The National tribune., 1888-05-03

s9IxLSskE- 22eszzzzzMsInLI
~$\ss7-.azsess5sz Ez%zsS ~ N2zS
PICKING OFF TIE GUNNERs.
first intimation the enemy had of our object,
aud their gunners jumped up to man the gun
for action. Our sharpshooters drove them
away before they could load, and kept them
away so well that they did not fire shot dur
ing the action. The Indiana men hit the can
non several times out Of about 20 shots. After
the capture of the place we looked to see what
damage we did aud found the muzze partly
broken off and split back about 20 inches, one
trunnion broken completely off and other
( smaller damages which rendered it completely
useless. Every time shot
STRUCK THE CONFEDERATE PIECE
our boys set up cheer, but when the trunnion
was knocked off and we saw the muZzle jump
upward, it was a long-eontinued cheer, which
reached even the feet, and they sent up to
know what was the matter. The feet moved
upward some distance as soon as word went
back of the disabling of this dreaded gun. At
night we also moved our pckets to this ridge,
Withdrawing them at daybreak.
Several days passed, during which time the
feet aud land batteries rained their shot and
shell into the doomed place, sometimes in
showers and again once in while shot.
About this time
from division headquarters:
HEADQ'R's SEcoSD DIVISION,
NINETEENTH CORPS,
BEFORE PoET HUDsoN, La. June H. 1863. }
/ Special Orders No. 81.
The following IS the order Of attack upon the
! eRemy's works By this division:
lst. Bags filed with cotton and fascines will be
prepared and placed at near the covered way at
/ the W hile House mortar battery.
%. Gen. NiclSerson viii detail 200 men TO carry
these bags, 10 be closely followed by 100 more to
Nffa1 fnE fntn Inf
4 the lst La Engineers will carry the fasenes.
Sd. The troops will be well held in hand and
prepared 10 move Immediately to such point of as
sault a the Brgadier-General commanding shall
4th Gen NicIerson aud Col Clark viii each
! detail 80 men under competent officers to act as
/ pontoniers. These men viii provide themselves
with tools and make il their special duty to open
! a way for cur artillery into the enemy's works
5ih. Col Clark viii detail 50 picked men Of the
4 9Th Mich. under command Of Capt. Stark, for
/ sudden attack tie headquarters Of Maj.-Gen.
Gardiner. These men viii press forward at all
hazards and establish themselves IN the house and
! hold il until relieved. The of these men
will lie published in General Orders, and they viii
! be promoted II successful.
9Th Col. Clark will also detail 200 men Of the
same regiment under the Senior Captain for inn
portaut aud decisive movement.
9Th. These parties viii be supported by the l2sth
y. Y With the exception OF the picked men, who
( shall be detailed as stormers the nine months
men Of this command viii lead the advance Ia the
4 attack.
sth The officers designated by Gen Nickerson
port to-day at p IA. at these headquarters.
9Th. The officers commanding brigades viii see
that there Is abundant ammunition Oh hand.
(Signed) WIcEHAM HoFFNAE.
Assistant Adjutant-GeneTal
Gen. NIcKERsoS.
Col. CLARK.
a great many comments were made by the
men and line officers who knew the ground
over which these orders would take them and
not once was there a favorable opinion ex-
pressed IN regard to any part of the order Soon
afterWard Order No. IS, the copy of which
have someWay lost, was issued, which specified
more particularly what was expected Of the
men detailed. The so picked men were to capt
ure and hold Gen. Gardiner until relieved,
while the 200 under Capt. Gordon were to capt
ure the water battery and spike the guns. The
general opinion was against the order. as those
of our men who had been over the ground in
the night knew how impossible it was to &C
complish anything but
THE SLAUGHTER OF MEN.
On the night Of the 18th of June it seemed
as though every gun was on duty to make
darkness awful with the noise of artillery
and flying proiectiles The air seemed full Of
bodies IN motion, sudden explosions lighting
spots here and there, while the lines of burn.
ing fuse seemed like an irregular network Of
red-hot wires To add TO tue confusion, the
usually solid earth seemed all of culver
IN the forepart Of the night Col Clark, Of
orr regiment, commanding brigade since the
disability Of Gen. Dow, rode up to our line:
and informed Us that our part Of the general
assault in the morning was 10 capture the Cita-
del and spike the guns, if forced To retire, but
{ that he would send around guide with orders
at o'clock in the morning. We now mad,
G up our minds that, no matter how impractical
? bic or foolish the orders were our division
G ! must sacrifice hundreds Of valuable lives use
. lessly, for we knew the deep ravine near the
' enemy's works would prevent any passage il
. the way proposed.
We were under arms by o'clock IL tn,
! morning Of the 18th Of June, ready for action
= Hour after hour we waited, expecting every
5 minute TO sec Col. Clark or AN Aid with orders
B | We could hear by slight sounds that the diyis
) sion was massing on our right at the entrancr
2 Of the open field, ready for assault.
o The gray Of dawn began to make objects dis
e cernible around u.s. and the time had pasgel
0 when we could approach the Citadel unob
; served. 1t was a cloudy morning and nearl,
:, foil day when Col. Clark rode upin apparently
z great III humor at our delay, claiming tina
d orders had been sent in time, but that TIA
messenger must have lost his way Amon
S ourselves we often expressed the opinion tina
g the Colonel purposely delayed our departnr
b because he well knew the useessness of tn
n movement as planned. The Citadel, especially
y whose steep sides Of nearly go feet was next t
Df lmpregnable by daylight against its garriso
)i ana the near enhladlng ire from other points
e The only approach to the Citadel from our posi-
le ton was by the roadway up the river bank
= where for more than mis our advance woul
ir be exposed TO full sweep of artillery as we
y as sharpshoOters. Late as il was we started foI
4 ward TO obey the orders AS soon as we reache
he the river and turned upward the sharpshooteI
Of the enemy opened on us and wounded sey
a eral Immediately. Capt. Gordon ordered
ie bait and then moved by the flank to the cove
r OF bushes few steps away, but the bullets cor
re tinued 70 find us, and we were ordered sti
is further back.
be Meantime, while we were waiting develol
as ments We could hear the assaultiug party TO on
~ right IN the act of crossing the open field.
II, The quick report of the Confederate felt
CT pieces, the sharp crack of
Pc EXPLODING sHRAPNEL,
= and yolloys from rifles increased for time an
- then died away to deliberate sbarpshootin
This was sufficient evidence to us OF the fai
ure Of the attack, as we lad foreseen. We ina
ut lain here bat short time when a courier roo
i'd mp 10 Capt. Gordon with orders for us TO return
It. and with skirmish-line advance over the fiel
ct where the assault had failed, and reach ii
Id front, where by sharpshooting we could str