The National tribune., 1886-10-28
CAPTURING a MILL.
A Gallant Exploit on Peach Tree Creek.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Our regiment
had been hard worked for several DAYS The
boys quickly improved every moment for rest.
On the afternoon of July 20, 1864, while enter
ing thicket of small pines surrounded with
oak brush we were brought 10 a halt and told
to rest. Ii was warm, but the sun had passed
its hottest point aud Santed OF toward the
west. Co. G., 10 which l belonged, had been on
duty the night previous consequently should
be excused from any extra duty until the roster
had been gone over, SO / thought I could take
it easy for a time. An order came for me TO
report to the Calonels quarters At once for duty
Each company was directed 10 send three Sc
lectod sharpshooters in light fighting order,
aud three Sergeauts were detailed.
We were told thatwc had been selected accord
ing 20 an order from brigade headquarters, and
0urduty was 90 take possession Of the "Durant
MIL Just in our front, on Peach Tree Creek.
the mill being then occupied by the rebels
They were ia heavy force on the opposite side
of the creek, on high bluff, rocky faced and
shaggy toward us, but smooth and slopiug OF
into the table lands on the southern side. |
might here say that Peach Tree Creek was the
line that separated the two armies. The Second
Division of the Fourteenth Corps to which we
belonged, had not Joined i'm the advance made
by the troops on our leit in attempting % force
"a passage across the creek. 10 was left for our
commander 10 act according 10 his best iudg-
mcnt, which was IN this proposed way, the rebel
sharpshootsTs in the mill having become very
Troublesome
Under the direction Of Mai. Burnett we
passed the picbet5 and took a view Of the situa-
ton The ground was grown up with oak
brush, az the edge OF which were two small
frame houses, empty, distant from the mill
about % yards. This space was as smooth rs
an ice POND, beaten hard and smooth by the
teams and wagons of the Inill customers.
al -
aud Sergeant each ] sent one squad up the
river into a CD-ufcd another below into a
rayiuc and the third ] kept opposite the mill
Tine arrangement was that my squad was 10 20
30 the mill first and immediately ON reaching
ii each Of the others was 10 come 10 oar aid.
Tie moon was ius. about b. rise q little after
dark, when the Sergeant and myself, the
other 10 90 follow one 40 a time, 10 feet apart
started for the mill door We reached il with
out drawing shot from the bluff As we burst
0pan the door lac rebel pic.ets in the mill ran
ont Of the side door crossed on the dam fired
back and vaui- shed boo The darkness. We rapidly
placed ourselves I'm position for defense and
sought protection behind posts, tmbrrs and
plauEs, as we well knew they would send n
shower of lead 40 us directly, and we were not
mistaken. The old mill was soon riddled with
bullets from the bluI, but sc lay low and when
% small detachment tried 90 rgtal,u 10 We gave
them such warm reception that they scam
perei bacI, in Wild confusion. They Thought a
whole regiment was ia the mill aud around,
aud wc were loft in quiet except a fcw shots
occasionally that came rattliug through the
windows aud siding, but with little harm to
~. We lost but twO men, one from the lower
squad before entering the mill, and one was shot
through the head an the second story Of the
mill.
About l. o'clocl, Cos. 4 and D came and re-
| lieved Us. Lieut.. yelling. Of Co. A, was
seriously shot in the foot while relieving us.
lie was by my side when he fell Two of us
picked him upand carried him back to a shelter.
where he was put on a siretchcr and taken
back. lie altcrward had his foot amputatei
twice, lived for a few years, aud has since died
OF his wound. The next day Cos. + and III took
charge Of the mill aud lay under a CALLING fire
all day and part Of the next night.
The rebels left before morning. We followed
them several miles and moved our lines over
Peach Tree Creek. oar 80 men and three
I Serseants had a rest for "a week after, and felt
as though We were bigger than GEN Grant"
never felt better over any detail during NV
three years service than over this movement on
the Durant Mill.-JoHN ALGoE, Lieutenant
aud Captain, 10th Mich, Flint, Mich.