The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-09-15
AT COLD HARBOR.
THE ASSAULT UPON THE CONFEO-
ERATE EARThWORkS.

A Charge When Union Veterans 0uailed
Under the Awful Storm of Shot and
sIcIl-Shot by Hundreds In Retreat-A
I:Ioody Kepulse.
Before daybreak Of June tho light artil-
lerylnen were aroused. We ate our scanty
breakfast and took our positions around the
guns All Of US were loath to go into action.
In front Of us we could hear the murmurs of
infantry, but it was not sufficiently light to
see them We stood leaning against the cool
guns or resting easily on the Ponderous
wheels and gazed intently into the darkness in
the direction of the Confederate earthwOrks.
How slowly dawn camel lndistinctiy we
saw moving figures Some on foot rearward
bound towards hunting for safety; Others on
horseback riding to and fro near where we
supposed the battle lines to be; then orderiies
and servants came in from out the darkness
leading horses, and we knew that the reSi-
mental and brigade commanders were going
into action on foot.
FROM THE THREE-INCH GUNS.
The darkness faded slowly, one by one the
stars went out and then the Confederate
pickets opened fire briskly; then we could see
the Confederate earthworks, about GOO yards
ahead of us-could just see them, and no more
They We're apparently deserted, not a man
was To be seen behind them; but it was still
faint, gray light. One of our gunners looked
over his piece and said that he could see the
sights, but that they blurred. We filed our
sponge buckets with water and waited, the
Confederate pickets firing briskly at us the
while but doing no damage. Suddenly the
Confederate works were manned We could
SEE, "A line of SLOUGH hats above the pGrapet.
Smoke in great puffs burst forth from their
line, and shell began to howl by us. Their
gUnners were getting the range. We spranS
in and out from the three-inch guns and re-
piled angrily To our left to our right, other
batteries opened, and along the Confederate
line cannon sent forth their balls searching
for the range. Then their guns were silent.
It was daylight. We the light artillery
men, were heated with battle. The strain on
our nerves was over. In our front were two
lines of blue-coated infantry. One well in
advance of the other, and both lying down.
We were firing over them. The Confederate
pckets sprang out of their rifle pits and ran
back To their main line of works. Then they
turned and warmed the battery with long
range rifle practice, knocking a man over
here, killing another there, breaking the leg
of a horse yonder, and generally behaving in
an exasperating manner. The Confederate
infantry was always much more effective
than their artillery and the battery that got
under the fire of their cool infantry always
suffered severely The air began to grow
hay with powder smoke. We saw that the
line of slouch- hated heads had disappeared
from the Confederate earthworks, leaving
heads exposed only at long intervals. Out
of the powder smoke came an officer from
the battle lines of infantry. He told us to
stop firing, as the soldiers were about to
charge. He disappeared. to carry the mes
sage to other batteries. Our cannon became
silent. The smoke drifted off the field. l
noticed that the sun was not yet up.
CHARGING THE EARTHwORKs.
Suddenly the foremost line of our troops,
who We're lying on the ground in front of us,
sprang to their feet and dashed at the Con
federate earthworks ut a rum Instantly
those works were manned. Cannon belched
forth torrent of canister; the works glowed
brightly with musketry; storm of lead and
iron struck the blue line, cutting gaps in it.
Still they pushed on, and on. But, Godl how
many of them fell! They drew the
earthworks, firing they went, and then,
with a cheer, the first line of the Red division
of the Second corps Q3arlows) swept over it.
And there in our front lay, sat and stood the
second line, the supports; why did not
they go forward and make good the victoryi
They did not. We could see their officers
urge them, but the men sulked, or they We're
appalled, by the frightful losses the first line
go forward Intensely excited, l watched
the portion of the Confederate line which our
meh had captured. 1 was family conscious
OF terrific firing to our right and of heavy
and continuous cheering on that portion of
our line which was held by the Fifth and
sixth CORPS.
For once the several corps had delivered
a simultaneous assault, and l knew that it
was To he now or never. The powder smoke
curled lowly in thin clouds above the cap
tureL works. Then the firing became more
and more thunderous. The tops of many bat
tie flags could be seen indisrinctly, and then
there was a heavy and fierce yell, the thrill
ing battle cry of the Confederate infantry
fioat.,i To us Can our men withstand the
charger 1 asked myself. Quickly 1 was
answered They came into sight clambering
over the parapet of the captured works. All
organization was lost. They fed wildly for
the protection of their second line and the
Union guns, and they were shot by scores as
they ran. The Confederate infantry ap-
peared behind their works and nimbly climbed
over as though intent on following up their
success, and their fire was as the fury of
hell We manned the guns and drove them
To cover by bursting she'll. How they yelledl
How they swung their hatsl And how
quickly their pickets ran forward to their
rifle pits and sunk out of sightl The swift,
brave assault had been bravely met and most
bloodily repulsed. Twenty minutes had not
passed since the infantry had sprung to their
feet anu 10000 of our men lay dead or
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