The National tribune., 1893-07-06
BENTON'S CROSSROADS.
The Personal Experience of an Ohio Boy at
that Engagement.


= WAS on the extreme left at the battle
] Of Benton's Crossroads, Ga, member
-4- of the 121st Ohio, Second Brigade, Sec
ond Division, Fourteenth Corps. l
make this statement because this is what /
experienced that afternoon. When our line
was formed we understood that the Twen-
tieth Corps was on our left. After Co. II
had thrown up some stumps and logs for
protection, ! sat down close TO them with
three others TO play cards. Some Of the boys
of another company were strengi henIng
their works, and cut tree down, which fell
across my neck.
At that moment two guns were fred by
the rebs, which were Il signal to charge, for
the report and the yell came at nearly the
same time. The rebels never appeared in
our front, and we were soon ordered TO front
to the left flank.
Our boys were being killed, and still our
orders were not TO shoot, for the Twentieth
Corps was on our left. After we had
changed positions two or three times, and
some 10 or 10 had been killed and wounded
in our regiment, the boys refused to obey
orders and began to fire.
As Col H. B. Robinson WAS passing along
the line with his hands raised, pleading with
the boys not to shoot our own men, l caught
him and said, pointing through the woods
where could see q rebel flag leaning against
tree and rebs living as thick as they could
get, do you call those our men?"
He said, mo. Left wing, begin firing"
These were the last orders heard until
all my cartridges were gone. The boys lay
down in line and began fighting in earnest.
The rebs lay still, and my attention was to
the front as we then fronted. l warned the
H.. a.. l., IT. y oIy Of
the line some four or five yards TO tree.
l had not been there long before ] noticed
another tree not more than six or eight
yards 10 my left, with another man behind
il. About this time man came from /
don't know where, and stood in open view
between these two trees. He had no more
than halted before ball struck his canteen,
which was filed with molasses, and it few
in every direction. With yell he dropped
his gun and placed both hands to his side
and started for the rear. l noticed that my
friend behind the tree was not doing much.
] said: What is the trouble?"
My gun won't go of, partner. Please
hand me that one" pointing to the one the
molasses man had dropped.
l waved my hand to the boys that had
TO pass before and gave him the gun. /
never saw another one of our boys again IN
til / found them about 100 yards back In
the swamp
l said my attention was in the front as
we were then fronting, and the rebs were
lying in our front This was to attract our
attention, while they were sending troops
still to our left and rear.
Ny attention was arrested by ball strik-
ing the tree from my left and rear. / turned
TO see who was shooting so carelessly, and
our boys were all gone. / was not alone,
although every Yankee was out of sight, for
the rebel line was not the half length of the
regiment from me, closing in. They we're
using heir troops as a fisherman Eould his
seine, coming around in what was rightly
our rear.
1t is useless to say did not stay long
after my situation was revealed. AS l
turned 10 run l could hear them yelling:
Halt, you Yankee!" l did not stop to ex-
change words with them. As ran l caught
sight of a cartridge-box when was about
20 yards from where I started, and stopped
10 pick it up. In doing so / did not stop
running lyou know that, but in looking
down and not looking ahead I ran into
green-briar bush and in water up to my
waist.
With all my strength / could not break
through, but had 10 back ont, and when /
had gained high ground and had fixed my
self for running, heard Adjt Henry Louis
calling me. / went TO him, and he gave me
a pocket-compass, and directed me to take
charge of two wounded men and have them
taken to The hospital. One Of them was
boy from Co. Z, whom we called Mooney
C.. r WAKEFIELD Harman's Md.