The National tribune., 1893-12-21
FIGHTING AT TUPELO.
Continued from first page.)

cations of activity and movements of the
| enemy away up The valley to the west,
| mile or more to the front of our right wing.
| Heavy masses of troops can be seen ad-
vancing, and evidences of heavy concen-
trated forces preparing for another deter
mined effort against this part of the Ma
| tional line.
| Soon comes a laundering roar of artillery
| in our front. Concentrated masses of fresh
and resolute, confident troops swarm down
the valley and over the ridge in eur front.
1t is the third assault.
It is evident that the sounds Of battle TO
| our left and rear are but a demonstration to
| attract attention, and that tremendous
| effort is about to be made to crush the right
wing and break through that part OF the
National line. As we lie close to the ground
under the terrible storm of lead and iron,
| the stunning detonatons to our right in
form US that the eight guns of the I'd Iowa
and 9Th Ind. light batteries are sending
| death and destruction into the advancing
| Confederate ranks, and attracting full
share of attention from the rebel gunners.
| Those valiant hosts, in three firm lines-of-
battle deep. sweep through the corn. Aga
the intrepid officers of the Union line give
the awaited command. Again that line OF
blue leaps up. Line after line withers under
a pitiless fire. The cry, Remember Fort
| PiIlow!" is borne to their ears amid the din
A few moments, and the
UNION CHEEE
peals forth once more.
| AS the Live Eagle Brigade in bayonet-
charge pursues the enemy in its front through
the corn, many of them are so overcome
with fatigue and the overpowering heat
that they are unable to run; and as we
overtake them they INCREASINGLY surrender,
and are sent to the rear as prisoners
! After pursuing the retreating Confederates
about mile the brigade ret urns to its posi-
ton in the National line, gathering in the
| Confederate wounded on the way back.
| 1t is now about o'clock in the afternoon,
| and the third determined assault Of the
| Confederates upon that part Of the National
line occupied by the Live Eagle Brigade has
been repulsed with terrible slaughter; and,
having met with signal defeat and terrible
disaster at all points, the hitherto victorious
and bold buccaneers retire exhausted and
disheartened from the conflict, aud the bat
tie of Tupelo is ended for the day.
| The tired and hali-starved men of Gen. A.
J. Smiths command have now a chance to
prepare cup of hot coffee
| As an indication of the slaughter in this
| Il
Pioneer Corps bury over 400 dead rebels in
front of our division during the evening.
The morning of July Is reveals to the
view of the Confederate forces mile and a
half up the valley Union picket occupying
a high perch on a rail fence along the top of
a levee or embankment which protects
cultivated field from overflow in time of
freshet from an adjoining swamp. This
picket-post is about 500 yards to the right
of the post ion of the Live Eagle Brigade in
| the National line Of battle to the west of
Tupelo, and almost directly in front of the
| First Brigade on their right and facing to
the right more in the direction OF the swamp.
His high perch above the corn gives the
| picket a clear view up the valley to the
west, and as the sun rises above the swamp
| forest his bright rays are reflected from the
bright steel bayonets of moving Confederate
soldiers in the distance. The three COM
rades of his post are lying under shelter
! constructed of fence-rails and cornstalks,
occupied with that ID nch mooted occupation
of the "coffee-cooler," drinking their morn
ing cup of hot coffee, along with an ear of
roasted green corn, which constitutes their
sumptuous repast. The sentinel on duty
| calls their attention to the warlike prepara-
tions going on up the valley mile and a
| half to the west, where the Confederate
| forces of Gen. Forrest are deploying from the
| timber into the bright sunlight and advanc-
| ing down the valley.
| Hello, there goes the first gun!" calls
| the sentinel, as a puff Of white smoke rises
| in the clear morning air, and in q few sec
Onds shell comes screaming down the
valley. and crashing through the top of the
shelter under which the three soldiers are
lying, plows into the ground few feet be-
| yond.
1t is 12-pound percussion shell, fired from
u SDsOOtuDOio gun, anu, SlflkluS LHo STOunu
butt foremost, it fails to explode, and bound
| ing out of it's hole lies harmless on top of the
ground. Another soon follows, and plunges
into the soft mire of the swamp few feet
! to the right of the sentinel on top of the
fence, and others follow at regular intervals,
| ranging still farther to the right, and 20
tearing through the tree-tops, apparently
searching for Yankees N the southern
swamp.
The Confederates tn three consecutive
| lines of battle are now advancing down the
valley, splendid pageantry, with arms and
| equipments cleaning and flashing in the
bright morning sun, and dazzling the eyes
with their effugence. It is an interesting
| sight to the sentinel on duty, and occupied
with nothing of greater Importance, but his
comrades are still too much interested in
their occupation of coffee-cooling to ad-
NIT of other matters of minor importance
sharing their attention, but continue at their
very slim breakfast
| AS Forests advancing hosts are soon
within a mile of the Union lines, and our
| videt most ia near half that distance across