-A Report
to Gen. Pleasonton.
Gen. Pleasonton rode from gun to gun, di-
recting the gunncrs to aim low, not to get ex-
cited, to make every shot tell; the staff Off
GERS, catching their cue from him, did the
same, and while at first there had been con-
siderable excitement and apprehension among
us it soon quieted down, and every thought
and action was directed to getting the best
service out of those guns that they were cap
able of rendering. Recovering from the dis
order into which Keenan's charge had thrown
them, the enemy could be seen forming line
Of battle in the edge of woods now in our
front. They were scarcely 200 yards distant;
yet such was the gloom that they could not
be clearly distinguished. Gen. Pleasonton
was about to give the order to fire when a
sergeant at one of the guns said:
General, aren't those our troops? l see
our colors in the line!" This was true, for
where he pointed our colors could be seem
trophies pisked up on the field. Gen. Pleas
onton turned to me and said:
"Mr. Thomson ride out there and see who
those people are
NOT AT ALL CURIOUS.
For myself, was not at all curious about
''those people, being perfectly willing to wait
till they introduced themselves Riding out
between our guns, galloped to within thirty
or forty yards of them. All along the line
they cried out to me: "Come on; we're
friends!' 1t was quite dark, and I could not
make out their uniforms, but could see three
of our flags, and these caused me to hesitate.
l came to halt, peering into the darkness to
make sure, when bullet whistled by me, and
then came "the rebel yell" The line charged
up the hill toward our guns, and | led it!
Lying down upon my horses neck, l gave
him the spur, and the yells of the "Johnnies"
behind further stimulated him, so that We got
over the ground pretty lively. But with the
report of the first shot fired at me, Gen.
Pleasonton had opened fire, and those twenty
two guns belched forth destruction at fear
fully rapid rate
Although lying down on my horse, / kept
an eye on the guns, and guided my horse be-
tween the flashes, and in less time than it
takes to tell it was on the safe side of them
1t was load and fire at will for some minutes;
the enemy was moved down in heaps; they
could make no headway against such q
cyclone. and ran back down the slope to the
cover Of the woods. But still the canister
was poured into them, and second attempt
to charge the guns failed. Soon Sickles' corps
moved from its advanced position and inter-
posed between us and the woods; parties sent
out from over the field which had been swept
by our guns found the dead and dying lying
in heaps. Old artillery officers have informed
me that they never before heard such rapid
firing as occurred at that engagement; the
roar was a continuous one and the execution
terrific. After it had ceased / rode up to Gen.
PleaSonton and said:
General, those people out there are rebels.'
NO TINE TO STOP.
There was a grave twinkle in his eye as he
held out his hand and replied:
Thomson, l never expected to see you
again. l thought if they didn't kill you 1
should, but that YVES 10 time to stop for one
man."
should have agreed with him more cor
daily if that one man had been somebody
else. When President Lincoln visited the
army q day Or two after this fight Gen.
Pleasonton chanced to call at Hooker's head
quarters, when that officer said:
"Mr. President, this is Gen. Pleasonton
who saved tho army of the Potomac the
other night"
The president acknowledged the service in
his usual grateful manner Only inspira-
ton, or the instinct of natural soldier,
could have enabled Pleasonton to accomplish
so much in SO short time with so small
force. The l:5,,it ct Hazel Grove was one Of
those sharp and decisive actions pregnant
with great results.
Gen. Pleasonton says of this fight: when
he advanced upon the artillery at Hazel
Grove, Jackson had another opportunity to
win, if his infantry had been properly
handled. The fire of his infantry was so
high it did no harm; they should have been
ordered to fire so low as to disable the can
noneers at the guns. Had the infantry fire
been as effective as that of the artillery,
Jackson would have carried the position.
The artillery fire was effective, because |
applied to it that principle of dynamics in
which the anglo of incidence is equal to the
angle Of rehection-that is to say, if the muz-
zle of a gun is three feet from the ground and
it is discharged so that the shot will strike the
ground at a distance of 100 yards it will
glance from the earth at the sane angle at
which it struck it, and in another 100 yards
viii be three feet from the ground. l knew
my first volley must be a powerful one or
Jackson, with his superior numbers, would
charge across the short distance which
us and capture the artillery before
the guns could be reloaded. Maj Clifford
Thomson in The Century.