The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-10-01

A PiSFSfN llMfNi Vt pT.Eh IL.
bered about $50 men when it took its place
in the line. The assault was hopeless one
but the men dashed forward .,allantly, to
be cut down by pitiess fire as they strut''
pled on over stumps and fallen trees,
through gullies choked with brush ard
cane. and up their steep banks, climbing
hand over hand The Second brigade
reached a crest within fifty PAGES OF Las
toned work in front and lay there until
dark. The colors of the rifty-iifth were
ridtlled by Confederate bullets, but they
foated defiantly within pistol shot OF the
Confederates until the command was or
dered back to its own works.
Another assault was made on the 22d OF
May. The column was preceded by Volun
teer storming parties, who planted faSs
upon the enemy's embankments. But the
| main army could not face the whitening
fire poured upon it by the we'll shell
tered men in gray The Fifty-lifth again
pressed forward close to the enemy's
| breastworl1s and held its position until re
called to its own works on the morning
| following. In these two assaults the rell-
ment lost II killed outright, mortally
wounded and So wounded and recovered.
| After Vicksburg the Fifty-lifth was en-
gagged, with loss, at Jackson and at Black
| RlV6r, MISS, anu dU hlSSiOi ASiNoSt ASi'iA
It's next desperate fight was at Little kene
saw. Ga. June 81, 1864. The regiment
had meanwhile re-enlisted, and on the 10th
of June Joined it's old division and was as
signed to the First brigade, under Gen.
Giles A Smith 1t was 275 men strong.
On the morning Of the 9th the brigade
was detailed to lead an assault upon the
Confederate works on Little kenesaw. The
men were ordered to unsling all baggage
and parade in light marching order. The
place of assault was in view OF theiI
bivouac, and every man realized the desper
ate work before him. Messages wert
hastily written, and I:eepsakes and valua
bles were handed over to noncombatants
to send north in case OF disaster. The
iegi1nental commander, Capt. }. Nj
AuyustiEe coniided to ii brother officer
that he felt q presentlment OF death
handed him a lncmento and Il message
and then in tones Is clear as = bell ana a.
. calm and hopeful rs the prayer OF SAINT
called out Forward"
, The field to be charged over WIS exposed
,, to the Confederate batteries, and was 81
, difficult to traverse, owing to swamp AM
thick underbrush, as to exhaust the me
! | before they reached the base of the preclp
tous, rock strevn hill, where the Confedel
ate infantry lay behind stone shelter. Th
. line was soon broken up into mob c
a struggling men, clambering over bowlder
and fallen trees and wrestling with abati
of sharpened branches planted to imped
their progress. Capt. Augustine presse
forward, and with handful OF bis follow
ers was almost under the enemy's parape
when the brigade bugler sounded the r.
call The gallant leader mistook the meal
ing and again said, Forward, men!' \
he stood erect, animated with the spirit {
the scene, a bullet in the left breast SCI
him to earth like bolt.
The survivors dropped back down tt
mountain side, and when the losses WEI
reckoned up the killed and mortal
wounded were l6, the wounded
Throughout the Atlanta campaign Il
regiment took part in the heaviest tigh
| ing, and its total losses reached 81 kill'
| and Sc wounded, fully one-half of its figh
| | ing strength In all it's campaigns
| losses amounted to AS killed and woUnde
of which Isl were deaths Its first frig
=, was its last, and after that episode it dar
q everything that came in its way, and tn
III was 4 good deal GEORGE l.. kILMER.