The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1894-10-18

and deep ditch. Growing all were the
parapets Of Fort Harrison. In the lines
adjacent to the fort there were batteries
trained upon the approaches, and the enc.
my's gunboats on the james were also
within range. Es 81 ~
Stannard's line moved forward in col
umns Of division, preceded by the skir-
mishers, whose Spencers maintained a con-
slant fusilade, until it reached the base of
the hill, all the time exposed to plung-
Ing fire Of artillery and musketry. "A brief
halt for breath and another dash, and this
time at double quick up the steep slope and
the stars and stripes were planted on one Of
the traverses Of the fort. General Burn
ham was Killed by a musket ball the mo-
ment he leaped the parapet at the head Of
his line. Colonel Donahue, commander
OF the skir'mishers, stepped into Burn
hams place as leader and was also shot
down. General Stannard rode boldly at
the head OF the Third brigade, seeming to
bear q charmed life that day, but three Of
his staff officers fell beside him. Colonel
Stevens, leading the First brigade, was
shot down at the head Of his men, and
when the charge was ended not an officer
remained above the rank Of lieutenant colo
mel excepting General Stannard More
than SO commissioned officers and 500 men
had fallen. The work was found to be
open on the reverse side and exposed to re-
capture from the enemy's reserve lines.
To guard against that the skir1nishers,
with their death dealing Spencers, formed
line around it and kept the enemy at
bay while the elated victors of the charge
built new parapet across the open space
facing to the rear. Everything depended
upon Stannard's holding the fort so gal
lantly won, for Heckman's division, which
followed Stannard a short distance, then
marched of to the right to assault Fort
Gllmer, had no success at all. While the
storming columns We're swarming over the
parapet at Fort Harrison, a body of men
was seen through the battle smoke enter
ing Fort Gilmer from the north amid much
confusion. General Ord, the commander
of the whole expedition, was with Stan
nard, and supposing that the newcomers
at Fort Gilmer to be Heckman's division
he paid no further attention to that work,
but led small party of Stannard's men
toward the river to attack the bridge de-
lenses and cut off the enemy from across
the James. Ord was wounded before reach
ing the river, and Stannard recalled the
men who had accompanied him. Finding
himself disabled, Ord sent for Hickman to
take command thus delaying the attack
on Fort Gilmer. Heckman's men, how
ever, led by Colonel Ripley, gallantly
stormed and carried the intrenchments
north of Fort Harrison, taking fortified
battery in the face of canister fire and
turning the guns on the enemy.
Meanwhile Paine's and Fosters divi-
sions of the Tenth corps, including Bir-
ney's brigade of colored troops reached the
field and soon afterward stormed Fort
Gilmer The most desperate work was
performed by the colored troops -Four
companies Of the Seventh regiment, led by
Captain Julius A. Weiss, charged in Skin
mishing line and leaped upon the trenches
where every man was shot down, to the
number of 235. Colonel Draper's colored
brigade of Paine's division also made a