The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-02-14

away with their hands what abatis there was in
front Of the intrenchments, and carried the line
at all points. Inside the intronchments there
ensued a desperate hand-to.hand conflict with
the bayonet and dubbed muskets. The charge
proper was all over In q few minutes, and re-
suited in the capture of over four Thousand
prisoners comprising the whole OF Johnson's
division OF Ewells CORPS including twenty
pieces Of artillery and thirty stand OF colors.
The remainder of the rebel force in the salient
retreated in great confusion Flushed with their
success, the troops could not be restrained. but
pushed the flying enemy through the woods, in
the direction of Spottsylvania Courthouse. At
the distance of nearly half a mile they came up
against fresh line of breastworks. There the
enemy quickly rallied on their reserves. and, as
Stunning the offensive threw back the pursuing
Union troops on the captured line but the men
rallied on the right and left of the works in the
| salient. and stubbornly resisted all attempts to
dislodge them. The confederates, by this time
reinforced by heavy masses, began an impetu-
GUS assault to retake the lost line.
What with the natural confusion Of a charge
OF this kind and the taking of SO many prison
ers, ali lines and formations were completely OBJ
liberated. The men Of the different companies,
regiments and brigades in the frat line at the
charge were inextricably mixed up with tho
look at General johnson, who was sullen and
morose as man cheated out of good dinner.
The prisoners were q ragged-looking delegation,
and assumed a very defiant air. My regiment
THE Eiehty-fourth Pennsylvania) belonged to
Motifs division, and we formed the second line
in the charge. supporting Birney. When it be-
came apparent that the first line of the assault
ing column had penetrated the enemys intrench-
ments, sweeping everything before them
n person. sads ordered s our line
front Of the line calling aloud for
General Mott, wanting to know ''why in hell
that line didn't move" and then, in stentorian
voice. himself gave the order, Forward! double
quick" and away we went in the direction Of the
first line. Hancock was here, there, everywhere,
giving orders and greatly excited. think he
rode fine black charger. recollect distinctly
that one leg of his trousers was torn almost off,
and his bare leg, from the thigh down to the
boot, was exposed. Before our line had advanced
reserve artillery to fill up the gap made in their
line by the capture of Johnsons division, and
the shrieking shells went tearing through our
ranks thick and fast Most of the shells went
moved forward under such a shower Of grape
and canister. The ground in our front was open,
with nothing but heavy underground to impede
the movement of the troops. We suffered very
little from the musketry fire at the time, for the
range was too long to do much execution.
The extreme front Of the salient occupied by
the enemy reached to she edge of dense wood.
where they had felled timber and constructed
excellent earthworks somewhat after the style of
building log house, with earth we'll thrown up
off, therefore, like stalls in q stable the compart
ments being formed by the timbers which sup
ported the other timbers, which. with the earth,
constituted splendid protection for the men
column Of assault the woods squared off
with a parallel line to that of the
charging troops. In the rear of the enemy
were dense woods; in the front an open country,
gradually descending to the public road from
whence the Union line was formed to make the
| a ri h IF ha ~ in ho AMI
the woods squared off again at q right angle,
making an open space probably six hundred
yards in width along the battle line. and extend
ing back about two hundred yards in the direc-
tion of SpottSyvania Court house, and in the
direction of the main line of defense of the en-
envy. The right of my regiment reached almost
to the woods occupied by the enemy, and ex-
tending to the left across the face Of the open
country to another woods. with nothing to shell
ter us from the fire but low earthworks thrown
up at intervals by the rebels for the protection
of their artillery. There the Union line halted
and remained at close quarters with their antag
onists for about twenty hours, or until daylight
on tho morning of the 18th. On the right of the
woods and In the open space in front Of my regi
ment, were a number of pieces of artillery with
caissons. abandoned by the enemy in the first
charge, and now between the two battle lines.
One OF these pieces was a brass twelve FOUNDER,
just within reach Of the Union line, and the in
fantry boys fired it at the enemy until the am
munirion was exhausted Here. at this piece,
the rebel sharp shootcrs kept picking off our
men all day long, and by sunset the ground
about the cannon was literally covered with the
Union dead.
My regiment was 80 much crowded for space
behind the captured earthworks that every thing
which afforded any shelter from bullets was
made to do duty in lieu of better Notifications
We were within such short range of each other
that no one dared to straighten himself out from
a reclining position without incurring the risk of
being picked off by the rebel sharp-shooters, who
could see every movement of each individual SOL
der. One of the artillery horses of the enemy
had been shot through its hind legs and lay just
in the rear of the right of our regimental line.
The animal still able to rise on its fore legs
in its violent efforts to get up. The colonel the
major and myself were hugging the earth as
close as possible behind the body of this horse,
which we gladly availed ourselves of as shelter
or fertilization. The struggles of the wounded
animal TO gain its feet annoyed us considerably,
so the colonel took his pistol and finished the
work of death, for the double purpose of putting
the quadruped out of suffering and affording US
much-needed shelter from searching fire. In
our immediate front. unobscured by anthng but
the smoke Of battle, the Johnnies Gefantly
Haunted rebel flag in our faces all the long day.
Many poor fellow lost his life exposing his per
son in order to get good aim at that rebel
standard The captured artillery piece was
brought to bear on it, but like the star spaneled
banner at Fort McHenry. in the war of 1912,
there it continued to float defantly to the breeze
until nightfa!l put stop to the firing
just on the right of my regiment, and extend
ing along the edge of the woods for half mile,
the Union line actually used the front Of the rebel
Notifications for protection. the confederate
troops OCCUPYING the inner or opposite side. This
is not exaggerated in the least. Here all day and
all night long the Union line kept I'D an unceas-
ing and never-faggng fire. which prevented the
enemy from sticking up their heads far enough
to see what was in front of them The orders
to the Union troops along this part of the line
were to keep un constant musketry firing No
artillery could be used on either side Ammuni-
ton was dragged up to the front by men crawling
on their bellies and about two hundred rounds
per man were used at this point During the day
the Sixth Corps and part Of Warren's were
sent to the aid of the Second Corps. General
Lee seemed determined to retake, at any cost.
the line wrested from him, and throughout the
day made not less than five heavy and persistent
assaults, each of which was in succession re-
pulsed. Truly, it was one of the most desperate