Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-10-16


colonel, who commanded the brigade, and
we were called attention. My company
was on the extreme right, and as l was a
tall, lathy youngster, / was in one of the
files on the right. l remember looking
down our line and noticing the different
expressions on the faces. Here and there
were the born soldiers-eager, excited, but
fearless; Others, seasoned veterans-they,
preparing for thecharge, in cool, business
like manner, many of them biting off a
fresh chew of tobacco. There were pale
faces and stupid faces, but / saw none that
looked like coward faces.
At the word We climbed the embank-
ment and emerged into the open ground.
In front of us was an open field that had
been covered with corn, but it was entirely
bare, except for occasional heaps of corn
stalks, piled up for fodder. A few hun
dred yards before US was a brigade of
Massachusetts, men, Just closing its ranks
to retire, and we moved rapidly up to take
their place, and wa then ordered to lie
down, while they uncovered our front.
From the front a sharp musketry fire was
kept up, and as the brigade before US
moved off by the flank l could see the
men drop off here and there, and l could
hear theit@ officers as they closed up the
broken files. Very proudly they marched
by us, and dressing their sets Of four as
If marchine to parade, and apparently in
different to the bullets singing about their
ears, Then We were ordered forward
again.
In front of us, and parallel to our charg-
ing line was the railroad track, and from
the ditch on the further side a brigade of
North Carolina troops kept up a lively fire,
but did not check our advance. Breaking
into a run, we reached the first ditch and
sprang over it to the track. A large part
of the North Carolina brigade had already
started toward the wood in their rear, but
as I looked up and down l saw hundreds
Of the dingy, grey-eoated fellows crOuched
in the bottom of the ditch, offering no
resistance. Many of them displayed
white handkerchietS on sword or bayonet
points in token of surrender, but in the
excitement ef the moment l saw some of
our men fire their rifles along the line of
the captured enemy, and such a shot could
hardly fail to find a human trrget.
The open space between the railroad and
tie wood was dotted with the broken
fragments of this brigade, and though our
line halted and opened fire, n number of
our men rushed forward, and as a result
we took many prisoners. 1t was only nee
eSsary, as a rule, to run up close to one of
the stampeded g~reycOat'S and to call out:
Go to the rear, Johnny to induce the
man to drop his rifle and turn back to our
line. But this was not always the case.
[ ran up near to a handsome yOnug officer
who was trOtting leiSurely toward the
woods, and gave him the usual hail. He
turned his head toward me, and with a
bright, ~goOd-natured smile, replied: ''Oh,
no." | halted and covered him with my
rifle, and called to him again, go to the
rear, or Pl shoot Again he looked
around, fearless and smiling, and shook
his head. Myduty was plain-he was not
thirty feet from me and l ought to shoot
him-but | couldn't do it. | fired away
over his head; he waved his hand to me
and dashed into the woods.
The edge of the woods was skirted by a
ditch for drainage, and those of us who
had advanced ahead of the brigade fOnud
shelter there for u few moments. Then
our line came up to us, and the entire bri-
gade entered the wood, advanced some dis
lance. and became holly engaged with a
Confederate line. There was little under
brush, and the timber was large, and our
fellows accepted the shelter it offered. /
found an stump which covered
two of us very well, and there we worked
away vigorously firing aU the dim gray line
in front of us. Once, while loading, my
my ramrOd was knocked away by a bullet
and | found another rifle in consequence.
The little group to which | was attached
was on the extreme right OF our brigade
and a little in front OF our general line.
After an hours work with my rifle | saw
that the force in front of us had closed up
its ranks and was advancing toward us. |
looked around and discovered that our bri-
I gade was in full retreat and already out OF
The woods. | called to my companions and
we left very promptly OF course, but did
not overtake the brigade until we reached
the sunken road. The enemy's line halted
i'm the edge of the wood and followed us
with their fire, but did not trouble IL
greatly.
On our way back to the sunken road |
noticed, a few rods to my left, a tub, made
by saving an old barrel in halves. 1t had
DfOhCtllN DtGl u>NA NDONl liz VI III OhNA
which we had been fighting. Behind this
tub was soldier III blue, and he seemed
to be maintaining the battle on his W
account. for | saw the smoke of his rifle
rs approached him, alone and in the
| open field. My hOyish curiosity would
! not allow me to pass him. When ! reached
his side | found a pleasant-taced, private
soldier, with both legs smashed above the
knees. 1t was evident that his wounds
were mortal. He replied very c~heertully
to my question as to his injury, and told
me he was us good rs dead and that 1t
was useless to attempt TO help him and
that he might rs we'll keep firing rs long
rs he could. He was afraid he had not
enough cartridges to last his time, how
ever. and begged for some OF mine. He
had no message to leave for any friend, nc
| told me. for he knew OF no one who would
be interested about him. Then he shook
hands with me, and begged me to leave,
rs it was useless for me to remain under
fire. Later i'm the day | looked for him.
He lay peacefully enough then-dead,
with his rifle still in his hands and two
cartridges beside him.
Under the shelter of the sunken road we
rested and reckoned up our losses. They
had been great, Of coarse, but the woods
had protected us, and we had not suffered
rs severely as many other commands
| Now. however. after the excitement OF
the battle, we suffered much from hunger
and more from thirst. The saltpetre from
the powder cracked our lips and added to
our thirst, and I saw men drink Greedlly
from the muddy water that stood in the
ruts made by the cannon wheels. Soon
I after. some of us were sent out to form a
| skirmish line in the cOrnfeld, but after
living under 4 desultory fire for an hour or
two we were recalled, and the brigade was
posted in a meadow still further to the
left. Here we were allowed 70 send out 4
party with cantecns, and we found plenty
of water.
That night, as we lay under our blank
cts, the skies were illuminated by the
most gorgeous northern lights have ever
seen. Not the mere flashes of yellow
Erl+ hat Sunarh sheets of crimson ana