Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-10-22
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intersections Extrssts 1ro,n Ths piaryr Il Co
Dstasr1 Nh $3.50
Gen. +. W. Butterfeld had q very
complete and interesting diary 81 th,
operations Of 8 portion Of Gen. Han
cocks corps 1.-THE Second - thai
memorable campaign under Gen. Grant
toward Richmond. II Il faithful
record. written down every day
sometimes after desperate battle
] while yet on the bloody field; some
times after long and weary marches
II y Q record OF almost one continu
GUS. bloody battle Of 6fty.one days
duration, the corps being under The
enemy's fire every day Of the fifty one
excepting two ,=@
Following wegive extracts which are
OF thrilling interest:
| May 1.-THE two armies have been
growing at each other all day, the
lines being only seventy-five or eighty
yards apart, but concealed in thick,
second growth timber. / received or.
ders from General Hancock to place a
six.gun battery in position, on the
| front line of battle. i selecteda dense
| growth OF small pines, where we could
| work without being observed by the
| enemy. Got the battery intrenched
and dragged the guns in by hand.
Sharpshooters busy all along the line,
with heavy cannonading on our right.
May l2.-At IL o'clock last night
we lett our position and marched
| around to the extreme left. After
dumping our knapsacks and every
thing that would make the least noise
we quietly and slowly marched through
thick woods, brush and weeds until an
order came along the line in a low
tone to "halt; make no noise; be as
quiet as possible" The corps num-
bered then nearly, if not quite, 80, 900
men, and so quiet were they during
the march that one would scarce
ly have thought that there
was more than one regiment in
motion. Every soldier knew that
there was fun ahead for the morning,
and that to make the fun more inter
esting it was absolutely necessary to
keep perfectly still, in order to give us
the ad vantage, and we always liked to
nave the advantage in fight where
our lives we're at stake, and we all
knew they would be in q few hours.
Gen. Carroll commanded the First
brigade of the Third division of the
Second corps. AS soon as our men
were brought to halt, and Just as
Gen. Carroll and staff had dismount-
ed, Gen. Hancock and staff rode up,
and they, too, dismounted. Our men
were all in position. The moon had
gone down and the stars were shining
brightly. All put in the time as best
they could waiting for the signal at
brea kof day. Some tried to sleep. some
were cracking jokes, and others dis
cussing the situation; but all spoke in
a voice scarcely above whisper.
When the first streak of light appear
ed in the eastern horizon Gen. Han
cock, who was wide awake as to what
was about to transpire, asked one OF
his staff officers for the time On be-
ing told that it was 3:45, he told Gen.
Carroll that he had better have his
men tall IN, and at the same time sent
word to other commanders to do the
same. Our horses stood ready, hav-
ing stood saddled all night. We
mounted and then Gen. Carroll, in
rather a. stentorian voice, forgetting
himself for the moment, called out to
his men: "Fall I'M" Gen. Hancock
spoke up quickly and said: "Please
don't inform the enemy that we are
coming, Gen. Carroll" Soon the men
were in line, and the order was given
to move forward as slowly and silent
ly as possible.
The lines of skirmishers were fifteen
PAGES in front of us. Slowly, steadily,
but firmly, we moved on, each soldier
carrying eighty rounds examination.
Occasionally an officer could be heard
to calculate in low but empathic
voice: "Steady there, boys; not so
fast; keep quiet" Finally the sus.
pense is broken, a single shot is fred.
The enemy's outpost has discovered
one OF our skirmishers through the
gray morning light, and has fired at
him and reiterated in hot haste. Our
skirmish line halts for q moment.
Our first line of battle comes up with
and joins them. Another and anoth-
er shot is fired, and then the line of
battle is ordered to move forward
double quick. Then several OF the
encmy's outposts are gobbled in; great
confusion is heard in our immediate
front; the *'long roll" is being beaten;
the bugle. is sounding "to arms!" in
the enemy's camp.
But it is tt late. The boys is blue
have been ordered to charge with fixed
bayonets. Over the first lineof breast
words they scrambled, and are in the
midst of the enemy's camp; they are
right among their tents. The surprise
is most complete. Some OF the enemy
are half dressed, some not that, but |
the whole camp, some 900 in all, are
prisoners OF war, including Gen. John
ston, one OF Gen. Early s division com.
manders. Many resisted capture, on
ly to be bayoneted or shot. Several
batteries OF artillery also fell into our
hands.
I met Gen. Johnston as he was pass
ing over his own Notifications on his
way to our rear a. prisoner and he
asked me whose troops these were. !
told him they were Gen. Hancock's,
and he said: ut was the most GAL
ant charge I ever saw" replied:
Yes, it was rather gallant affair"
Gen. CAROLS brigade took two
tands Of colors-glory enough for one
day. The enemy, much chagrined at |
The inglorious surprise in this quartz
soon came upon US in great force; but
we held our position all day. It was
right here, in our front, that trees,
which We're about foot in diameter,
were completely cut down by musket |
balls. Such was the terrible fire from
the enemy. "a Il
: May 1--we laid on the battle
ground all night: Ihad charge of the
skirmish line, and at o'clock this
morning received orders to move