The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1891-07-11

nv Tue Butllc Oh naLct bfONe, uufs
Inc the Chancellorsville campaign.
General P~lensanton covered himself
with glory. As General Hooker ex-
pressed IL to President Lincoln. "he
saved the Army OF the Potomac
The Eleventh corps was In fun flight.
As General PleHsanton himself said. In
writing about the affair aftorward.
Ia '.Battles aud Leaders OF the Civil
War he saw that something had 90
be done. and that very quickly, or the
Army OF the Potomac would receive II
crushing defeat He proceeded TO
DO the necessary something" and
while he was doing IL there occurred
an incident which - thus wildly de-
scribed by the man who was princi-
pally concerned In IL. Major Clifford
Thompson. OF General P%leasanton's
staff.
Gen. P~leasanton rode from gun To
gun, directing the gunners TO aim
low. not "a get excited. TO make
every shot tell. The enemy were
forming in line OF battle on the edge
OF the woods in our front. They
were scarcely 200 yards d slant; yet
such WAS the gloom they could not be
clearly distinguished.
Gen. Plcasanton was about giving
the orders 10 fire upon the party
when a sergeant at n OF the guns
said:
General, aren't those our troopsg
| fee our colors in the line"
This was true, for where he pointed
our colors could be seen-trophies
picked up on the field. General Pleas
anton turned to me and said:
Mr.. Thomas. ride out there and
see who those people are
For myself. | was not at all curious
about those people, being perfectly
willing 10 wait until they introduced
themselves. But | rode between two
OF odr guns and galloped TO within
thirty or forty yards OF the troops in
question. All along the line they
called out TO me. Come on; we're
friends
IL was quite dark and | could not
make out their uniforms, but | could
zee three OF our flags. and these
caused me 10 hesitate. | came TO a
halt. ana was peering into the dark
ness TO make sure, when "A bullet
VIII 81 ed by me. and there came the
'Tc1el yell
The confederate line charged up the
Hill toward our guns. and | led the
charge! Lying down on my horses
neck. ] gave him the spur, and the
yells o. the 'Johnnies" behind further
stimulated him. so that we got over
the ground In n lively manner
With the report OF the first shot
fired at me Gen. Pleasanton had
opened fire. and those twenty-five
guns belched forth destruction at n
fearful rate. Although | was lying
down on my horse. | kept an eye on
the guns aud guided my horse be.
tween the flashes, and In less time
than IL takes TO tell IL | IA on the
safe side OF them.
IL was load and fire at will for
some minutes. The enemy was
moved down I'm heaps. and ran back
down the slope 10 the cover OF the
woods. Old artillery officers have
informed me that they never before
heard such rapid firing. The
roar was continuous and the exccu-
ton teri iic. After II ceased | rode
up 10 Gen. Pleasantou and said:
General. those people out there
are rebels"
There was a grave twinkle In his
eye as he held out his hand and re-
piled: Thomas. | never expected 10
see you again. | thought II they
didn't kin you / should. but that was
no time 10 stop for one man.
] should have agreed with him more
cordially II that ''one man. had been
some n else.