The National tribune., 1891-03-26

4 taiucd my position until my sights had been
lowered 20 a dead level ard the advancing IN
fautgy had delivered a whitening vOlley in our
1 faces.
While lying hcYe, and during The advance Of
4 the CnCmy's inlgutFy, ] glanced behind me az
the gun laundering in my rear aud was sur
4 piisud 10 sue but two men at the piece; one Of
I them thought at the time was q commissioned
officer, stripped 10 the waist and wearing a
white shirt, the Other in much tho same condi-
/ -harcheaded, sleeves rolled M, but much
/ biacEer from the stains OF smoke and powder.
As one OF the men was Jus. bringing Tie am-
mELltiOn when ] looked az hem. and the two
proceeded 10 Road the Gun, il occurred 10 me
that without rcinlorccmcnls another blast OIL
canister through that opening would be very
I likely 10 leave as in support of "A very silent
piece Of artillery. The situation was warm
enough just then 10 have suited even such a
cold-biooded fighter as the author Of the " eau
nsuCer"
Looking TO the rear n moment later the gun
was gone but their supports aYe still there. |
have M impression that our battery was re-
Hevcd by some allied guns which fired one or
two rounds aud retired. Whatever battery il
was that VIC supported, our monument in Tie
angle records the fact thHt we lost three iiitas
OF our number while supporting somebody in
the Peach Orchard.
The rear Of The barn looked like sieve from
the numerous volleys OF canister which had
passed through H. and The ground was covered
with liniimg-wood. before il took Ere from a
shell aud WIS consumed. The house escaped
destruction and WAS not perforated by shot or
sh,Il because, il we believe the cncmy, son
OF the owner WIS serving in the rebel ranks
aud AT his request they spared H.
IN conclusion, would ak, Why is il so many
comrades, members of different batteries, both
Regular and volunteer, are striving at this late
day 10 establish their location IN the Peach
Orchard? ] can assign no other reason than
TINS; that ID WAS the post Of honor IN the Inc,
the hardest 90 defend its being the salient
made it 50. Had our line been formed with
sharp right angle in the orchard, we should
have been subjected 10 an eulade from bat
teros on our right ana lott lroHls q il WAS,
the artillery was formed more on a curve,
which subjected them TO only partial eng
laGe; but they C0giI not escape the COncentric
IRE OF the several batteries iu their front. On
40 other part Of tie line was such advantage
gwen 10 tAe enemy. When their infantry
advanced, the constant croWdiug toward the
center kept lhe rsnAs full and well closed up,
our fire making apparently liule or no impres-
SION upon them. They were reinforced IRON
flEEi aud left no every siep. When they had
approached within poIHt-biank range, they
were compact mass OF humanity, aud, al
Though tho shooting was good, there was not
enough OF 40.
Our thin line, already fcariuily decimated
by the dreadful artillery, c9ald offer no sue
ccss!ul resistance % such overwhelming num-
beers, aud, lacking rcinlorcemeats, We were
forced 10 retire.
TINS salient it appears, was the most vnl-
nerabic point in our line, aud thc batteries
defending a. extending fr0u the Nenz Honse
10 the lett OF the Orchard Capt Hart 5 aud one
Other occupied the most exposed position.
oar line 10 the right OF the Ncutz House
could not well be eUElAdcd by batteries on the
left, because il was Ia direct liue with tho
building The cnomy were careful not 10 destroy.
and TO the left the formation Of ground Offered
some protection as Well-W. W. HOLDEN,
Private Co u, "a n. H., Bethel, Vt