The National tribune., 1891-07-02

q utLtEHi llistilNttt uls WbrGS anu movements
acting like magic, the men turned again
to the front, nj with shouts regained their
positions. LfNe an avalanche they swept
down upon the advancing and almost victor
iou5 enemy, and drove them back beyond
their original ground. Thus this important
Ito US
POSITION WAS SAVED.
was told that the infantry supporting
this battery wss composed of straggiers, men
who had becou separated from their COM
mIuds during the day. They were uuofli-
cered and strangers To each other. and while
they respected officers ia general, there was
no ore who would not wade in deep for
Pay Thomas" It was he and be alone,
who saved that point at tina, time.
THIS bill, which have mentioned 50 often,
VIA not very high nor very steep. There
were no trees upon it at this point II was
sOmetLiG. Ike a ridge with a sharp turn 20
the right almost 10 q right angle.
Time G.es so rapidly under such cOadi-
I tions, and | can give no idea how long We
remained thus inactive before we were or
dered into line While this was going on
/ single bullet went singing along and struck
some object with q thud. IL seemed a long
time before anyone had any idea where 10
struck. Suddenly a soldier standing at my
side threw up his Eight hand, and IN. eht
which net the eyes was sickeniug. The ball
hal struck the back Of the hand, passing
through /. and destruyiagit it, His hand and
mine were nearly touching each other at the
time, and my escape was very close.
When OUr line was formed we were posted
/ upon the ridge In the rear OF where Gen.
/ Thomas was. and ordered % hold 10 30 all
/ hazards BE it remembered this was late IN
/ the afternoon Of the second day, Sept. %
| Hundreds of men had become separated
/ from their commaHds and knew not where
/ 10 find them. Tau5 il was that L had some
20 men in my company whom l never saw
/ before, and who were entire strangers TO all
Of us.
! On the top Of the hiIl we we're ordered to
/ lie down and keep silent. We knew a rebel
battery was in our front, for we heard the
BOOM OF THE GUNS.
Every moment we expected to see the rebels
/ coming mp the other side OF the ridge. This
| ridge was covered with woods and on the
rebels side was a thick growth Of under
I brush that prevented our seeing 10 steps in
Our front.
/ No one can imagine the intensity Of our
/ feeling while looking FOR evidence Of an un-
| seen enemy. We knew that he was approach
Il ing ~. While we lay there under these eXcit-
\ ing circumstances, we were startled by the
boom Of a big gun, seemingly much nearer to
| US than the other had been. The missilewent
| flying through the air. cutting or the small
/ limbs Of the trees "a 10 climbed over the ridge.
/ 1t passed over and struck q large tree in our
rear with such force as to shatter it.
The racket was terrible, and the effect upon
\ our was electric. Nearly every man
/ sprang % his fest. took long and earnest look
| in tho direction Of the noise, and then at each
IsAE .Tla.. L..
/ more these 20 stray" spraug as one man TO
the rear, and went scampering down the hill,
I as / have always imagined the swine into
/ which those evil spirits had entered when cast
I ont Of the people did when they rushed into
the sea and were swallowed up. / think these
20 men were swallowed up too, for | never
/ saw or heard Of them after that race Of theirs
down the hill. Orr own men, alter the first
shock was over, resumed their recumhent posi-
/ tiou calmly watching events in silence.
\ The moments passed; no noise in 'front.' to
/ give Us an idea Of where the enemy was or
what he was doing. The silence was painful.
One could hear the
EEART OF HIS NEIGHBOR
| throb-all WAS so STILL At last a faint sound.
Soldiers exchange inquisitiye glaHCes, seeming
/ to ask, "What is that2" The sound increases.
Ii comes nearer. IL is in our rear. Look, see
those CIOudsl What is itl Look again. The
clouds tnickeu and roll this way.
| AnxiOusIy watching, we SEQ that these clouds
are Of dust. What causes this dust IN such
| immense quantities? We know not then, but
in short space oftime all mystery IS cleared up.
IL is Gen. SJecdman first Colonel 18th Ohio
coming 10 our relief He is riding in front,
leading bis command by the right flank. until
our whole rear covered, when the command
BY the left flank IS given, and without a halt
bis whole line moves up the bill, passes over
| Us. and descend5 the rebel side into the thickct,
u D.
| confusion; no talking or cheering. It seems
as though every man thinks he has a special
errand down there. aud it behoOves him 90 get
there as soon as possible. For few moments
all was still. Then breaks out fusiiade Of
mrsketry that was terrific.
While this was going on we were ordered
back 10 the place where we were before we
went on the bill, just in the rear Of where Gen.
ThCmas was. Thomas was still holding the
anne position Is when we left him. His staff
was bringing ports and carrying orders as be-
fore. We had Just reached this position when
heard familiar voice, and looking around
saw Gen. w. q. Whitaker riding towards Gen.
Thomas. After paying bis respects to the Cen
eral, he
CALLED FOR A SURGEON.
He had been wounded in the charge over
the hill by bullet which struck him in the
thigh He did not dismount, but received the
Surgeons attentions while in tho saddle.
During this operation he told OF the hot place
they found on the reEel side of the hill. He
closed lis talk wit. the remark:
1--WE gave them h"
Once moro our little handful was called upon
10 20 10 the front This time iC was to hold a
narrow space on that same hil considerably
nearer 10 Gen. ThOmas's position, and to the
left Of where Gen. Stcednan won't over On
the very top Of the hill, at this new position,
there was an old-style rail fence, uD TO which
the men went, aud getting close to the ground
could see sOme distance in the front by peep
ing between the rails. No enemy could bo
seen iu the 'front.' but rebel bullets Kept coming
in our direction, giving us the music of the
ping, which WIS anything but pleasant. There
was not space very close to the fence for ali of
Us and il was very dangerous to be far back
frUm ,t unless vcry close to the ground. Thus
the same sharpshooters who had the range on
Cen Thomas's position also had the range on
US, by firing to their left.
Josh Able, of Go. L. was struck by flying
ballet Just below the knee-cap Of both legs.
Lieut. w. F.. Kelly WAS struck in the same way,
only in q different part OF the body. / took
them both 10 a house near by, where other
wounded had been taken. There was large
number Of them there ut that time.
IT WAS sUNDOWN
when left Lieut. Kelly there. When passed
along / saw what I knew must be a rebel force
coming up through the corniield tfor we were