Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1886-05-29

ling OF artillery. It seemed to Inc that 7
could hear No. / impatiently tap with sponge
staff on the blackened muzzles Of the brass
guns, as he called for canister, and more
canister, and still more canister. We were
sufficiently near TO feel the wind OF the guns
| looked back. We had not advanced far.
The dead lay in winrows. Wounded men
were staggering over the field, and falling in
ones, twos and threes, rs they came together
for aid, between the lines Of dead. The men
hesitated. They realized that they could not
carry the works. Their line officers tried to
hold them. They staggered 4 few feet nearer
the Federal line. firing wildly the while, to
be scorched by the hot breath OF cannon and
rifles. They wavered badly, tried to hold
on. then broke and ran for cover. We were
under fire for about ten minutes, and one
third of our division, Reynolds, was killed
or wounded. Stunned, bewildered and hor-
ribly disappointed, we gathered in a pro
tected position and were speedily reformed.
We were allowed to rest for awhile.
'Of course The Planned simultaneous at
tack by several columns had failed. Of
course they did not get off together. They
went i'm one after the other, and they were
all whipped. Again we were formed into
charging column. Our officers briefly ex-
planned the necessity of carrying the works.
We swore to take them or die in the attempt.
All said Thomas, 1T is easy to swear to do
things When you are not under fire, but
hard. exceedingly hard, to accomplish them
We rushed TO tie assault again, again to be
met by "A fire the heat Of which warped Us
out of line. 1t seemed to me that the air
was so full Of bullets that | could nave
caught some by simply grabbing Oh either
side or above me. We advanced close to the
works. and again webroke and fed for cover.
The Yankees, now tn orouchly angry, and
merciless, began to shoot at every living OBJ
iect within range of their rifles. Wounded
Confederates, who moved n leg or IN arm,
were instantly selected as targets, and were
literally shot to pieces.
Darkness descended and still the battle
torn Confederates were formed into chary-
ing columns and launched against the Van
kee works. We advanced, stumbling over
our dead and wounded. The latter shrieked
as we trod on their mangled limbs. Powder
smoke hung over the field in clouds. which
reflected the lurid fire that b.azel along the
Yankee parapets. Eight o'clo *, 9 o'clock.
$3.50 and we are still fighting, still dying, still
trampling our dead and wounded comrades
into the earth. Then we gave it up. We
had made five desperate charges. Pat Gle
burnes men had made six and he fell dead
while leading the last. Every general officer
in the army. excepting Hood, was killed Or
wounded. Our losses had run high up in the
thousands. We stacked our arms and lay
down. All night our wounded comrades
crawled off OF the field and sought comfort
and rest and water among their unhurt
brothers. Men with one leg trailing on tho
-.L - SLaa, AkA,.. .tsl -.fns q arnl
shoulders, o. torn e~ntrails, or gnastly flesh
wounds. or with smashed jaws, or eyes shot
out would crawl, walk or be led into our
ranks, where they would sink beside us and
murmur: Il am glad to get home to you. 1t
was hell itself, boys!' And they wo1.3 -ipk
into sleep or death.
1--WE were awake early the next morning
to discover that the Yankees bad crossed the
river during the night, and were probably
well on their way towards Nashville. We
were mighty glad they had gone. Hood
seemed to be stupefed at the disaster that
had bcfallen Us. He allowed his discouraged
army to remain in camp by that bloody bat
tlefield. The men, already dispirited and
doubtful of his ability as a commander. were
permitted to roam at will over tie corpse
strewn field. / never before or after saw
such d frightful battle ground. Many of the
dead were shot to shreds. And / saw scores
OF men who had been wounded-legs broken
probably-who had put their thumbs into
their mouths and had chewed them into
shreds 10 keep from crying, coward-like, rs
they lay exposed to the merciless fire of the
Yankees, waiting for death to keep them
from voicing their fear. Franklin was the
only battle ground l ever saw where the
faces of the majority OF the dead expressed
supreme fear and horror. Dead mems faces
were drawn awry. Their eyes were wide
open and fear-staring. Their very atti-
tudo as they lay prone on the ground
with extended, earth-clutching fingers, and
with their faces practically buried in the
soil, told the tale of mental agony they had
endured before death released them. Ana.
then, the chewed thupbs, showing the dire
fu! necessity they had to brace themsel yes
TO receive death, was inexpres sibly affect
ing.
1.-THE repeated disasters we had encountered
under Hood had dampcned our arior. The
unwise rambling of our men over the battle
field Of Franklin broke their spirit. We
would not fight at Nashville; we lost that
field because the ~sTecter of Franklin, livid,
with distorted features, with blood stream
ing wounds, with CHASTITY, horror stricken
eyes, chewing and crunching its thumb,
stalked among US 1t was in the columns as
we marched. 1t rode astride of the Napo-
leon guns, 1t sat by our camp fires. 1t
stood in the trenches at Nashville. 1t lay in
the rifle pits o nights"
Thomas ceased talking, and looked in
tently and s~orrowfully into the fire, as
though he were searching for the faces Of
the comrades no had lost. l did not intrude
on his grief, but quietly rolled myself in my
blankets and lay down, not to sleep. but TO
think of the horrors OF the war and Of the
bloody fields in Virginia, on which had
worked at a lannon's muzzle.
FRANK WILKINSON.
NEW YORK, Nav %.