Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-12-16


At Spottsylyania McGowan's brigade Of
South Carolinians outstripped all previous
records In Lees army, Il was ordered into
the breach IN tho Bloody Angle, where
Johnson's Confederate division was cap.
tured by Hancock In desperate charge At
daylight on the morning Of May ~. The
South Carolinlnns marched 10 the extreme
front about the middle Of the forenoon
after iancook'a troops aud their supports
had become well settled In the possession
OF the original Confederate outer line.
The struggle that followed battles dcscrip.
ton and Imagination ~ we'll. The an.
tagonists at certain points were only sep.
nraied by the breastworks OF logs aud
earth.
II was pouring rain. The ,rea,hes were
filed with water that soon took ON the hue
Of blood. The dead were trampled upon.
the dying and wounded uucatcd for. on,
poncnis Erred NJ one another at arms
length across the parapet This went on
for hours, all day the 18th, through the
night and into the next day. The sltua.
ton was 80 awful that mems brains were
turned; they became battle urszci. During
the whole afternoon OF the lgth one Of tho
Rifles was seen by his comrades TO rise de.
liociaiely 80 that the upper half OF his
person was above the parapct--an easy tar
get for the enemy-and from this position
tako deliberate aim, flro and crouch down
to reload. lie repeated this scores and
scores Of times. Bullets from the Union
muskets whizled around him from nll Ill.
rectlons, but He seemed 10 hold charmed
life. He often remained on his feet for
many minutes, occasionally drawing bead
aud then recovering his musket TO wait
for a better aim.
Finally, late Ia the day, he was seen 20
draw upon an object some distance back
from the Union trench. The chance didn't
suit and he recovered and stood bolt up.
right watching for better target. when
NJ length one appeared 10 drew bead again.
aud AS he was about TO pull, a Union bul-
let, point blank through his heart, stretch.
ed him dead IN his tracks. His coolnes.
came from battle frenzy. There were
scores OF incidents equally dramatic
throughout the brigade The famous oak
tree, twenty-five inches In diameter, that
was cut down by bullets, fell among tho
Carolinions, McGOwau's men suffered q
loss Of 80 KILLED and gu wounded, with lel
missing, many Of them killed or wounded
The lsilles lost 10 killed and 80 wounded,
with a fate unknown.
The regiment went forward to Cold Iiar.
Dor, To the defense OF Petersburg In June,
the battles on the banks Of tho james
against Hancock Mt Deep Bottom In Au.
gust, aud the Weldon Road battles OF An.
gust and October, sometimes not muster.
Ing above 100 ablebodied men. Finally, In
the wind up around Petersburg, IL wgs
wiped out in n disastrous affair NJ Suther.
land station on April =, ls05, when she
brigade was overwhelmed aud rs Of the
RIFLES were captured. A bcggnrly remnant
or "frazLle' chung 10 the undaunted column
that pnraded at Appomattox ready TO fight,
but obedlent to their leaders they accepted
tho Rrbltrament Of the sword and marched
on TO their homes with woeful gaps IN their
ranks. Their casualty list all told was 20
officers aud 500 men killed and MORALLY
wounded, 3 officers aud 1893 men dead Of
discnse and 1pl officers aud men wounded
and recovered; grand total, i,3aG, OF which
LIS occurred In battle, II sears Indicate
soldierly daring, then orrs south Carolina
Rides bore OH the palm before all the regl.
meats IN tho civil war
GEORGE l.. kiLMgR.