Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1892-06-30

nected by infantry breastworks. The re
doubts on the north and northwest were
known as Batteries A and B. and were
located on Fighter hill The redoubt on
the west was Battery c. on Graveyard
hill, and one on the southwest Battery
ID, on Hindman hill.
When the Confederate leader Gen
Holmes, learned what was in the way Of
his entry to the town, he realized that the
contract was big one, even with the spirit
of the day to fire his soldiers with Amer
lean valor But he went bravely at the
task and laid out plan that would have
delighted beyond measure the professor Of
a graduating class in military school
He assigned to Marmaduke's 1900 cavalry
the capture of the RICHTER hill redoubts, to
Prices 5000 the Graveyard hill breast
WORKS and redoubt, and to Fasan's 1000
the line on Hindman hill. These positions
the troops were to carry with a rush at
daylight, turn the captured cannon on the
large work, Fort Curtis, nearest the town.
lombard and carry that. and all else was at
their mercy. And had Gen. Holmes and his
people known the situation the enemy's
camp they might Lave been aS .ighly elated
over the prospect before them as they
were with their mastery plan There were
about 1900 Union soldiers distributed
around Helena, but their long line was
exposed to attack about equally AT all
points.
There were six roads from the interior TO
the town, and the defenders. being ign0rant
of the particular one or ones by which the
assailants would move to the attack were
bound TO look sharp to them all For an
other thing there We're no trained artillery
men to handle the guns in the works and
the duty was in the hands OF several com
panies of the T'hirty-third Missouri infant.
ry. The remaining infantry was divided
up into detachments, so that no regiment
intact, much less a brigade could be called
together at given point in the einergen
cies to follow. There were many things in
their favor to counterbalance all the cir
cumstances, but these the Confederates did
not know, and promptly at daylight on Ia
dependence Day each Of the three col
umns, Marmaduke's, s'fice's and Fagans.
told off in slOrming parties and reserves.
moved against the batteries and intrench
ments that lay across their paths
Fayan's Arkansans found themselves
confronted by the rifle pits and redoubt on
Hindman hill, with only their muskets TO
aid them. More than mile back their ar
tillery had been blocked by INSTRUCTED
roads. and on both sides Of the highway
steep rayines made the route across lots
impossible for cannon The officers had
been compelled TO dismount and leave
their horses behind, and the men, with
free use of limb, barely made their way
through the labyrinth in time TO meet the
engagement. They were the first to open
the ball. and rs soon as the struggling line
could pull itself together moved forward
in battle order. Here a gorge interviewed.
there a steep hillside doomed before them
and the thicket and trenches in front were
alive with sharpshooting riflemen. One
by one. however, the rifle pits and breast
works were yielded to the ArSs.nsilns until
they were under the guns of Battery ID on
Hindman hill. But they were likewise
abreast of Battery on Graveyard hill,
and the Missouri boys at the guns there
raked the line of the charging column
lengthwise, For Graveyard hill had not
fallen, Price was behindhand in his assault.
and the plan so mastery in theory was
working admirably the wrong way. The
Union folks could play the hills against
one another, too. and Fagan's Confedertes
on IIindman hill were targets for the guns
intact on Graveyard hill.