The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-07-27
PETERSBURG.
Boys Experience i'm the Terrible Charge
of ApriI 2. 1868.

| of April 2, 1865.
"HE article by Comrade Brogan in q
recent issue recalls to my mind
- my experience in that same charge
upon the I'd day of April, 1865. His
description is very much as l remember it.
although was in a different brigade-Third
Brigade First Division, Sixth Corps.
My regiment (the 9Th Wis., filed through
our works at or near Fort Fisher, about
three miles to the left of our Winter quar-
tiers. The morning was very dark, and as
we approached our pickets the firing be-
came quite brisk between them and the
| JohnnieS.
We halted, and lay down on a slight ele-
walton few yards back of our intrenched
picket-line. This was a tough place to stay,
with nothing to do but lie there and take
our medicine.
| John Bragg, of my company. received his
death wound at this place. Vanderbloom,
who lay just behind me, was struck on the
| leg by spent ball. BY this time a good
many wounded were passing to the rear.
Jim Witter, at my feet, caught bullet in
his gunstock, but it saved his leg. Witter
was wounded that afternoon. have never
seen Jim since l looked back over my
shoulder and saw him fall when shell
passed through our company.
l will not say how long we staid there,
but it seemed long time to me. It was
probably only few minutes before we were
ordered to advance quietly and take shelter
behind our picket-works. The pickets were
ordered to cease firing, and the Johnnies
soon quit also.
We had not long to wait for that order,
which we knew would come all too soon for
some of us. The rebs must have heard it
when it did come, for we were not yetover our
own works when they commenced firing
They seemed to be expecting company, and
were all ready to receive us.
When l started on that charge was not
feeling very well; there was something the
matter with my throat. I thought my
heart would jump clear ont of my mouth.
The boys were yelling and charging all
around me. / think / went more than half
way across before yelled, and then / felt
so much better that l was sorry had not
yelled when / started. / was much sur
prised at the great change in my feelings.
After that whoop / think l could have
tackled the whole so-called Southern Con-
federacy.
1t was still very dark, and I came near
being impaled On those gut-punchers that
Comrade Brogan mentions. just as / struck
them / saw man go through to my left,
and / turned and found an opening there.
Comrade Arnet, of Co. E, passed through one
step ahead and just to my left. He had his
gun grasped in the middle, raised above his
head, and was yelling. knew him by his
outline in the darkness, and was watching
him as we ran. A few yards farther on he
fell, shot through the head, as afterwards
learned.
When 1 got to the ditch saw it was too
wide to jump, 80 jumped in. There were
a few of the boys in the ditch then, and
more were coming fast. / saw comrade
reach up and catch hold of root. boosted
him, and up he went. / then caught the
same root, and some one helped me-
Up and over / went too, and just as 1
struck the ground inside several rebel guns
flashed over the works a few PAGES to my
right and little farther on a cannon was
fired. There was hot time here for
minute or two, and Orderly-Serg't Yates
Lacy was one of the boys who did little
artistic bayonet work, and the Johnny that
he interviewed passed on to the sweet subse-
quently.
Daylight began to show little, and we
were ordered to send a few shots to our left,
just to help start the Johnnies down there,
which we did.
We had their works, and was it strange
that comrades shook hands with each other?
For we knew that the end of the Confederacy
was near. If / remember correctly, my
company lost two killed and IL wounded in
this charge.
Can any comrade give me the number of
men lost by our regiment on that day? /
would like to know.--C. F. BARNES, Co. I,
5th Wis, Ainsworth, Neb.