St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-03-18

with me in saying that while it lasted it was
one of the fiercest battles of the war We had
only twenty thousand men under Rosecranz,
while the enemy, under Price and Van Dorm
had fully twice that force but the disparity
IN numbers was more than made up for on
the Union side, by the strength of our posi-
ton, and the fact that we fought on the de-
fensive, behind good earth works. More than
any other fight of the war, this was contest
between native born Americans. The flower
of our young Western manhood was con-
fronted by the flower OF the Central and
Southwestern Confederates.
r. We had had some heavy skirmshing on the
third, enough to convince US that the enemy
was present in large force, and with a con-
tract to scoop US. We were forced back to
our defenses, the principal one of which was
Fort Robinette, called after a gallant Ohio
battery commander. If the enemy could cap
ture this fort he would have the key of Corinth
in his fist and he knew it-so did we. He was
determined to get that key, and we felt
"obliged" not to let him have it,
Bright and early on the morning of the
fourth, the fighting began, by q general attack
from the enemy, as if he was in a powerful
hurry to finish the job. The artillery began
with the first skirmish shot, and it was give
and take for three or four hours. We believed
that an assault would be made presently,
and>Te were not mistaken. The woods in
front of Fort Robinette had been siashed and
1t was a perfect next work OF abattis On the
further side of this and about three hundred
yards away, clouds of men in grey soon ap-
peared, and every piece of artillery that could
ba brOupht TO hear them Onnnad and CT
thousand crouching men in blue began to
draw heads from the tops of our lines of rife
pits.
Weheard the bugleS sounding the advance
the hoarse orders of the officers, and the
answering yells of the men, as they rushed
forward at the abattis. 1t seemed impossible
that sparrow could fly unhit across that
obstruction and in the face of that awful fire.
was in the fort working at gun, and noting
the gaps, and the broken formation of the
men in grey as they came nearer and nearer
Much as 1 wanted to see them beaten, 1 felt
at the moment an indescribable pride in this
splendid and almost insane exhibition of
daring.
Nearer and nearer, but with decreasing
numbers they came. Far to the rear the
charging column was broken and men by
twos, tens and scores could be seen scurrying
to the protection of the standing timber. We
felt convinced by this time that the assault
had lost its danger, but the men far to the
front, and close up to the fort, did not dream
that their supports were gone. Conspicuous
among these men in grey was an officer with
heavy beard. He carried in one hand his
sword and in the other flag, thus making
himself particularly conspicuous. With less
than fifty men behind him, this daring officer
got free from the distractions, and with a
shout dashed up the parapet, and there
planted his flag.
1t was only for an instant. A hundred
shrill voices shouted: "Don't Shoot Him l''
but it was too late. The ri1emen behind
fired, and Colonel Rodgers of the Texas
brigade, the bravest man I ever saw, fell dead
on the remnant of his tattered flag.
Soon after noon the enemy reiterated,
pretty badly beaten, and in appreciation of
his gallantry we buried the Confederate
colonel that evening in special grave and
with the honors he deserved. 4
= - CHARLES GIVEN.