The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-04-26
EZRA CHAPEL.
The aoth Ohio and 10th III. in the Fight.

any other regiment Of the Second Division,
Fifteenth Corps, were compelled to fall back at
the battle of Ezra Chapel, July IS, 1864, is very
much mistaken, and was probably absent on
that memorable occasion.
With the permission of the Editor and the
indulgence of our comrades, ! will try and tell
what l saw on that day. If / don't give you
straight goods, please put me down with the
cooks and stragglers.
On July q Gen Howard took command of
the Army of the Tennessee, while it was
marching around Sehoseld and Thomas so as
to get close to Atlanta on the extreme right,
near Ezra Chapel, the Sixteenth Corps, taking
position first, the Seventeenth Corps next, and
the Fifteenth Corps last According TO Gen.
Towards article in the July Century the Fiji
teenth Corps was not quite up to its intended
position on the night of the 9th, probably be-
cause we had the greatest distance to march.
On the morning of the 2sth our corps was
moving slowly into position with the Second
~. l.. Smith's) Division on the right and the
Second Brigade on the right of the division.
Hood will attack me here,'' said Gen. How
ard to Gen. Sherman about s o'clock a. m.
guess not Ho viii hardly try it again !"
replied Gen Sherman.
But he did, as you will soon see Our skirmish-
line, in command of Gel. Jones, of our Goth
Ohio regiment was trying to push the enc
my; but they were stubborn, their fire was
spiteful, and they would not be pushed. Their
artillery now took hand, and our skirmishers
were compelled to halt. There was every indi-
cation that the enemy were massing in our
front. An order was sent to our skirmsh- line
for a general advance, but the bearer of the or
der came back in great hurry, reporting to
his commander that it was no use to advance
now, They are coming to see u.s."
They did come, with terrifying yells. They
struck our entire division front, enveloping
our extreme right with three regiments; but
hau x hon hraqI
in our line They were driven back in dis
order in every advance they made, until p M,
when they retreated to their intrenched line
near Atlanta.
Capt. Ridenour Of the 55th H., tells us that
the Both Ohio was on the extreme right of our
line. The gallant Captain is wrong The Both
Ohio belonged at that time to the Second Bril-
gade, and was on that day, as near as l can re-
member on the left Of its brigade. Our COM
| Tades will remember the brass 12-pounder (the
| only gun on our line) that was run out a short
distance in front of our brigade line and so gall
| lantly fought by its men, Some cOmrade please
! tell what battery they belonged to. This gun
was on our right and 'front.' perhaps 100
| yards distant The right Of our regiment rest
ed on a brush-covered ravine that separated US
| from the balance four brigade. Into this ravine
| the rebels poured, and it looked for a moment
! as if they might break through there. but an
| oblique fire from our right company, and from
| the men on the other side, soon drove them
| out. 1t was our division they proposed to
crush, and we had to bear. the brunt of the
battle Dead rebels lay within 20 feet of our
regiments line.
-Four distinct charges were made on us, and
! the writer of this made four trips among the
dead in our front after tobacco, which was
scarce with US and always plenty with our
| enemy. No sooner were their backs turned
than I would be out among the dead and ex-
riYnf~ h
The boys of the 30th Clio and 9th Mo. will re-
member the long plugs Of old Virginia natural
leaf distributed on that day.
On my last trip brought in wounded rebel
on my back. found him, with broken thigh
lying in an exposed position. He begged Sc
hard to be taken into cur lines that could not
refuse. did not wish to abandon the tobacco
/ had. / could not carry both very well, so
got down on my hands and knees, the young
rebel then crawled on my back, putting his
arms around my neck, and thus / carried hin
into our lines. We were just in time the
rebels were right behind us in their last charge
If this young Confederate is still alive, would
be pleased to hear from him.
Gen. Howard says the men hurriedly covered
themselves with logs and rails; it was too latt
for intrenching. The beginning of the battle
was man against man, with no protection
whatever. Butin the intervals between Charge
every third man was permitted to 90 to th
rear a short distance aud bring fence-rails. b.
the time the last charge was made we hat
pretty good protection made by digging up The
dirt with tin plates and piling it on the rail
and logs in front.
Corp'l Dennis, of the 57th Ohio says his regi
ment was on the extreme right. This l vii
not dispute, as the right of our line extended
fully 200 yards beyond US into a small woods
consequently hidden from our view.
When ] saw at the first charge the rebel col
s~w.m 4 Ill IL
l called our Adjutants attention to them
You will see the Dutch give them h
directly" replied Adj't Odel. This remark let
me to believe that the 37th Ohio was on tn
right.
1t was not the Dutch nor the 57th aIon
that gave them tophet Al that moment l saw
just in our rear, in an open field, two regiment
on the double-quick going straight for the litt
woods, led by an officer on q black horse, VIII
was swinging his hat and cheering the men on
These men swept into the woods, and in les
time than can tell it the Tcbs were flying GU
at the other side. These were the men Gen
Howard speaks Of as coming from the Seven
teenth Corps, led by Ins.-Gen Strong. al
ways thought it Gen. Logan.
And now comes Comrade Wheeler, of the 12tl
Wis He lets loose at rs and says the 30th Obi
and 10th Ill. did fall tack, but in good order
Why does he say III good order? Why not 81,
in disorder; it would he just as near the truth
How did the 18th Wis. get there? They di
, not belong to our corps. What could they know
about our falling back But l have It, Dur
ing the battle, which lasted nearly all the after
noon, several regiments Of the Sixteenth an
Seventeenth Corps took positions in our rea
as reserve (our corps was all on the front line
About o'clock our guns became so hot an
T dirty that it was almost impossible TO loa
them. The rebels had just advanced to a lin
of fence about 100 yards in our front on thei
last charge, and opened on US with their rihe|
making a last desperate effort to drive US from
oar position. Just then two regiments marche
up behind US in line to relieve US, and we sliT
ped back out Of our little bitches. The fires
regiments crowded through our ranks took GU
places, and poured such whitening fire int
, the rebs with their 1G.shOoters that the feel
was soon cleared aud the battle ended. Nov
if the 18th Wis. was one of those regiments
am willing to shake; and there is where Com
rade Wheeler got his idea of our falling bach
l "A. b. CRUMMEL, Both Ohio, Kingston, o.
, "The Picket's Last Watch.''