The National tribune., 1890-12-25
FIGHTING THEM OVER
That0Hr Veterans Have 10 Say About
Their Ola Campaigns
KENEsAw MOUNTAIN.


EpTTOE NATIONAL IfIBJNEi j am n SUD-
scribar Tor and a constant reader Of your valu-
able paper. ] find much in its columns that
IS upw and very interesting, because the in
formation comes from those who participated
in the battles of the civil wal; those who wore
tho real combatauts, whose persons were eX-
posed Go thc cruel shafts of battle. Most Of
our great histories speak OF what General So
nnd-s0 dil: write OF the battles from safe
distance su the rear. o. from Generals reports
But aur columns teen with the report OF men
who were patriotic enough TO form the battle
front who amidst smoke and flame, and death
and destruction stood dafautly for tho right
Hs Gla aarc tlem 10 see TIE right re-
j0icc 4f ln tls go0aly land enough and 10
SNARE ware found Who were faithful and true 10
ihe cause ar good government aud TO humanity.
But ! write more particularly because OF Capt
Rice l,tiar on The charge Of kenesaW Mount
ain UI Jane ~ 1864 The Captain seems 20
thinls l.s regiment did IL all. ] donot believe
his Tp4i.ant failed 60 do It's duty. j am not
writing 90 dispaRge the work OF any regiment
or au.zation, but have to say for Comrade
Rice lNl hc writes enormously. Many very
manv regiments were that day ordered 10 the
charge ald responded with rs much aacrty,
as much ery0r as did the l2jth Ohio. j am
glad 10 see him called 10 account by other
WriivFs
belonged 10 a regiment that was there, too.
We tried To do our duty. We lost heavily, aud
longc0 Do Co. j., 52d Ohio, Third Brigade, Sec
ond Division. Fourteenth Corps, and have
alwavs understood that our brigade Joined 10
liaTEai's Brigade on the right that day. We
were formed abOut 8 o'clock a. M. in column Of
regimcul- IN close column by division, Mitch
l'sliIigaac, OF our ,Jeti. e. Dayiss division on
our Tigt.l jan two lines of battle with our First
Brigade Gen. Morgan) in reserve. Alta given
signal The charging column moved In splendid
order down n cultivated 5lODe with guns az q
right shoulder shift c0lors hying--as nice an
alignment as If drill. Not q word was
spoken until we crossed little spring run and
began tEc ascent OF the opposite slope, upon
which the enomy proved 10 be securely in
frenChcd. A part Ci this slope was a wheat
field the crown Of the hin was stony ana COW
cred with much brush aud tmbUr This
brush Was Topped down. ends toward US, and as
much usu a. could be made Of it to obstruct
column, beside the regular trenches with sharp
ened poles arranged in front and huge head
Jog mounted on top Of bTcastw0rlls, leaving but
very little Of the rebels exposed.
Our brigade formation that morning was IN
the following order: S5th H., 66th ILL.,, l25th
lll.. Z2d ind, aud the sgd Ohio. our Colonel
fDau Mctuok commanded the brigade aud ed
Che charge being with the S5th Ill., and was
MORALLY wounded almost on the works Of the
enemy. The top Of this hin was enfladed
with artillery which rHked ms with canister,
the iHtreuchments fun OF Infantry which dealt
death aud destruction Is fast az men OF Cheat
hams .rshel Division knew how. our first
line was quickly repused. McCook wounded
and IcanIng on o soldier, as he neared our rcgi-
ment which had been halted and ordered 10
lie down in the growing wheat, said: " For
ward sd. You can yet take the works" With
% yell and a rush our regiment moved forward,
the rrteating lines IN our front reformed with
us. and u a solid mass the whole brigade faced
those intrenchments, aud with one mighty
surge rolled over all outside distractions like
o. tremendous wave OF the sea, disdaiulug all
the WORKS and devices set in front, aud poured
1ts Ecsh and blood IN c0pOus streams at the
foot ~ ihe breastworlzs. There under o MUIR
derOus lIe this avalanche of flesh held its 20
eitiou Tor perhaps Is or 30 minutes,-tim flies
too lHsi n battle 20 be LeckOned, when. after
losing al the Colonies Ia the brigade, 10 re-
treated, leaving It's dead and severely wounded
behind 10 q point about 200 yards from the
enemy. and defianJly refused 10 20 any farther,
but built Of logs and stone, and with tin pans
dug dirt and made rude fort ic3tions Many
of our dead lay at the foot of the enemy's in
trenclmsnt, tie wounded where they fell, and
many wore SO close that they dare not stir but
during iue remainder Of that fearful day suf-
forcd terribly from wounds and thirst. We
could not 20 70 them until night threw her
mantle over The horrid scene, and then by al
most superhuman effort they were rescued,
BOmC a. late rs midnight.
ia thinking over these scenes OF sacrifice aud
suffering, ] often am led 10 wonder how far
these -o.dler-hating papers, these Northern
rebel svmpathiZers would have gone toward
EescUIBg any 81 these unfortunate men. They
posses not the high and lofty principle that
animafcl that entire army. They are low, self
ISL, uHFIateiul, unworthy OF such a gOOdly
heritage as this country is; ingrHtes, who will
enjoy their good things ia this world the
HeKi may be different
Iar inc OF Qualifications built under fire
OF the enemy, after our repulse, was held until
the elemy evacusted his position in the
meant Iae. our dead, vino were loft between the
lines uuaor the very hot sun, soon decomposed,
and 8mrilea so badly that the rebels were glad
10 ahk ur a truce and let Us bury them which
was c-He on the afternoon of the 29th. We
buried Fem where they fell with ecu pments all
on. lulv, theiE was q soldiers burial where
they ie.I oh their ielG Of glory" After tho
burial tlIe battle or siege il had become, WIS re-
Moved. and before the enemy left our front we
had under cover Of darkness craBle1 % within
1O0 feet 0i the eucmys works and built an
other Issue NJ works Five DAYS and nights we
Eiep ati ioughi without lying down or having
caitIIl boxes Of An incassant re was kent
Up from our line. The rebels bad head logs Oh
fheir works aud they were compelled 10 close
the openings. Before the siege was over
fhniF hcal-logs were iull Oi Yankee lead.
Our loss's In she brigade were heavy. ] DO
moi know bow much il was. except iu nv own
company Jt SD Ohio. We lost I'd tie charge
Eve 5nl aud lO wounded, tOf whom five al. cr.
ware el aud one taken prisoner Three
more H.re wounded during the siege. one Of
whom lIFd making our total loss ~ alto
gcthrf nug 0i 81 guns and one commits. Gnea
oihcaI when Che charge was made with NOR
tAllty los 81 III. Our brigade was commanded
during remainder OF Atlanta cgmpaipu by
Alcui.8 1l. DilwOrtHt our regiment by It's Ma
Dor, Hrd 60. ID by its Orderly. Sergeant aud Il
was re- WltH many other companies some had
one officer eft some none ln 90. ID there was
nOLm iul-s Dut what was broken, not a comrade
but lat lost a friend. ID was the lercs-t
the mo.i destructive the most deadly combat
ln wai oar brigade was ever called 10 act a
part n were 40 Buzzard Rogst, Rg.aca al
Peach rar trchk, sandl0wn Road. aud Jones'
bor0 beside many other battles, bat none
equaNrI keuessw Mountain june - $500 II
may nnt De in place for me % criticize being
only private soldier but in my humble opin-
Ion ! iHnk tho charge ri kenesaw Mountain
WIS one 0i Uncic Eillys mistakes. j never
liked -Hgrman's excuse for ordering t. Ia
said n, d immediately after: IL proved "a
john wC would hgbtn Certainly So but
that csi 5ition OF pluck cost Shcrman's army
aud ha Nation too many brave, true men.
Comrades Of Go ID we will never forget thf
braya ae true Sells Beard, Ncghbor Daugh
euy Bile, Armstrong Clark, Boyd Bcrk.
shire aHa lteardon. Write on comrades: there
D. plenty 20 write which will never eHbazou
the page. oi history. Much Of the very best ol
deeds hno.a and sci-sacfifciug arc known Only
% iho ueu Deb The iuo Let us write thcsC
. |.. H.#.