San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-10-24

ROUGH CLIMBING AT wAUHATCHIE.
sudden attack and was furiously assailed
by one of Longstreet's veteran divisions.
The Seventy-third went with it's brigade
to succor GeIry. and on the march to the
front was suddenly fired upon by some
Confederates on a hilltop far in Gearys
rear and between him and his supports
The regiment was then not quite 200
strong, and with the Thirty-thiri Massa
chusetts was ordered to change front and
go up that hill and drive out the enemy
The two regiments numbered about 500 in
all, and stretching their line so as to cover
one slope the men pushed their way up q
steep ascent of about $50 yards. The hill
side was covered with heavy timber and
underbrush, and in many places the mem
had to pull themselves up hand over han6
by Selling onto the roots and bushes abovs
them. Fortunately at this stage the enc
my's fire passed over The heads of the DAP
ing assailantS, but rs soon as they reached
the summit the clear moonlight revealed
them to the COntrderatCs at short range.
The latter were sheltered by breastworks
and opened a murderOus fire upon the adj
vancing line. The Seventy third was alone
for a time, and forged its way over tree
tops, rocks and logs up to the Confederate
works.
In few minutes the Massachusetts, men
Joined the Ohioans, and a grand rush of the
gallant band forced the enemy to flee down
the hillside. This cleared the road for sup
ports to reach Geary, and IIongstreet aban.
dOned his attack. Gen. Grant pronounced
this action, which determined the result of
the battle of WauhatChie, as Geary's fight
is called, lone of the most daring feats of
arms in the war" The Seventy-third lost
65 killed and wounded, resulting in 16I
deaths all told. Thus it cost the regiment
less in noble blood to win immortal fame in
an incidental fight at Wauhatchie, than to
wage long and stubborn battles in an OBJ
scure corner of the field at Manassas and
Gettysburg for the deliverance of the CAPT.
tai of the nation.
After the relief of Chattanooga and oil
Knoxville, which soon followed, the Seven
ty-third was reorganized as a veteran regi-
ment by a re-enlistment of Dos of the go
original members still able to do duty. With
the addition of some recruits the regiment
started on Sherman's Atlanta campaign
about $50 strong. 1t served in the Twentieth
corps, formed by consolidation of the Elev-
enth and Twelfth. On the way down to At
lanta it was engaged in many brilliant no,
tons at Resaca, New Hope Church, Pine
Mountain, Kenesaw, Culp's Farm aud
Peach Tree Greek; it's deaths in battle in
the campaign running up to IS, with about
$50 wounded in addition. Then it started
on the great march TO the sea.
On the way up through the CaroIinas to
join forces with Grant, Sherman had but
one serious encounter, and that with only
portion of his troops, the left wing, un-
der Gen. Slocum, which Gen. Joe John,
ston attempted To overwhelm at Benton
vile March 10 1t was a sharp game OIL
Johnston's to crush Slocum alone and them
turn on Sherman's other wing and serve
that the same turn. In defending its
ground against repeated assaults the Sew
enty-third facet the most terrific musketry
freit ever endured and fired the last of its
sixty rounds OF cartridges in return. For
tunately, covering of underbrush gave
the men partial protection. Yet it lost
80 killed and wounded, IL being the final
mortality list. This closed its fighting ca
reeT, swelling he total deaths in battle tol
III and the wounded and recovered to alO
or 6Sl in all ont of 1857 members in the
regiment Only five Ohio regiments in the
Fighting 300 exceeded the Seventy-third
in the number killed in battle and only one
in percentage of killed to the membership
GEORGE l. RILMER |