The National tribune., 1890-10-16

Cannon TO the right Of us, cannon to the
from, Of us, cannon 20 the left of us had
"yol,eyed and thuudeTed," and were now
thun3ering TO right, TO front and 10 rear of
our left, while the discharges of musketry
were inceSSant To our left rear it seemed
q continuous unbr0len roll and roar, like
the fall of waters az Niagara, broken only
now and then by the heavier detonating
thunders Of artillery. The very air was in
COmmation from the constant roar Of battle (;
the sun shone yellowish aud ghastly through
an atmosphere saturated with sulphur and
darkeBed with smoke, both from burnt pow
der and burning twigs aud leaves upon the
ground. During q temporary lull another
detail Of men was sent after water, but the
enemy was found ir possession of the springs,
and they were compelled TO return 60 their
Thirst suffering comrades with canteens
empty empty! None can better understand
than the battle-lbirst- parched soldier the
ommous rattle, or in its full force the suffer
ing in store because OF the return of those
canteenS empty. SeTg't John A. Jones, ofCo
j, commenting on this portion OF manuscript
submitted 20 him Tor correction, said On
Sunday evening my lips were paTched,
cracked and sore from thirst, the only such
thing hat happened 10 me during the war;
the etiue-sho enemy osasyed to take the battery
that situated on an elevation Go our right
and slf ehtIy 20 our rear. The meH at the bat
terry prepared as best they could 10 meet the
charge serving their guns gr4ndly, making
each discharge do terrible execution as trinio
line god across the semi-opcn space, apPar-
entity determined 20 crush the men at the guns
by thc mere weight aud impetus Of their
column
by e right flank, on the double quick We
hssjeHtd to the battery's support. The bat
tery's P5cces. hot-thToated and hoarse, were
hurliH, jber missiles against the aSsanlting
colum"s: bails went crashing through and
shells bursting among them. In vain the
enemy threw themselves forward with an
energy fUl IF desperation, to seize the guns
whose 5Iazen mouths were belching into their
midst
DESTRUCTION AND DEATH
We struck the enemy in the flank when near
where we started in upon our brilliant charge
of yesterday. Here delivering an enfiading
voley. our Tihe-balls went tearing through
their Hks, turning the tide of battle there
and Iug the battery. Psusing long enough
20 hur after them 3 cheer Of victory. the Tegi-
ment about-faced and started back 70 the
works on the cOuble quick. The about-fsce
did no. occur an instsut too soon, for the tide
of battle was arain pouring ont upon Us from
artillery opened and their iron hail came
plunFig and shrieking among us as by the
left flank We moved rapidly in return 10 our
line Of logs and rails, which lay short remove
from tGe battery. IN this movement we en-
counte.cd a most trying ordeal. Our flank
was receiving perfect tornado Of shot ana
shell. Sone Of the men were showing a dis
position TO scatter. They did not appear TO
comprehend just what was expected or chem,
and in this uncertain state Of mind gave signs
OF breaking away drifting, rs IL were, the
line losing that cond iion Of miiitary COM
pactIiess and form 50 essential to usefulness
AT th = moment someone called at the top Of bis
voice. Fos Gods sake. men, keep together"
and Wa answered with What's the useg we
can't stand this" Then another called in
clear cIstinct voice, ifs modnlati0n showing
the ected control OF its owner. 81 Back to
the WORKS men back 10 the works" Its tones
gave confidence snd strength, aud with return
ing ASSURANCE came the morale OF the soldier.
Tie command was suspiciOns and at once taken
M. " back 70 the works" rang out on every
hand. aud resulted in bringing the men TO-
getber IN good shape, with not second 10
spare; .Ur the enemy. kesnly smarting under
the c!7ramftures oi yesterday aud to-day,
was itarusely alert 10 possess themselves Of
every vantage. Observing our part of the works
tenant."ss. had pushed close mp 10 take posses
sion, wi'icn they would have done, settling
themselves therein with perfect ease, bad they
had less. even, than three minutes in which 10
have dane 50. No sooner were We behind the
lines Ul aaT defense than paHcemonium sur-
charged iet Loose and Eioted upreme on our
front Ter tine there seemed no avenue
of eseaHe 10 shelter from the morciless, pelt-
ing storm o. lead and iron. What with the
burning leaves. twigs and branches upon the
ground ab0nt cur feet, tie flaming logs and
rails Of our works. tue blazing RuEs Of the
enemy and our oHn, we wero literally sur
ROUNDED by fire.
Or rae Federal line 70 our right the FIRE had
been beld 8uiil the rebels had hurled them
selves against our lines and, as was evident 10
us, Their efforts had been attended with better
Euccess thaU had attained on our front in the
early = t-FHoon the JoAunies 20 the front Of
our bss-sss could be seen moving to our left.
Soon Ter, tie GriEg on our front fell OF and
presently ceased. except that from sharp
shooter The bTeast8oTks that bad served
30 vel 70 cover our front in our late des-
perate encounter had been set fire by the
encmy'- artillery, and in spite OF our ei.orts 70
put u or tie fire increased. Some time after the
Fout @ the right, AZ perhaps 2 p. n. or little
later, Cur brigade Was moved back 70 the rear,
where fHs timber somewhat hid as from the
enemy stsYpshoOters, formed by columns Of
regiment % maSs. the lith Ohio aud lStn Ky
81 front tie 36tb and gZd Ohio in rear. and
lay do. ~ Little depression that also aided in
shielding Is from view. 50 close were the regi-
ments g. each other that ss they lay there,
fbe lines were scarcely distinguishable We
remained here About two hours no enemy ia
force appearing % confront rs The firing
worked rouHd 70 our right and rea~. shout an-
EWessE@ yell As the wage Of battle drifted back
and fortI over ground toward our rear leaving
us not .uE n CO but lay there among the timber.
uDdcrsEoWth. logs -sad fallen trees and dodge
the eBefay's sae!is. which cane over u FROM
slmOst opposite directions. The situation be-
came usOzt CT tieai
TIE 81 Ea0UsDINGs AT TIMEs AwPULY
GRAED.
The woods appeared 10 echo and re- echo ever-y
shot. uutii the roar was simply appalling. Great
shells went screaming through tie foregtg. In
the tree over cur beads, On our right. on cur
lrft shot saa shell and finally grape RACED and
TOared. by the larger pFCieCtl3cs and the ncr-
feet balstOrHI Of small balls great branches
were cGt on sEd fell from the large tress. and IN
some instances issseF trees we're cut Gown by
this oIIsiDg st0rm of metal and fell IN our
midst, the men and officers hugging the ground
and the shelter Afforded by the fallen trees ard
logs. where any u sufficient dimensions could
DO found 70 Gbieid. Ca this paIt Of the isattie-
ground many trees were killed, the very life
T,eltsd out of them.
Some few ysaR ago there WAS on the sfage in
the Music Hall IN Cincinnati during a large
gathering q old soldiers. mounted section Of
the trauk " tree that was cut down there bv
bullets Al that lime. ksdOGbt thousands Of the
comrades who were there at the bail reuefuber
this relic 81 that bloody field. 1t is now in the
pariOr Of Aaj. Thomas NJ Turner, Of the seth
Ohio later ~ Gen. Hayes staff now a resident
5n HATiWell, suEurb of Cincinnati. curl
sly - the Old veterans u that field vvovtl