The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-01-01

lilICS lDlllbRCA pNAA IN AANS NAS %NA
low of the exploded earthworks a
slaughter-pen, i'll which shells and
bombs rained from the enemy's lines
and did fearful havoc"
The reoccupation should be told
from the OIL. side, fOrtheGlory otthe
day was with them.
Captain w. Gordon McCabe, a Con
federate historian, who was present,
SAYS Of the retaking OF the lost works
spreading north from the Crater:
Scarcely had the order been given
when the head OF the Virginia brigade
BEGAN to debouch from the covered
way. Malone stood at the angle,
speaking quietly and cheeriIy to his
men. Silently and quickly they NOV
ed out and formed with that precis-
ion dear to every soldiers eye-the
shurpshooters leading, followed by the
Sixth, Sixteenth, SiXty-irst, Forty
first and Twelfth Nirginia-the men
OF second Manassas and CrumptOn
Gap. The men were ordered not to
fire until they reached the edge OF the
ditch.
Now the leading regiments Of the
Georgia brigade began TO move out,
when suddenly a brave Federal officer,
! seizingthe coIors, called on his men to
charge. Weisiger shouted 'FOrward.'
( The sharp-ShOOters and men OF the
Sixth on the right, running swiftly for
ward, for theirs was the greatest dis
! tance to travel. the whole line sprang
upon the crest. and then burst from
more than eight hundred Warlike
voices that fierce veil that no man
ever vet heard unmOved in the field OF
battle. Storms OF 28nnon shot from
the right mingled withthe tempest OF
bullets that smOte them from the
front. vet was there no answering vol
lev. Still pressingtOrward wIthSteady
fury while the enemy appalled, by the
MEMORABLE advance gaveg ground, they
reached the ditch Of the inner works;
then one volley crashed from the
whole line, and clutchlng their empty
guns and redoubling their fierce cries,
they Ieaped over the retrenChed-cava-
lier, and all down the line the dreadful
work of the bayonet began. HOwlO ng
it lasted none may say with certainty,
for in those fierce moments no man
needed time, no man asked, no man
gave quarter"
Several charges by the Confederates
were beaten back in the bloody repulses
by the Federal troops and from the
vast rim ofUheC Crater a steady storm OF
bullets poured upon Mahone's men.
and every gun on the Southern side
was pointed at that place
Says McCabe:
And now the scene within the hor-
,,l ~ ,o3rhf hn Etlu nnprpo NnH OnIU
by the pencil of Dante after he had
trod 'nine-circled hell From the
great mortars to- the right and left
huge missiles fell at regular intervals
with dreadful accuracy, and burst
among the helpless masses hud-
died together, and every explosion
was followed by piteous. cries, and
oftentimes the very air seemed dark
ened by flying human limbs Haskell,
too, had moved up' his Eprouvstte
mortars among the men of the Six
teenth Virginia-so close, indeed, that
his powder charge was but one
ounce and a half-and,, without inter
mission, the storm OF fire beat upon
the helpless men imprisoned within.
Mahope's men watched Wits great In
terest this easy method or reaching
troops behind cover. and then gather
ed up the countless musketsy with bay
onets fixed, abandoned by the enemy,
and propelled Them with such nice
skill that they came.down upon Led
lies men like the raing OF the Norman
arrows at Hastings.
When all had been retaken but the
| Crater, the Confederate batteries
ceased firing uponit. and preparations
were made for assault. Happily, be-
fore the assaulting party could be
formed, a white handkerchief, made
fast to a ramrod, appeared over the
edge of the Crater, aud after a brief
pause o. molly crowd OF prisoners
poured over the, sides and ran for
their lives to, the rear"
In this battle the federals lost about
5000 in killed and wounded, and IT,
100 prisoners. Two brigade conn
manders were. captured and 81 flags
according to the authority quoted.
The confederate loss was very heavy
too, the destructfulness of the fighting
being shown by the fact that the Sixth
Virginia, with % men lost SO, one
company from Norfolk having every
man killed. The sharpshooterss had
so men and lost ga, amongthem their
commander, VIM. Broadbent, a. nian
says McCabe, "of prodigious strength
and activity, who, leaping Grst overthe
works, fell pierced by eleven bayonet
wounds-a simple captain, of whom
we may say, as was said OF Ridge, No
man died that day with o glory;
yet many died and there was much
glory
Probably the scene OF these events
is more visited than any other spot
among the battlefields in the southeast
of Virginia. 1t Is easily reached, being
"a --- -. f-A..4ko I'LL