The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1891-04-23
There was j. Lacey Pierson, another
ca 1,t lin mil AIat WI Lon, w NIn,.ri..

| and other officers doing their best to
stem the current. The sharp ping Of
| the bullets was heard every second.
| All the guns Of the battery We're drawn
off but ore. Iicrson, Rogers aud 9TH
| crs grabbed tl'e gun by the trunnions
| and tried to drag her from the fed.
OF conrsc the air was thick with
, smoke. The rear of the regiment had
! moved very leisureIy. The ,Iohunies
| had come through the gap, and We were
all mixed up. As We began to drag tie
| cannon off the Johnnies grabbed the
piece hy the muZzlo a"d tried to h id
1t. Then muskets wee cluhhed and
bayonets used, II all those engaged in
| the fight had deem personal enemies for
years the cursing and revi:ing could not
have been more bitter. The wounded
fell to the ground Will; ontls and impre-
| cations upon thur lii,s. and without
groan. Enongh of our men rallied to
enable us to hold on to the gun. The
Vermont regiment in the woods on the
left hand stood firm. and the Johnnie,
who had swept through the gap were
cniiiaded. After the fight to secure the
| gun was over we discovered that she
was loaded, that the landyard was hang
ing from her freech and no one had
| thought to pull it during the fight.
| The regiment rallied behind brush
fence. George Drake of the color guard
| sprung over it aud planted the co.ors at
| the side of the gun. He swore that
| Lees men should have them if the rcgi
| ment did not protect them.
! Probably three hundred men lined
!
utcs, each man in his company, and each
company in it, crler They moved for
! ward ut the command ,f the Connci
and restored the main line, occupying
! the same ground which they had left
! BY this time the sun had gone down aud
darkness was sweeping over the plain
1t became intensely dark. The rcgi-
ment was lying down i'll expectation ot
another assault. 1t was a terribly irving
time. The means Of the wounded filled
T.! the air In the distance the slic.ls had
set the woods ~, firt- IN the lurid light
the Lieutenant Colonel came down the
line. He saw me standing in front OF
f. two companies.
What companies are the e. be said,
behind you?'
! | tod him.
"Whele are the iliccrs :" he asked.
Il don't know" was my reply.
"Wherc are the Orderly SerGeants?" ?"
They're not here"
| "IIemi" he mutttred Wei, Ser
! geaut- Major, take command Of the d;vi-
SION, and don't resign it until you arc
relieved
One OF the Captains appeared 10!
/ .gt i l
command, with olders net to Weld the
authority TIL the Lieutenant Coiouel re-
lieyed me. Not long afterwart the
Lieutenant Colore! did relieve ne. and
directed the Cal to thank ne for
keeping his company intact. \ moment
! afterwnrd the orderly Of the second
company appeared and took command
in like manner
Five minutes afterwerd tie Lien
tenant-Colonel ordered ne to look after
/. the pickets. In the darkness | moved
| the pickets toward the enemy. Each
man took his intervals. s'too,'i & c'ose
to the ground and locking up / could
! see their forms outlined against the sky.
! c0nld name each comrale by his ont
! liae. The ground va, covered with the
hl,icI and wounded. Occa >ionaliv q
wounded man tried to crawl toward orr
! line. Everything. even the stamps,
seemed to be moving. Tho wo:,u,lea
were packed around dead horse. They
crawlcd there to e5ca,e the bullets,
using each carcass as a shelter. While
stepping to the earth and g!anci0g sky
! ward saw form moving Ia>t cur
line. Beyond could see the outline
o. Corpora Mason, member of ,ur
regiment. l called him to me. We ac-
costel the stranger. He WAS coli
tedcra:e picket. The line, were passing
eac, other in the darkness. When
asked what regiment he belonged to he
replied: