Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1888-08-15
HARRISON AT REsAcA.

Gen. Lew Wallace Describes the
Historic Charge On Rebel Batteries.
Gen. Wallaee's new life OF Ben HsrEi-
son gives this account OF Harrison's
famous charge upon the confederate
batteries at Rsssca:
10 Gen. Ward of the first brigade
there presently rode an officer with the
order to attack. The hill on the right
| OF the road was pointed out to him as
| the one against which he wes to direct
his column. Without loss of time the
order was repeated to Dol. Harrison,
whos appreciating the work before him,
paused to give some directions. Seeing
the impossibility of making way through
| the woods and dense underground on
| horseback, he ordered s general dis
mount of field and staff officers and dis
mounted himself. He also made up his
| mind that it would be difficult, il not
absolutely impossible, to preserve his
line; once fairly within the grove of
young pine trees he would bs unable to
| see from right to left of his brigade; if
| the captains could do better with .heIr
companies they might congratulate
themselves. The Gel lrs we're TO be dis
played TO the best advantage as center
about which the men we're to mess
| themselves, and by which they were to
govern their advance. He seid TO the
officer who brought him the order: 81
am not familiar with the ground you are.
Ito with me and show me the battery !;
do not want to charge flank on to it !"
The two then started to reeonnoiser.
The report of 8 gun saved them the
trouble. Divining the direction of the
shell which passed over his head, Harri-
son called out 80 as to be heard by the
line behind him: 'Oome 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 ut
moss. The crash or the five regiments
through the underbrush, the rush and
tear, must be imagined.
Seeing SO large body Of men in the
| act OF charging the rebels on the opposite
crest opened upon il with great guns and
small. The target was large, no need to
take aim. Under the sharp "zip, zip"
of the bullets and the singing s'p-i-n- q"
of grspeshot, familiar to every veteran,
officers and men took up the cry of 'for
| w.:I." a. -'as anticipated. the column
rushing d iwJ1 the declivi y lost its align
| meps and intervals, and fused into q
mass while crossing the valley. When
| the ascent was made, the ENHANCEMENT
OF the several commands had become
inextricable. But. 10 that supreme dis
order, tbay still bore on, unmindful of
the cannon in the redoubt then con-
fronting 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 trampinq
the wounded to death. Colors now and
then went down; next moment they
would reappear at length the redoubi
was reached; without hating or waver-
ing the exultant mass poured over and
into it, and then, the capture effected
she guns IN possession, every regiment
in the brigade was represented there;
nor may it be said with truth that the
success was attributable to any 9. the
| several commands exclusively.
| Col. Harrison was amongst the fret to
cross the parRpet. It has been said that
he was the very first. A hand TO hand
| combat ensued, the gunners defending
themselves with their rsmmers and the
asseilants attacking with their dubbed
| muskets. officers exchanged pistol shots.
IL was, in fact, one of the rare instances
OF genuine bayonet charge without a
shot fired except by the defenders OF the
redoubG. The artillerymen stood at their
posts to the last; those not killed were
taken prisoners. + After that
Gen. Harrison was christened by his
soldiers "Little Ben," the sobriquet by
which they still know him.