The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-08-09
Aarrlson's charge at Resaca.

Many interesting extracts might be made
from the portion of Harrison's biography de-
voted to the career of the soldier and states
man, butthese phases of the candidates char
acteI have already been so fully exploited in
the columns of the press that their main fea-
lures are well known. Let it suffice, therefore,
to give General Wallace's account of Harri-
sons famous charge upon the Confederate
batteries at Resaca:
''To General Ward, of the First Brigade,
there presently rode an officer with the order
was pointed out to him as the one against
which he was to direct his column. Without
loss Of time the order was repeated to Colon
ell Harrison, who, appreciating the work be-
fore aim, paused to give some directions.
Seeing the impossibility of making way
through the woods and dense undergrowth
on horseback, he ordered general dismount
of field and staff officers, and diSm0unted
himself. He also made up his mind that 1t
would be difficult, if not absolutely impossi-
BILE, to preserve his line; once fairly within
the grove of young pine trees he would be un-
able to see room right to left of his regiments
if the Captains could do better with their
companies, they might congratulate them
selves. The colors were to be displayed TO
the best advantage as a centre about which
the men were to mass themselves, and by
which they were to govern their advance,
He said to the officer who brought him the
order: i am not familiar with the ground !;
you are. Go with me and show me the bat
terry / do not want to charge flank ON to it,
The two then started to reconnoiter. The
report of a gun saved them the trouble.
Diyining the direction from the she'll which
passed over his head, Harrison called out so
as to be heard by the line behind him, 4" Come
on. boys" and started down the hill.
"The brigade, with great shout, put itself
in motion, arms at right shoulder shift and
all the flags raised to the utmost. The crash
of the five regiments through the under
brush, the rush and tear, must be imagined.
Seeing so large body or men in the act
of charging, the rebels upon the opposite
crest opened upon it with great guns and
small The target was large, no need to take
aim. Under the sharp zip, zip of the bull
lets and the singing 'p-i-n-g' of grapeshot,
familiar to every veteran, officers and men
took up the cry of forward AS was antici-
pated. the colum rushing down the declivity
lost its alignments and intervals. and fused
into a mass while crossing the valley.
When the ascent was made the ENHANCEMENT
of the several commands had become mex
tricable. But, in that supreme disorder,
in the red0ubt then confronting them-on
through the smoke and terrible din. Men
fell fast, and there was no time to carry them
to the rear; scarcely time to avoid trampling
the wounded to death. Colors now and then
went down next moment they would reap
pear At length the redoubt was reached.
Without halting or wavering the exultant
mass poured over and into it, and then the
capture effected, the guns in possession,
every regiment in the brigade was repre-
sented there; nor may it be said with truth
that the success was attributable to any of
the several commands exclusively.
Colonel Harrison was among the first to
cross the parapet. 1t has been said that he
was the very first. A hand-to-hand combat
ensued, the gunners defending themselves
with their hammers and the assailants at
tacking with their dubbed muskets officers
unchanged pistol shots. 1t was, in fact, one
charge, without a shot fired except by the de-
tenders of the redoubt. The artillerymen
stood at their posts to the last; those not
killed were taken prisoners. After that
General Harrison was christened by his sol
diers Little Ben,' the sobriquet by which
they still know him."