The National tribune., 1888-07-05
FIGHTING THEM OVER.
What Our Veterans Have TO Say About
Their Old Campaigns
Their Old Campaigns.
BATTLE OF EZRA CHURCH
A Coree-Cooler,s Experience.

and kitchens, my mess had gObbled q coffee
boiler large enough TO hold more OF that SOL
diers' precious tonic than Bragg and Warner
could both drink in week, though ! would
not vouch for it if filed with the genuine old
"commissary." Well, we cOdee-cOocrs took
turns to carry this huge coGee-boiler, and the
day Of the battle II happened to be my turn TO
tote it. which ] did, fastened on my gum
blanket and swung around on the. middle
Of my back. Gen. LightbuTn had but re-
Gently taken command of orr squad, and per
haps thinking Us somewhat awkward, lie
thought IL best to put Us through little drill
So early in the morning he marched rs quite
ways through the woods and underbrush IN
line of battle Then commenced 4 series OF the
most wonderful eyo!utiOns on record. We
marched straight 10 the front, right-about TO
the rear, flied to the right, then to left left
obligue, right-obligue, left fanked, right flank
ed in short, having exhausted Hardee's tao
tics, aud his own, too, for that matter, as well
as our patience, he halted US somewhere IN
the Southern Confederacy. / have often
thought since that the JOhnnies and 1ankS
were playing the game Of hide and seek that
morning, or perhaps both parties were trying
TO find Ezra Church aud got lost IN the brush.
All this time Bragg's coffee boiler chung tenaci-
ously TO my back, catching IN the brush and
brieTs, which made me think none the more OF
Lightburn' drill, ! assure you. The 54th Ohio
was depiOyed on the right as skIrmlshers.
would say the extreme right, but am afraid
that some comrade Of the 18th Ohio viii " rise
up and call me blessed aud say that his regi-
ment was so far to the right that il left Dutch
gap between il and ours that the S7th and 47th
Ohio only could ill Well, boys, if am wrong,
we VIII refer that matter TO the committee on
planting flags on Lookout Mountain Rich
mond hen-rOOsts, etc. / am not writing up
every regiment in the Fifteenth Corps, but
simply the 54th Ohio and my cOffec-pot /
Al nwfrA
We had advanced but 4 short distance when
Col Moore wanted some of the boys to climb
some tall trees aud look for JOhnnies on the
other side Of a hill IN our front. Another fel
low and myself threw of our traps and skinned
mp the trees. We had just got comfortably
seated Tor observation when ZipZp ping
ping! told US plainly the rebels could see Us, if
We could not see them, and that we were
little too high Tor health. We hustled down
as lively as we could, donned ouraceoutermentsi
not forgetting the cOHee-pot, and Joined our
comrades, who had found the rebel skiTmish-
ers posted behind some stone piles, log house,
blacksmith shop cOTn-criD and rail fence. Talk
about your officers leading and encouraging
their men IN time OF battle; tell you we most
generally fought on our own hook, ~ least We
did on this occasion.
Some Of Us moved TO the right and others to
the left Of the stone piles and buildings, pour
ing IN a close, well-directed fire. cheering aud
encouraging each other at thesame time. Com
rades fell badly wounded around US, but still
we pressed Oh. The game was in front and
Each felt as though himself were he
On whose sole aim hung victory
The rebels finding themselves hanked, slowly
fell back, disputing every foot Of the ground.
As We took possession Of their line we cast our
eyes 10 the front, and there a sight met our
gaze thaU I never hall forget.
At the edge Of the woods, about 300 yards
distant, i looked to NE as though the whole
Southern COn!edeTacy stood IN compact line Of
battle, Far as the eye could reach 10 the right
and let stood that mingled line Of yellow and
gray, ia all the pomp, splendor aud circum-
stance Of glorious war Hood was about 10
make another mighty effort 10 crush Sherman.
and THIS was the living cyclone that he was ia
the act o. hurting against him. We halted,
gave them yolley, which they noticed no fur
ther than 20 close up their ranks and advance
toward rs. As we fell back past the buildings
and stone pile we gave them another yOlley.
To this they deigued a reply, and such storm
and Whiz 81 bullets j never heard before nor
since. Ten thousand muskets belcbed forth
their hery Deaths and for time the air seemed
literally filed with lead. How any OF Us
escaped has always been wonder 10 me. We
fell back a. rapidly as cur war harness would
permit. j never did such poor running in my
life; and that coiI5c-boileri how / wished it
was z shield or bullet proof. Every moment
expected 10 get 3 bullet into il; and how it re-
tarded mv lyc9mOtionl / was tempted dozen
times % throw il, gun. traps, and everything
else 20 the jghlnIes. They came 60 close that
they called rs pet names and ordered Us 10
Lalt, Dut We were under Saerman's orders and
did not obey Hood worth a cent.
On nearing car lines we were obliged 10 fall
down and crawl on our hands and knees, our
men 6riug over olr heads Or course, we were
badly scattered; some Of the boys aud myself
fell ia with an Illinois regiment. / have for
gotten thc number, but ! shall never forget how
IL fought The voiiey checked the exultant
foe aud gave as little breathing spell, which
was improved 10y the ordnance boxes being
brought TO the front at full gallOp, knocked
70 pieces and the cartridges strewed along on
the ground. Now commenced the death strug-
gle between Onion and treason. Charge after
charge was made by these mazsCd forces on our
single Inc, bul was met and Teuulsed by the
uudaunted codee-cOOlers with a fearful ssugh-
ter Oar guns would get SO hot that we could
not hold them. Three times when the rebels
were crlyeu back we let them cool, and twice
poured water ia them 70 clean them out.
Al one tine when the rebels had met with
. bloody tepulse We were letting our guns
cool ana peeuDg intcuuy into the dense smoke.
During tAls short cessation they Lad massed
their forces IN deep, heavily timbered ravine
IN cur 'front.' aud under cover Of the smoke had
silently moved up close TO cur line. An omi-
nous stiffness Ike that which preccdes the
dreadful storm prevailed, and as the battle
curtain rolled slowly Up il showed their COM
pact lines Of yellow aud gray standing at a
rightsaOulLer shift, COoily taking IN the stu.
alton aud mentally calculating how long il
would take 10 g05b.c as up. Our front rank
Was kpcellng, rear rank standing. The front
rank fired just as they were taking aim The
slaughter was terrible. They seemed to melt
like wax igurcs ia the fame Still they raj
lied closed Up their bleeding shattered ranks
and rushed forward with a dreadful yell only
70 meet whitening yOllcy from the rear rank
which swept through their dense lines like
sword blades, causing them 20 stagger and fall
IN all directions. Human valor could stand Il
no longer they became completed y-demoralized
aud amidst the confusion the cofiee-cooleTg
pushed out among them, capturing quite 3
number and several battlefags. Right here
permit me 10 mention q little incident 10 cal
into notice heroic cOmTade Of my own com
pany, as well as 10 prove that Gen Washing
ton was not the only man that seemed 20 beal
charmed life. During the many charges and
EepHises had noticed a rebel officer mounted
on beautiful white horse making great effort,
70 rally has men. Singing HIM out / tool
deliberate aim. i won't SAY, ike Washington,
Indian, that fred IL times; bat did IRE til
got disguised and then called on Comrade
Wilson Allison. We took position further I,
the front behind a large tree, and commenced
iusilade on the same officer aud white horse
One would Ere and the other watch the result
Il