Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1891-05-28

There vas ]. Lacey Pierson, another
captain, and Maj William W. Morris,
and other officers doing their best to-.
stem the current. The sharp aping" Of
the bullets was heard every second.
All the guns of the battery were drawn
off but ore. Pierson, Rogers and 9TH
ers grabbed the gun by the trunnions
and tried To drag her from the field.
OF course Tile air was thick with
smoke The rear OF tho regiment had
moved very leisurely. The Johnnies
had come through the gap, and we were
All mixed up. AS we began to drag the
cannon off the Johnnies grabbed the
piece by the muzzle and tried to hold
it. Then muskets wefe dubbed and
bayonets nged. ii all those engaged in
the fight had deem personal enemies for
years tire cursing and reyiling could not
have been more bitter. The wounded
fell to the ground with oaths and impre-
cations upon their lips, and without q
groan. Enough OF our men rallied to
enable us to hold on to the gun. The
Vermont regiment In the woods on the
left hand stood firm. and the Johnnies
who had swept through the gap were
enfiladed. After the fight to secure the
gun was over we discovered that she
was loaded, that the landyard was hang
lug from her breech and no one had
Thought to pull il during the fight.
The regiment rallied behind a brush
fence. George Drake of the color guard
sprung over it and planted the colors at
| the side Of the gun. He swore that
| Lees men should have them if the regi-
ment did not protect them.
! Probably three hundred men lined
| themselves on the colors in three min
utes, each man in his company, and each
| company in it's order. They moved for,
| ward at the command of the Colonel
and restored the main line, occupying
the same ground which they had left
BY this time the sun had gone down and
darkness was sweeping over the plain
1t became intensely dark. The regi
ment was lying down in expectation o.
| another assault. 1t was terribly trying
| time. The means of the wounded fillec
the air. In the distance the shells ha6
| set the woods on fire. In the lurid ligh
the Lieutenant Colonel came down the
line He saw me standing in front O.
two companies.
What companies are these" be said
behind you?"
/ told him.
Where are the officers?" he asked
II don't know" was my reply.
where are the Orderly Sergeants ?
"They're not here"
HEM he muttered. well, Ser
geant-Maior, take command of the divi
sion, and don't resign it until you are
relieved"
! One of the Captains appeared no
long afterward. / told him / was II
command, with orders not to yield thu
authority till the Lieutenant. Colonel re
lieved me. Not long afterward tn.
Lieutenant Colonel did relieve me, ant
directed the Captain to thank me TO
keeping his company intact. A momen
afterward the orderly of the secont
company appeared and took command
in like manner.
Five minutes afterward the Lieu
tenant Colonel ordered me to look afte
tine pickets. In the darkness / moved
the pickets toward the enemy. EacI
man took his intervals. STOPPING clos
to the ground and looking up l coulc
see their forms outlined against the sky
/ could name each comrade by his out
line. The ground was covered with tn
killed and wounded. Occasionally
wounded man tried to crawl toward on
line. Everything, even the stumps
seemed to be moving. The Wounds
were packed around dead horses. The
crawled there to escape the bullets
: using each carcass as shelter. Will
> stopping to the earth and glancing sky
ward l saw a form moving past on
/ line. Beyond could see the outlin
: OF Corporal Mason, member of on
: regiment. I called him to me. We az
r costed the stranger. He was cor
:, federate picket. The lines were passin
r each other in the darkness. Whe
4 asked what regiment he belonged to b
replied: