The National tribune., 1888-05-10

sleep: but soon the familiar command
Fall in Fall in 3" rung out IN the morn
ing air, and we We're again going forward
Entering the woods to our left we were deployed
in line of battle aud soon reached an open field,
where we encountered the rebel skIrmishers
and a battery to the right, but we advanced
across the field and into the woods again, and
halted and commenced q temporary line OF
works with rails from fence at the edge OF
the field we had Just passed. The left of our
brigade the Third was short distance west
of the chapel and fronting south, when we
discovered the enemy advancing on US through
the woods in great force, and we laid low and
awaited their approach.
Within five minutes the storm was upon Us,
coming down the line from our right like a
cyclone, and our brigade was holly engaged.
We kept up destructive fire for some time,
when the enemy fell back repulsed and terribly
punished. During this engagement our MAJOR
(Iurphy, Of the 29th No. fell, with bullet
through his left breast mortaly wounded. /
quickly cot a stretcher and we bore him back
to the ambulances amid a shower OF shot and
shell. which appeared to be doing more execu-
tiOn here than on the front line.
Fastening to the front again, we found the
enemy advancing in another charge, more
desperate, if possible, than before. But the re-
suit was the same. The casualties so far IN
our command were insignificant compared with
ing our line without skirmishers IN ad-
vance Of their line. During the fight had
laid aside my knapsack while assisting the
Major of the field, and some one got away with
it; so ! resolved to try and get another, If /
had TO 90 TO the front and demand one from the
rebels. Acting on this suggestion / soon ven
tured out some 80 yards among the small pines
in our front, when, great heavens! what a
sight of dead men l beheld there; they lay
in windows, as though cut down like grass be-
fore a scythe The carnage was awful indeed.
While wounded men were calling for assistance
I observed a movement of the live rebels to our
lett and front short distance, so l concluded
to get within our lines as quick as possible. AT
the same I noticed good -sized knapsack on
the back of q dead Sergeant of the 18th La.
hastily cut a strap and walked in with the KNAPP
sack just in time to escape being caught be-
tween two fires, as the enemy were by this
time advancing in another charge, while our
men were waiting to receive them. Again they
were beaten back, and made no further attempt
on that part of the line
I made an excellent exchange in knapsacks
the captured one contained good outfit
Among other articles were couple OF fine
wool blankets, nearly SO in gold and silver
coin, besides quantity of Confederate money
which I graciously divided with the prisoners
as / had already more of the stgf than
needed.
The old First Division, Fifteenth Corps, sus
tanned its reputation on this occasion as stayers
/ Gen. r. J. Osterhaus, in command, displayed
+ great courage and GOODNESS, while our brigade
and regimental commanders were on the alert
/ from first to last. The brigade to our right
with the I03d H. connecting, surely had q
+ lively time during the melee, as did the Sd and
18th No. on our left, where the shells were
/ popping thick and fast throughout the entire
engagement.
/ Prisoners taken and dead and wounded cared
/ for represented the 18th, 9Th, 18th and Both La
/ as our opponents, and no drawer men ever
! lived than they. Smarting. no doubt with the
/ thought Of their recent defeats at Peach Tree
4 Creek and Atlanta, they fought with a de
4 termination 10 win at all hazards but the ole
+ Fifteenth Corps was there as a stone wall, with
4 Gen. John A. Logan at the head, and we neYel
for a moment faltered.
Ezra Chapel was the final engagement neal
Atlanta that led to the capture of that strong
hold. L. TIsDALE, 29th NO, Chillicothe
/ No