The National tribune., 1886-11-25
FIGHTING THEM OVER
What Our Veterans Have 70 Say About
Their Old Campaigns.
PIcKETTs MILLS.
A sketch OF the Fight by an Officer Of the as
0hto

controversy. or 10 tell of deeds / performed
while fighting for my country, but In the spirit
OF kindness ] will try TO settle as far rs j can,
this mixed-up matter. The time was long ago
and memory ID failing. so that / may make
mistakes, but j will give IL as remember the
circumstances
The night before the fight about shutdown,
our corps, the Fourth. crossed the bridge over
Pumpkin Vine Creek. We could hear fighting
ahead of us by the Twentieth Corps, which was
commanded bv Gen. Hooker. and while march
ing toward the front after dark, we passed his
field hospital in which were the wounded sol
diers aud met many others coming toward the
hospital tents with wounded men upon stretch
ers Before we reached the front the firing
ceased We filed TO the left into field filled
with brush, stumps and scruboak trees, where
we camped for the night.
The next morning there was no fighting in
front Of us except an occasional exchange OF
shots on the pcket-line. At about or
O'Clock our division which was commanded by
Gen. Thomas J. Wood, was ordered into line
aud We marched TO the left aud in rear OF the
troops facing the enemy. We must have
marched 10 the entire left Of our army, ana
later we halted la n similar field 20 the one we
had left. This had heavy woods i'm our front.
Three companies Of our regiment were ordered
forward as skirmishers. My company "a was
one of them and being in command, il brought
being deployed we advanced toward the woods,
and as we reached il we found line Of Skin
mishcrs lying ON the ground at the edge of the
woods, who very kindly told ms we would
FIND REBELS IN THE WOODS.
] asked what corps they belonged 10, and they
said TO the Twenty-third Corps Army of the
Ohio.
We pushed forward and soon drew the fire Of
the rebel pickles. Soon after we entered the
woods one of my men was shot dead and another
wounded. At this time i discovered that the
rebel line was across our flank, which brought
the right of my company close TO the rebel front.
j at once the gave command, Skirmishers,
right wheel, double-quick. march," which COM
mand was repeated, and in ashOrt time the line
had wheeled around, facing the enemy. We
then pushed forward, driving the rebels through
the woods, and when we reached the opposite
side of ID we came 10 an open field some 200 yards
wide and beyond this field another woods. In
front of it was a very strong earthwork with
lots of rebels behind il. They opened steady
FIRE on us. aud we had 10 hug the trees very
close 10 shelter ourselves. While we were in
that position the skirmishers Of the Twenty
third Corps. which we had passed through. came
up 10 where we were crawling on their hands
aud knees, ana bringing orders TO us TO move
by the left flank that they might take our
places. One OF our Lieutenants, named Cobb,
whose voice sounded as if coming out Of big
horn, sang out, "Skirmishers by the right
flank, marchl" An ordinary commands Of ours
could be heard by the rebels, but his must
have been heard by the whole rebel army. as il
brought an extra shower of lead upon us but
we managed 10 dodge from tree 10 tree until we
reached a point where an elevation in the
ground sheltered us from the rebel fire.
Here we massed our companies and con-
tnued our march TO the left for distance Of
about three-quarters of mile, where we found
our regiment and brigade lying in a hollow.
After remaining here about an hour we fell in
and moved 10 the left about twice the length Of
the regiment and formed line in very thick
growth of young trees. Half an hour later we
again moved forward. II was now about 4
O'Clock IN the afternoon. We advanced about
300 yards, when we came 10 dry gully, from
the edge of which we could see the rebels
on the other side, on level with u.s. and about
100 yards from us.
WE GAVE ONE YELL
and started down into the gully and up the
other side, aud TO within 25 yards of the rebels
Here we either halted Of our own accord or
were matted by command. While here we kept
upa continual ere on the rebels and they upon
Us. Whenever we yelled the rebels rose from
behind the works aud gave us an extra dose
hhIe we lay here several lines came up from
our rear. and when at the exact position where
We yelled they would also yell, and they re-
eeiVed the same murderOus fire. Some of the
troops would not come any farther than the
bottom Of the gully; only a part Of one regi-
ment succeeded IN getting TO us, and that was
the 49ih Ohio but they did not remain long
They soon went to the rear, what was left Of
them as they too yelled al the usual place
am quite sure our division had but one bril-
Rade front and our brigade commanded by Gen
w. j. Hazen, was the first brigade in front, and
our regiment, +lst Ohio with the LIST and l24th
Ohio, covered the first line. Our regiment was
commanded by Lieut.-Col. Robt Kimberly who
order,d ms back soon after arriving at our posi-
ton; but for some cause, not known to me, j re-
ceiVcd 40 notice 10 retreat. j remained with nv
company until long after dark; i'm fact il was
nearlys O'Clock when Capt Hansard, command
ing Go. OF X came 10 me and said the
regiment-all but his company, Lieut.. Dodges,
and mine-had gone 10 the rear before s o'clock,
and that we had better form our companies
quietly and move back. AT this time aud for
some time previous the firing had ceased on
both sides. We moved together TO the rear,
where the troops seemed 10 be disorganized,
and squads here and there were cooking sup
per While no appearance OF fear was exhib-
tied, yet the absence Of officers was plainly
seen. All were cooking supper in squads
Alter going straight TO the rear about 400
yards, We concluded TO halt and make coffee
having no opportunity TO do so since morning
While here. and soon after, we heard musketry
hiring al the point which we had left, and the
next morning we learned that the rebels came
oui from their works and surrounded the place,
CAPTURING ALL THE MEN
LEFT there including the wounded and the dead.
While cooking our suppers, Gen. Hazen accom-
panied by an Orderly, came along and seemed
surprised az seeing us, but directed as 60 our
regiment which we Joined at II o'clock that
nlRnS now ' whatever was the purpose Of our
sttacE on the extreme right OF the rebel line. ID
was 10 say the least not success IL ID was
the purpose 10 turn the rebel right, there were
causes which came under my notice which an
pear 90 have induced the failure One Of these
was Lieut.. Cobbs commanding the sl,irmishers
q move by the left flank within plain sight
and hearing Of the rebels, who evidently an
hcipaJed our purpose and threw troops 10 their
right besides fortifyinR their position. The
other cause was our waiting 40 long-from one
20 two hours after getting 10 the lelt-before AZ.
lacking. j believe il we had made the attack
when We first arrived at that point, we would
have been successful. The result of the ighi
wa 10 disorganize two divisions both Of which
were badly punished,-to wit, Gen. Woods Di.
vision OF The Fourth Corps, and Gen Glehurne't
DIVISION, on the rebel side,-without securing
any advantage 20 either side, except MANY
killed aud wounded.
have seen eX-members of the Fourteenth
Corps who say they were at this fight. and som,
of the Twentieth Corps claim the same honor
Neither Of them could have been there as on,
division was especially detached from our corps
the position of which was Oh the right of III,
Iwenty-third Corps, and moved 20 the extrem,
left of the corps The Twentieth Corps was on
the extreme right, IL is possible that more Of
less hghting was done All along the line I'm