The National tribune., 1890-01-16
Touch elbows again." See page 5.
YELLOW BAYOU.
Shaw's Brigade In the Last Battle or the Red
River Campaign.


the right wing of the Sixteenth and Seven
teenth Corps, called at that time Smiths Guer-
rillas, having previously captured Fort De
Russy. fought the battle of Pleasant Hill and
the - days hard fighting in retreat from Grand
Ecore, was encampcd along bayou near an old
rebel fort called Fort Walker and dubbed by
the boys Fort Useless" The Eighteenth and
Thirteenth Corps had crossed this bayou and
were camped between there and the Atchafa-
laya River, where bridge of boats was being
constructed for n crossing. About 8 n. IN. a
division under Gen. Joe Mower fell in and took
up a lesurely line of march along the Yellow
! Bayou. (rhis was on the back track lust about
| two miles from where we broke camp Shaw's
Brigade was in the rear, Yellow Bayou OH the
| right and there were sugar plantations on the
! left. These fields were about half mile wide;
! then beyond the sugarficlds was low swampy
ground, with heavy timber, full of n low pal
metto and greenbrar underground. The cane
bitches ran across these fields from the timber
to the bayou. At the point where our line of
battle formed a strip of timber about 20 rods
wide ran across the open field. About half n
mile in front OF this line the timber on the left
terminated and another piece of timber on tho
right angled into the field in front. The OPEN
ing TO the left was MarksviIle Prairie and,
as we discovered afteTward, IL was less than a
mile through the woods on our left to this
prairie. The troops in advance filled the line
from the bayou 10 the woods. and Shaw's Bri.
gade lay on the left and rear of the line in n
cane ditch, while the cavalry were covering
the left flank, and were all IN the woods. The
rebels opened on us with about 10 pieces of
artillery. They threw some queer missiles
from 20.pounder PARROTS These were bolts Of
railroad iron with pieces Of wood in the crcases
wound with strap-ron. The noiso these
things made created some bcwildcrment Ht
frst but when the boys discovered what they
were, they amused themselves by calling them
johnny yelpers.p
We only had two batteries on tho field that
] saw. the Sd aud 9th Ind. The steel Rodmans
or two OF them, were on the right Of our bri.
Rade, and were both dismounted early In the
| fight and were hauled % the rear One of
these guns was thrown into the air about 10
feet. / was looking nc IL when "a couical 20
pound shot struck tho carriage When the rchs
were convinced that we had been thoroughly
frightened by the artillery, they doployed from
the woods on the right and came across the
field, but were driven back. We discovered at
this time that we had four - FOUNDER howitzerB
on the left of the limo ia the woods. As soon
as the rebel infantry woro driven back, the
rebs opened on US again with their artillery.
Alost oil their shells went clear over us. One
shell struck the ground in front of the 27th
Iowa and ricochetted over u.s. Where IL struck
II made a hole long enough for a man TO lie
down in. One OF the boys went forward aud
lay down IN the place, rcmarkiug that shells
never strike twice IN the same place" He had
only fairly got settled when another cauie aud
nearly buried him in the dirt, aud he hurried
back 10 the line saying mot quite, but too -----
close for comfort" A ACCOMPLISHMENTS
coward came from the line in front when the
rebel infantry made the attack Every few rods
III his frantic rush 10 the rear he threw himself
10 tile ground, and resting on his hands aud
toes, with his face raised, looking toward tho
firing, his eyes protruding so they could
have been knocked of with one of tho iron
hammers aud not have touched his nose, while
his every muscle and feature denoted terror /
was a few rods ia front OF tho line and lie gtop.
ped IN the attitude described close beside me
| When lac jumped the ditch where the regiment
lay they began yelling at him To run the devil
was alter him. But he was deaf 10 all their
jeers, and went back 10 associate with the
mules, and / presume lac is associating with
them yet.
After the rebels had been driven back In
front Gen. PoIignac's Division made detour
and came through the woods on our rear and
Hank. Col. Shaw was ia the woods and dis.
| covered them. and he ordered out the howitzers
and came flying 10 the brigade. We went on
the run Tor the edge Of the timber aud came on
the right into line. While We were forming the
cavalry and howtzers were coming out Of tho
woods. A great deal has been written in re-.
gard 10 the conduct Of Bankss Corps IN Red
| River but want 10 say that the way this East.
ern cavalry fought, turning in their saddles and
! firing rs they fetTeatod before Polignac's in
| iantry, called forth prose from Shaws Brigade
| that had virtually annihIated a division of
| rebel cavalry at Pleasant Hill. The cavalry
! passed In rear of our line and TO the left and
| again formed there, while the four howitzcrs
unIinbercd close in rear OF us For about Is
| minutes from the time we got fairly 10 work
/ aud we all worked fast--we made il a dangerous
! place IN front Oi US. Polignac's Division mum.
bered over $500 men and Sbaw's Brigade about
| s0O; but the brigade were great staycrs, aud the
battery boys were cut from off the same piece
| they had been with US for two years
We could not Zee the rebels for the under
growth until they were within about fou- or
i've rods OF US. AT sight of them and so close,
| the old battle cry arose, bayoucts were fixed
aud we started for them but they gave way
| aud we only followed them short distance
and then fell back TO tho edge of the woods
| again. From the time we began firing until
the rebels gave way could not have been more
than ID or 20 minutes. Ny company was close
| 10 the lett OF the guns, and were mostly on
| their knees, keeping close 10 the ground and
| each man fired about 10 rounds, while the bat
| terry was giving them double charges Of canis-
| ter. The rebels OvershOt u.s. but few bullets
| coming as low down as we were; but the mir
| overhead was full OF them. saw but two pris-
Oncrs taken, which We found as we advanced
| into The woods One, n young fellow was
| lying behind tree, aud seemed glad to be
taken IN; but the ground was covered with
the rebel dead aud wounded. POlignac report
| ed more killed, wounded aud missing than We
| had men in line at this point.
After VIC had returned TO the edge Of the
| woods two ammunition wagons came from the
rear aud drove along the line Boxes of ammu-
milton were thrown out split open, and the
| boys filed their caTtrdgebOxcs While one of
these wagons was going down the center of the
| field 10 the rear, with about half the load left
a rebel she'll struck 10, tearing open and setting
on fire the whole load The driver, when tho
| shell struck the wagon, was seated in the front
his feet on the feed-box. The mules were
| going at walk, and as he fell back into the
wagon we supposed him killed, but were soon
surprised TO see him drop from the hind end of
the wagon, having gone the whole length of
| the wagon through the fire. He made a circle
| 10 the rear, brushing the fire from his head and
| face az he ran. The whole line which had
looked on with sympathy when they thought
him killed, now yelled at the cOmiea appear
anee he made as he ran. Some water gatherers
cut the mules loose and saved them
| The yelling, however, exposed our line to the
| rebels, and they opened an enflading fire upon
US; go We again changed front and went back