The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1890-06-19


we heard tho entire picket line tlre q
OyoileyN We Instantly knew what that
meant, / dropped my chicken leg into
lie kettle, Tie cook upset the cracker
box over II, aud jumped down over !le
river hank, while every man was ruAhihH
10 his place la the ranks, where We Huii5
we're stacked. NAttentlon "Iake ArmsW
NForward. aulda center, mRrphl" 'poni-
nenee aringN were die orders quickly
giyen. ifhe rebels had quietly mashel
their army la tho woods, IN our 'front.' ana
we're attacking la great force, ana la one
minute from the time Of The nfsi alarm
We met Them not a hundred yhfdh away,
They came with their famous "rehelyell
and a desperation klndled hy the reeol'
lection OF home ilresldes Wllhln heallnk
OF the booming ehhnonhTin ilshhng
an tbe Dlay-graundH Of their ynuih-hiu
aii Americana Why would not death DO
more agreeable 10 them than defeal'
WHY would they not fight right into death
and eternity, They came like an hYhlhli'
ohe ut Observation-Disclosures 90 fale,
mourning into our ranks Vicious llre llhl
| only madness would attempt 20 resist,
and rushed On into the abyss 0t deRlrle'
| tlon awaiting them, As only our Division
was In their Immediate front, We were hh
a cup OF water TO prairie fire. They drove
is down the slope, over the meadow, into
and through the run, many OF our men
being shot in the water, Alas my poor
chicken Hut II was a terrible death lrall
into which the rebels we're led We were
only a "temptailon," thrown across we
river, 10 induce them 70 attack, ana lhey
did lust 90 Gen, Roeeerana expected ana
desired. Before sending uH over he had
quletly mnsRed eighty pieces OF artillery,
| All PLANTED 10 sweep tho meadow, When
the rebels drove ua through the river ihey
came mourning down, "like the wolf on
| the fold, out OF the woods, and Into lhe
meadow by the thousands ana tens oi
| thousands, When We were well ont OF
| the way, the mAased artillery opened hre'
| First a single shot, 40 a aiRnal-then a
mighty shock that caused the eArth "
rock aa II split RHunder. Appalling toAll,
and atrdng terror 20 the hearts ui ihe
outwltted rebels, They we're instantly
thrown into q panic, apparently realizing
| that they had been led Into q trap Ihe
roar, cOnousaion smoke, blazing IRE hnu
eternal music OF the artillery was terrific,
appalling, wonderfully grand, ana 40 lh
coaaant 40 the roar OF niagara, ~.
The earth tremhled In obedience 70 tho
sublime concusslona. The sod In the
| meadow was torn up as " newly plowed'
The rebels fed like leaves before q
stonm, our linea were reiofmeul
and when the artillery ceased
firing we again plunged into the rlyerhnd
were rushing ever the meadow, now COW
cred with ltieen hundred dead and dying
rebels, and up the hill after liragg'a lying
| nnd twice defeated army, driving thom
| over the thickly tImbered hill, and back
through their camps, capturing wagons
artillery and many dlabanded arms, unlll
we we're arrested by approaching dark
4 ness, and returned 20 our former position
At the base Of the hill. lly this time my
| chicken had been fought over twice pS
each army. The ground around u wat
covered with dead land dying men, dressed
In both blue aud gray. The cracker boz
was pierced hy "a score OF bullets, hut
| when lifted It of the kettle, my ohickon
| like the "Star Spaugled Banner,n was
| still there ~ untouched, and yet warm,
| looked up and saw "Buokstlnn standing
there In the twilight, crying looking NJ
slowed chicken, aud crying at his lost op
We ant down on the blood stained graai
| 10 "A plOrloua dinner, Whom We arose moi
"A "1rum stick" was loft, That night tho
| rebels fled abandoned Murlreah0ro and
rotrCntod In the direction pf The TcnueH
see river. While standing In llno OF bat
| ne, az day break next morning, not yol
| knowing that the rebels had "skcddhd
| dlcd.n We received the ncwa, whcn u
/ shout went up that scattered the stars IN
| the bright blue sky. The rebel, Ra well 40
| the Union wounded, were sent 20 the hos
ptnla, We buried our dead with Na mucl
care na we could, and the rebel dead ~
quickly as possible. The ncxt day all
| went into winter quarters and were soon
| fighting the enemies Of monotonouac cnpl
life, ..
HuOH HENTzEL, 10th o, VII