Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1888-03-03
exchanged and permitted TO return to
| bettery in O short time.

~AN $500 ~ P
ped the stampede, News came from the
front that the enemy had been, checked.
Troops from the center and lett were
sen. to the support OF the right. General
Oarlin, with his brigade, charged the en-
envy several times, and drove them back,
but they as often returned and envelop-
ed his right flank, and he had to fall
back t o save being captured By oy,r-
whelmipg pnmbers. Sheridan did the
same, and hie noble division performed
wonders. By his skiIlful handling of
his troops, he buffeted the rebel tide
for three long hours, and thereby gave
General Roseorans time to form a rev
right wing. The valiant left was IN turn
assaulted, but in spite nf vast odds and
repeated ohsrgcsit beat OFF the rebel
this wing General HAGEN was the hero
driven Of the field our guns and men
were got together by lieutenant Gard
ner, who rode on to tho field with the
cavalry; and during the afternoon did
good service in Smelling the rebel cavalry
end other troops that threatened our
sight.
Night closed the contest and found
our army presenting an imposing and
terrible front to the victorious hosts of
out by its indomitable commander. They
had driven a right wing back 9 mile
and q half from it's first position; the
center 8 less distances; but the sturdy
left wing, protected on its left flank by
EkNnn Pruar ck,nflp 1a1I - r.o,-I E
Whereas in the morning. our whole
line of battle faced southeast and ex
tended in y southwest direction some
three miles, by the disaster to the right
wing, our great commander WIS COM
pellet to contract it, and act on the
defensive in o line rot greater than u
mile in length, with his right refused;
but it required the utmost efforts Of
our whole army all that long day to
beat back the on moving tide of rebels,
and this, mainly because of the criminal
carelessness of one man. Had General
mess to meet the enemy at daylight,
he could at least, have held them in
check till reinforcemepts could have
been sent him, and thus General Rose
Grams could have carried out his own
plan OF assailing Bragg's right and get
ting in his. rear. Bragg,s plan to as
snme the offensive at daylight end make
q grand right wheel With his right as O
pivot, was aided by the stupid piander
OF this man, and from this dereliction of
duty came the great disaster of the day
Upon McCook, also, rests q large thare
OF the blame, for not personally inspect
ing his line of battle before daylight
1 -, Z. f~- L.-n-aIf kl.-A N =
mand ives In readiness for the battle
that was on.
The night was clear end cold. The
men of our battery had become very
much scattered during and after the
charge made upon it by the cavalry
Many were missing, and we were q sac
lot of fellows. We knew our captain
waa lying on the field of battle, together
with several brave comrades, but we did
not know how many were captured and
injured during the cavalry charge. Quite
q number of in%iantrymen and cavalry
men and some from other batteries were
serying on our guns after they had beer
got together. We had horses from nearly
every battery in our corps.
Next day was New Years day, 1868
During the morning many of our lost
men found us, and were heartily glad tt
get back to their guns. Lieutenant
Humphrey returned about ten O'CLOCK
and took command OF the battery. Th,
rebels had chased him off towards Mach
vile, and he was cut off from the com
mand, SO that he had considerable troubl
In finding us again. The batter.
and placed on the extreme
right of the army and was supported b,
the shattered regiments OF our brigade
I will add here, that the day before,
do not think we could have got our gun
of the field when we had orders 30 re
treat, il it had not heen for the gal
liant ifty-ninth Illinois aiding us. A youni
captain wheeled his company out Of tn.
regimental line; and he, as we'll as hi
men, pnt their shoulders to the wheels
took hold of the prolongs, and rendere,
us valuable service. The fi~fty-nintl
was the only regiment that I saw march
ing off the field in such q manner as
had imagined a we'll disciplined reg
ment would. 1t was q small regiment
but one of the steadieat I ever saw un
der fire.
About IN hour after sunrise, the rebel
began an attack on our center With artil
ilery and small arms, but it was met wit
such spirit that they soon retired fror
the contest.
Late in the afternoon Bragg massed
column OF attack on our right, but find
ing MS prepared to give them a war;
reception, did not order it forward.
Other than this, there was little fight
ing except between the skirmish line
whSoh kept ups lively clatter all day
and an occasional artillery duel. Evident
ly all Bragg desired to find out was, j
We were whipped and on retreat. Sue
o purpose was foreign ~ Rosecrsnl
mind.
At o council OF war the night before
when some Of the tlmid generals counsel
ed retreat, Rosecrans settled the aues
ton by the positive statement: aSentie
men, vi fight or die right here" Their
was no chance to misunderstood thes
plain-spoken words and each genera
knew what was, expected of him.
The Id day of January, 1.-THE third da,
of battle there was again short but heay,
~caDnonading In the center of our lines
Towards noon the enemy made q fem
on our right, but finding we we're aler,
retired. During this time, about q Is
men OF the fourteenth Alabama that wer
skirmishing with our men, threw dow,
their arms, and came ever to our line,
!. 1 heard them shout to our men adon'
shoot" and saw them running over.
Toward evening, Negley's division
which had joined us on the right, t
turned to the left wing. One division
Van Cleve's had been thrown aoross til
river and formed IN two lines. With j
i uuan Ga~tnsn TN-n~rr Ahs~l V1sanz~c.