River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1886-07-15

''Don I enOOt the pluCky little ankeE, which
came from the confederate saulting col
Umn the instant before tie two rushing
charges OF canister tore through their
ranks caused a momentary check that enabled
Frank and Sergeant Wvman to plug the vent
holes with rat tail files Yes, Frank got away,
confederate bulletkil ed Wyman as he jumped.
The JOhnnic's never fred a shot from Frank :
big rifles. although th ground was strewn with
ammunition. In three quaters Of an hour.
Frank had his guns ain. The General OLogan)
the old I'd Div. Nersey's brigade OF Gen.
Dodge's 10th Corps and Gen. Wood with his
first Division OF the 18TH, did the work. Five
minutes after 20 pOuI der shells were going out
OF the guns toward a poi where they were u.
BILE TO do most goOdy These same old CUR
cave the one burst that afternoon using doublt
ratiOns Of percussion shells. made the march TO
the sea. SavanBahs fortifcations suffered from
them. the Capitol building Columbia 5. c. yet
bears the she'll mark Of DeGress funs. zen.
sherman said they were worth their weight in
gold. 1T was a beautiful moonlight night.
that night OF the 2and, Iotallng" said the col,
and in caring for my wounded, and looking TO
the welfare Of my boys never saw field so
thickly strewn with the faces OF the
dead. thought OF you then, Colonel Hotalling,
and OF the order you brought US that the 4th Div.
must retake those rifle pits IL we lost half our
men in doing go. Il was in Battery A" said he
Colonel Hotaing. ''The General sent me to
Morgan l.. Smith. to aid him in holding that line.
| was fond OF Battery A. II was originally the
was with Grant, at Belmont, Il and A comprised
the Artillery there. Peter Wood had Il al Shi-
loh, it was with US at Nicksburgh, and at Mission
Ridge, was the battery opposite HowelFs guns.
This day ! stood by the right section,
talking to Lieut.. Smyth. and thought
we had repnlsed the massed attack. We had,
but it only the first line, the powder
smoke was so dense and was STOPPING to look
under the cloud when the second line OF Confed's.
poured over our works and through the cut,
gaining our rear. our battery horses were be-
ing shot down. Lieut.. Dutch took IN the sltua-
ton at glance, those OF his men who heard his
order TO git, and fOlowd him, escaped. / can't
say precisely how did get of, but one thing l
do remember that II occurred TO me IL hurried
should probably go to Atlanta, so "sorter'
sauutered of disregarding calls for surrender,
surrender" goti nto the rayine by the csissons
and rallied some Of our boys, got them 10 shoot
ing; then picked up another squad so that by
the time heard cid Col. Mersey's Dutch pro-
family had perhaps couple Of hundred OF our
boys busy and Morgan l.. and LightbOurne and
the other officers were doing the same. The
scene IN the panorama described what happen
ed Immediately after, better than can tell 1t.
To me il is simply wonderful and feel every
old soldier Of the Army Of the Tennessee and his
friends, IL they knew what hey would see,
would gladly travel hundreds of miles 10 visit
the panorama. Sergeant Sweenie says that one
Of his gunners threw himself across Lieut..
RObb's dead body, feigned death, and laid there
Then he jumped up and got gun, The Rev
Sam Jones and sam Small came in the other
day said Col Hotallipg. They were both too
young to remember the scenes OF twenty years
ago although they instautly recognized every
point In the distant landscape and commented
on its truthfuluess, but tie moment they were
told what houses now stand on the ground near
by us here, they added roads and houses so rap
idly that was surprised TO see how thoroughly
they knew the ground which is now the little
town OF Edgewood, and yet the battle field and
its scenes which 70 familiar 10 Us veterans
was quite unintelligihle to them. although natives
to the manor born. You would be surprised
could you listen a. do to the never ending
stories and incidents that are provoked and told
concerning the ground before Us. That cloud
OF dust which fills the air and partly wells Stone
Mountain. has clear significance to most old SOL
diers Nothing but wagon or heavy bodies OF
cavalry, could create that cloud OF dust. The
whole army train was in that vicinity, more than
600 wagons moving from Roswell, to guard
which, one small brigade had been placed at
Decatur. II was a brigade Of veterans, Jersey
men, Wisconsin, Ohio and Illinois, we're in that
brigade Of Col. Sprague's. The attack delivered
upon it by WheeleF's cavalry corps, was vigor-
Gus and well sustained. Wheeler, in his report,
states that he could not with his cavalry, dis
lodge the division OF infantry (n fact there were
not Thousand muskets.} But Sprague was
there. and got his well earned star that day.
Claddcks Jerseymen would not drive, and
NOulu not Ihll Dhch thlA SiTaSut4 WIZ ttaTs
streaming down his cheeks, begged them for
Gods sake. 10 do so. Sprsgue knew OF a cross
road, and should be lose this regiment, az he in
eyitably must II it did not fall back, there was
every probability Of the ultimate destruction OF
his command. But Col. Jerry Rusk was bat
ting back charge and assault, and held the
ground until his Wisconsin boys were Joined by
the Jerseymen. Every man in Sprague's bril-
gade was a hero that day. They held the crack
er line, which that night, was safe behind the
solid front of the armies OF the Cumberland, and
the Tennessee. And there comes Logan, too, as
Iifelike as he looked On that dav "