The National tribune., 1886-04-29

ward-Marchl" had not gone 100 yards through
the woods before we met the celebrated Stonewall
Brigade, utterly routed and fleeing fast as they
could run. (Series !, Vol. XII, Part 2 War Of the
Rebellion Records, PIP. 222 and 223)
This wild, impetuous charge across the wheat
field has done more than any one could have
dreamed to be possible. The brigade of Gar
nett driven like chat, Taliaferro's Brigade and
half Of Early's stampeded and put to rout, and
after that the same men, or, rather. the rem
nant of them, send the Stonewall Brigade OF
five Virginia regiments flying to the rear " as
fast as they could run!"
After ordering Branch to take his brigade to
the rescue, Jackson dashes among his dis
ordered and broken forces, and drawing his
sword for the first time during the war, ex-
claims "i in clear, ringing tones that were heard
above the roar of the battle, Rally, brave men,
and press forward!
YOUR GENERAL WILL LEAD YOU!
Jackson will lead you! Follow mel" Branch
comes up with his brigade 9th, 18th, 20th, 33d
and 37th n. c. Of A. 2. Hills Light Division,
and checks the pursuit of the Stonewall Brl-
gade by Crawford's men. The Stonewall 'Bri-
gade and portions of Garnetts rally, unite, and
with Branch bear down upon the hitherto victo-
rious troops of Crawford. Shattered, wearied and
disorganized, their field officers all down, most
of their company officers and many of the men
either killed or wounded, with no one to help,
they fight on, and giving ground sullenly and
slowly, nearly surrounded, fanked on both
right and left, with fragments of Garnetts Bri-
gade in their rear, they cut their way back to
the edge of the woods by the wheatfeld, not
more than 80 minutes from the time they
started on the charge from the opposite wooa
All that soldiers can do in the way OF fig -
ing they have done, and their only chance Of
escape from death captivity is to cross that
fatal wheatfield once more exposed to a terrific
fire from Branch, Garnett and Ronald, with
Archer-1St, 9TH and 14th Tenn, 18th Ga and
5th Ala. battalion-on Branch's left, and Pen
der, with the 10th, 22d, 34th and 3Sth N. c.,
rapidly coming up on Archers left.
Thirteen regiments and one battalion of
Hills Division, with the collected fragments of
Garnetts and the Stonewall Brigade, swooping
down like an eagle upon this brave, devoted,
but shattered band of heroic men-all that
are left of the 1906 officers and men that en-
tered that wheatfield on the eastern side scarce
half an hour agoi Every field officer and a
large majority of the line officers are killed,
wounded or prisoners, as well as hundreds of
the rank and file.
But, leaving them here, we return to the 10th
Me, which was ordered to support Best's bat
terry in rear of the woods in which Crawford's
men formed for the charge. The four guns of
Best which We are supporting are near the
Orange and Culpeper road and we are in line at
right angles with the read, with our left per-
haps $50 yards to the rear of the road. Lieut..
Muhlenburg, commanding Best's battery, has
his hands full; Latimer's battery, on the slope
OF Cedar Mountain, near the mansion house OF
Slaughter, gives him more than he wants,
aided by the batteries on Early's right.
Gen. Banks is for a while in plain sight of
Us, as he calmly takes survey from near Muh-
lenburgs guns, and though shot and shell fall
all around him he does not move.
Meantime the 10Th Me.is lying on the ground
and waiting.
THE ROAR OF MUsKETRY
in front is fierce and furious, while off to the
left it is kept up in increasing volume. Shot
and shell and spherical case from Latimer pour
down on Muhlenburg. Our attention is divid-
ed. We hear crash after crash of musketry in
our front, with the Union cheer or rebel yell
now nearer, now more remote and while fol-
lowing in Imagination our brave comrades in
front, comrade digs his elbow into my side
and points to the battery. 1t is having hard
time Of it, and the oyershots from Latimer are
falling in dangerous proximity to US. Now a
shell explodes over the battery, and some of
the fragments strike into the ground in our
rear. Then come spherical case aud for long
way just in rear of our toes the dust rises in
clouds as the missiles strike the ground. With
an involuntary impulse each one crawls ahead
a few feet, and we almost burrow into the hot
sand to get out of their way.
A slight change to the right of the muzzle of
that gun would have sent that charge of case
shot along the whole left wing of the 10th Me-!
Afraid? Not exactly; but it isn't pleasant!
One moment drags its slow movement after an
other, and still we lie and wait! How hard it
is to wait as we waited, those only who have
done so can imagine. Minutes seem to be hours.
They have leaden wings with which to fly.
The suspense is a far greater strain on ones
nerves than would be the hardest actual con-
fict
At last Maj. Perkins, of Gen. Banks's staff,
comes up to Col. Beal and orders him to ad-
vance through the woods and attack the ene-
my At the word we spring to our feet and,
Forward into line! Guide right!" we
pass through the narrow belt of woods that sep
arates US from the wheatfeld. Arriving at the
edge Of the woods we get our first look at the
field of battle. From where we have been all
we could see was the four guns of Best and their
men. In our front is the wheatfeld with the
grain cut and shocked. The ground deseends for
about 300 yards with slight undulations till
it comes to small marshy run, then rises
slightly for 20 TO so yards when the woods
again commence. At the edge of the woods is
rail fence. On our right, distant some 400
yards, the northern end of the field is bordered
by bushes 10 or II feet high. To our left some
$50 or 300 yards is the Culpeper road, and to
the left Of the road, on ridge seeming to run
parallel with the road, we see Geary's men
IN A DESPERATE CONFLICT
with the rebels. In one place the color-bearers
have stuck their fagstafs in the ground, and
are loading and firing rapidly and well. There
seems to be no regular line of battle. but it
looks as if the Ohio boys had been forced to re-
tire from an advanced position and had here
made up their minds that they would halt, and
the pursuing Johnnies were trying to drive
them further to the rear, apparently with no
success The southern edge Of the opposite
woods, next to the road, is alive with men, and
many of our brigade are coming out and pass
ing diagonally across the field to our right.
The rebels arc coming rapidly up on our right
'front.' and the whole field looks like an unsafe
place for nervous person.
We make no halt, but in such times one sees
much in glance. The writer is on the ex-
treme left of the regiment; he has good oppor-
tunity to see what is going on in the center of
our lines. As we emerge from the woods Col
Beal, mounted, leads us on, and at his command
we give three down-E East cheers" in that
narrow strip Of cleared land, which had already
seen SO many fall, and was yet to be soaked
with the blood of the best and brave5t of Maine's
sons. We have two field four staff, and 20
company officers, and 435 enlisted men with
which to withstand the brigades of Branch
Pender and Archer, with such fragments of
Garnetts and the Stonewall Brigades as have
been rallied by their officers. The fire of these
troops is terrific. 1t seems impossible for man
to advance 90 yards without being hit The
dust rises all over the field iii little pufs, where
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