Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-05-25


enemy seemed to set our range and poured
In heavy fire. The thud! thud!
With which the balls bored their way
into the trees was venomous. As
soon a. we reached better ground we
advanced. firing. rhis was most exciting.
Everybody was yelling. firing, and adj
vancing. In this advance l don't know
that l did the enemy any harm. put tnsn
on the other hand i nearly deprived the
Confederacy of soldier. While IN the very
act of firing big fellow running up RAPIDLY
from behind got almost in mont OF tine
mugzle Of my musket, which went on
within n few inches Of his ear. He bent
most reproachful look upon me. but ~ was
no time for explanations and on he went
and / after him biting another cartridge carr
and ramming il as | went along. Inc enc
nv must have made of before we got
within sight Of them, for the firing ceased
and we were halted along fence.
AT IT IN DEAD EARNEST.
By this time we were all pretty wen
warmed nip and ready for business III
coming through the brush had received
very severe cash from Jagged nuip, 10.
70 sreak Of heine knocked down and trod
on. and was by no means IN an aneehc hu-
nor. looked around. wish all my eyes.
for something 20 shoot at. but TO the right
and III front beheld nothing. 10 the ieIt
oblique thought saw men moving about
among the trees, and, on closer lnspecllol'
could discern some dark blue uniforms.
Presently the presence OF the enemy
became unmistakable. coulo uIs-
| tinctlv see company after company
| march brisklv down sort oil WOODS
| road halt, and face towards us. Hall
| a dozen fellows by me saw the same ana
raised their guns. ! took rest on tree'
and n long aim, and we fired together
Without stopping to reload / peereu I2r-
ward through the smoke to discern the
effect of the shot. There seemed soine
SLIGHT commotion, but il may only nave
been the officers moving about. as IN
| moment. as If at the word OF command
the whole line brought up their mus
| kets. The long stretch OF glltterlhg
| steel. with head bent down at the end
of each gun-barrel, was thrilling slsht
| A huge cloud of smoke hid them rom our
view and a tremendous report rang throush
| the forest. Our whole line instantly re-
nlied. and the ball opened in dead earnest
a. haIf-faced to the left 20 reload saw
our iunior secOnd-lieutenant Nat upon ms
| back. his Jaw cOnvulslyely working IN tne
| aconles of death. He had never been with
| MS in action before, and his presen tliheht
was realized that he would tali III DIS nIss
| battle. had known hlm before we Joine9
| the army and the sight of his death hleu
anger. | rammed the loads home with
an nv strength. but aimed carefully
| each time on the range of my hrst shot.
Other troops were apparently nrougnV up
ricbt and left, on both Sides for the up
roar swelled until 1t became deatenlhg.
| The ground being impracticable FOR either
| cavalry or artillery II was falr anu SQUIRE
stand-up infantry fight at close range ana
most stubbornly contested. Inc enemy
| hung staunchly TO their work, and our own
| men fought ike demons. ~
For fully an hour the din kept mp with
ont cessation. Then the enemys fire
slackened, and we held up little IN turn.
| Then they re0pened with fresh fury, and NJ
II again we went. hammer and tongs.
Those were the days, 1t VIII be Temein-
bered. of muzzle-loaders and the old-fash-
toned ball cartridge. the end OF which you
were obliged to tear off with your teeth.
After heavy firing the guns would clog,
and presently every piece began TO
foul. l had to stop, tear up my ha i
kerchief. and wipe her OUT. hl ~
awhile il clogged again, and finally the
ramrod stuck fast 1t would neither
come up nor so down, and, in despair
damned it. full force, into a tree, mat
drove that charge home, but. on coming
TO reload. the rammer was so bent as 10 he
almost useless. A few more loads were
worried down. and then the gun became
wholly unmanageable, and threw IL do"I
and looked around for another. Behlna
me was one with PROSTATE soldier oy II;
As stopped 10 PICK il up, the supposed
dead man came to life, stretched out ms
hand, and shook his head as If to say,
Don't take il. | gestured back II was no
use To him, but he still demurred, and 10
cut short the pantOmine. i snatched the
gun away and set her to talking
TYPICAL BATTLE SCENE.
For q second time the fire slackened and
then reOpened tiercely, and a thlrd pro
longed and stubborn combat ensued. IL
was evident they were putting IN fresh
men: our ammunition was running low,
and General Hill ordered a charge.
We started with a yell and the hrlng
ceased. 1t did not take us long to
of their formation did not need the
double row of knapsacks neatly, piled
behind il to mark where 1t had been.
II was bloodily signified by PROSTATE
forms. many dead, others gasping. 1heY
Law in every direction. like rall fence
thrown down. In several instances DCuy
lay upon body. 1t was wretched sight.
We tried to give the wounded some water;
the only aid in our power. The first man L
bent over was past all human help; the
next was unable to swallow. and as !
soncht to raise him the bones of his head
cracked in the palm of my hand.
During our brief rest at this spot the
men busted themselves in various ways.
Most of them replenished their cartridge
boxes from those of the fallen; others tore
open the knapsacks and kicked the con,
tents about the ground; others explored
the haversacks plentifully strewn around.
| re6lled my box, wiped out my gun,
threw away my old canteen and got me
new one, and then feli-to on some bis
cult. While there engaged we were order
ed forward, and, dropping everything, re-
formed. and went on. After marching
| awhile the woods grew clearer, and pres
emily we emerged at the end
To use the fayOrite siDsie of Sancho
| Panza. all that had gone before was but
| tarts and cheese-cakes towhat now ensued.
| AT the edge of the woods was a belt OF
| feIed timber, beyond that a clearing, and
| woods beyond that again. At the lar side
OF the timber a bran-new regiment OF fede-
| raj infantry, the fifth, as | make 1t, We had
| encountered that day, was drawn up TO bar
the way. Later in the day We learned 1t was
| the Seventieth New York, andI desire here
| to do Justice to the sOldlerly steadiness OF
| this command. For two hours or more II
| held us at bay, at one time forcing. US back
| a short distance by the sheer weight OF its
| fire. and never gave way till two thirds of
| ia officers and nearly one half of Its men
| had been shot down, till Its brave and
| skilful colonel had been twice wounded
| and knocked senseless, and clambering
over the timber we had got fairly IN among
| them.
But not to anticipate; on emerging from
the woods the scene was one OF stern and
imposing grandeur. The smoke of the pre-
vious combats was slowly drifting out of the
forest and rising like thin veil between
| us and the enemy. Through the haze
| could be seen the long line OF infantry,
splendidly equipped and motionless as
so many statues, the sombre blue of their
uniforms relieved by a shining crest OF
steel, the gold blaZonry of the reglmental
colors and the gay hues of the national flag.
| PANDEMONIUM BROKE LOOSE
No time. however, was lost in admi-
| ration. Our men at once settled down
behind the logs, rested their muskets
| on the tree-trunks, and fred. 1 was
fain to content myself with small
pine Gall the time wishing 1t was as big
as the red woods and blazed away over
their heads. The enemy at once opened
| vigorously. Other regiments formed
upon their TANKS. The Eleventh came
MP on our right and the Seventeenth
on our left. A Federal battery opened
down the line; then one began to bel