Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1893-07-03
GENERAL JOHN NJ. CoRsE.

and parapets. The valor of the assailants
was sublime The colonel of the Forty
sixth Mississippi, w. II. Clark, leading the
advance with the battleflag in his hands,
fell dead on the brink of the ditch. Behind
the Mississippians followed the Twenty
ninth North Carolina, the flag far in ad
vance in the hands of Color Sergeant Rich.
"Come on, boysl" he shouted, waving the
flag in front of them, and went down Sc
verely wounded. The nearest comrade,
Lieutenant E. b. Alexander, grasped the
standard, echoed the sergeant's cry, Come
on, boysl" and Immediately fell dead. Ser
geant Parker next took the colors and bore
them across the ditch to the parapet where
he held them until he was blinded by a
wound in the face.
The defenders, not to be outdone in valor,
boldly exposed themselves above the para
pet-the officers setting the example-and
fell in scores. There were six commissioned
officers killed and 20 wounded on the west
ridge. The Twelfth Illinois lost So killed
and wounded, "a of the number being com.
missioned and noncommissioned officers.
Corse was hit in the face and stunned dur
ing the height of the assault. He came to
just as the cry was going around, Cease
firingp' His soldiers thought the case was
hopeless and were contemplating surrender
to avoid humiliation. The artillery ammu-
milton was all used up and the cannon ST
lent. Some brave fellow whose name has
not been recorded, hearing Corse's appeal
to go on with the fight, volunteered to steal
out of the fort cross the fire swept cut and
bring ammunition from the chests in the
east fort. He succeeded and brought In an
armful of canister and case shot. He was
Just in time, too, for the Confederates were
massing a new storming column under
shelter of some buildings $50 yards awa,t
The case shot was hurled into their ranks
with terrible effect, and the rihemen in the
trenches took heart again, mounted the
parapets, and by a continuous and CALLING
fire of bullets broke and dispersed the col
umn for good. 1t was then nearly 8 p m
The fight had lasted over six hours Foi
an hour longer it ragged fitfully and the
Confederates at last abandoned the field
leaving their dead and wounded lying as
they fell. The cavalry advance of Sherman
was rapidly galloping to the rescue from
the south.
Colonel Tourtellotte and his Minnesota
boys had defended the east fort and by good
long range shooting helped to break up the
Confederate columns marching against
Corse from the north.
Corse's loss in defending both ridges wa:
about 500 killed and wounded. Confeder
ate reports admit a loss of 6i2. Corse bur
led 23l of the enemy, and General Young
who was wounded and captured estimated
the loss among his people at 1000.
General Corse magnanimously attributed
to "the extraordinary valor" of the officers
and men of the Thirty y-ninth Iowa and the
Seventh Illinois the salvation of Allatoons
Pass. History declares that Corse played !
great part in it, and the man who answered
Sherman's order to hold the fort with the
dispatch, II am short cheek bone and al
ear, but am able to lick all hi yet" mus
always be the popular hero of Allatoona
GEORGE I. KILMER.