The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-03-09

From our new lines we had checked the
enemy. and their victorious career on tho
right ended. That night we were sent to the
extreme right, where for an hour we made
small fires in the woods and made all the noise
we could, to make the enemy believe we had
reinforccments. Then we went half mile
farther to the right into an open cottonfield,
where, without fires or food we spent the night
the longest night ever passed.
The air was filled with fine snow, driven by
a cold raw wind. The reaction from the fierce
conflict of battle to the cold aud hunger COM
pletely unnerved most of the men, and they
suffered as if by cholera. / completely col
lapsed, and lay upon the cold, wet ground,
rolled in my blanket. weak and groaning with
pain. Others at my side and about me were SINH
larly afflicted with genuine nervous prostration.
At daylight We moved back to tho woods
again, where we made coffee, the first we had
drank in 4S hours.
| went out and found supply-train. and
was given side of bacon aud sack of sugar.
There was no bread that day. We sliced the
bacon thin, smothered it in sugar, and ate it
raw.
After awhile line was marked out for
breastworks, and We set to work with will.
Stones. logs dirt, anything aud every thing
came into use There was u field out TO our
front; beyond that thick body of timber.
There were few men short distance in our
front rs pickets, and they were ordered in.
There was something going on III the woods.
Our boys were knecling down out of sight be.
hind our works in the woods. / was walking
hack from an interview with the Colonel, when
"bangi" went cannon, right in front of rs.
The next instant l heard something rattling
through the trees. l had my blanket rolled
up. as usual yoked over my shoulder when
without any preparation,
1 TUMBLED BACK HEAD OVER HEELS
To say that l tumbed would be putting it
mildly; fairly pounded the earth with every
prominent part of my body. ! finally got upon
my feet. to find that grapeshOt weighing
about half pound had struck my blanket
roll on my shoulder. / was but slightly hurt.
One of my men picked up the shot and gave it
to me to keep as a souvenir. The blanket had
saved my life. After shelling while they
concluded the woods were empty, and a regi-
ment, about 400 strong, came out of the woods
directly in our front. They came across the
field in splendid shape. without the usual
skirmish-fine. Surely someone was blunder
ing on their side.
/ was on my knees at the right of my COM
pany. l wondered if we never would be
ordered TO fire. Turning my head / caught a
glimpse of Phil Sheridan and Col. Nick Greugel,
our brigade commander, peeping through the
bushes watching the unsuspeCting enemy ap-
proach.
Suddenly the single word "6re" rang from
Col. Greusefs lips. The crash of 400 muskets
rang in tho air almost as one gun. The car
mage in front was simply frightful; the rebel
regiment seemed to have been swept off the
earth. regiment to our right ran to the
front past us and swept around behind the
enemy, and not a man of the rebel regiment
escaped. Many were killed. more wounded,
and the balance were satisfied to lay close to
the ground, and glad to be taken inside our
lines.
This was an Alabama regiment. almost new
to the service, with an inexperienced COM
mander, who threw away his life because of
his lack of caution or experience.
This was New Years day, and although the
battle ragged for two days longer, It was on our
left, and our position not again assailed
My regiment went into battle nearly 300
strong and lost half of its number in killed,
wounded and missing. ! had but eightmen
left in my company.
New Years morning, when the battle was
fairly over, the slightly wounded and many
Others came up from the rear. making the
regiment almost $50 strong on the day of final
victory. Jan. 3. / had Il scalp wound and used
a rough crutch to get around the leg that |
was wounded by the same shell. Ny right |
hand was slightly injured, flesh bullet wound |
in my right arm and bruised shoulder from |
a grapeshot. 1t took all my spare time for |
three days soaking the clotted blood out of my |
hair, and / finally had the Surgeon shave |
section of, as the easiest way ont of the trouble
l was promoted to Orderly Sergeant, and |
wrote my mother saying that from my expert |
ence for the past 10 days the war was great |
success.