The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1894-12-06
hundreds and crying out to one another

hundreds and crying out to one another,
go into the works and take them II
The astonished defenders Of the Sec
ond Union line dared not fire upon the
assailants for fear Of hitting comrades
who were either leading Cleburne's
men or mingling with them in their
mad race Once at the rear works the
onset Of Cleburne' s men was so impetu-
Gus that the soldiers on the parapet were
literally run, over, and in a few min
utes, or before the reserves in the third
line comprehended the crisis, Cleburne's
banners waved over them, his men oc.
cupied breach the width Of regi
ment, and intoxicated with triumph
were dashing ahead along the pike to
pounce upon the reserves.
Meanwhile Opdyoke's soldiers had
been taking the breathing spell richly
earned by serving as rear guard Oh the
march that day. Opdycke bad no orders
except to rest his troops. The soldiers
were getting ready their suppers or
munching raw rations when the breast
works they had just marched l,..sc vcso
carried by a lightning lusi> i no Cen
federates, who then Were ..;ir I:;.::i,.i
The men instinctively tbr,.,i :.. IA their
handfuls of bread and pork i:sad tool. III,
their weapons.
Opdycke rushed to do his part, spur.
ring his horse toward the point and
shooting right and felt with his reyolv
er. After emptying the chambers he
dubbed the weapon, and after breaking
the barrel from its handle over the head
Of some luckless gray jacket who had
got too far on the wrong side of the di'
viding line he jumped from his horse
and took musket from wounded SOL
der and struck this way and that until
he stood at the second line of works sur
rounded by his men. Then for an hour
| in that narrow space ragged the hottest
| open field and breastworks struggle Of
the war. # z.I=~.s. r<E
The Twelfth and Sixteenth Kentucky
of Reilly's Union brigade, whose works
had been preached, and the survivors Of
! Comrades and Lanes commands who
had rallied at the reserves, hurled them
selves without orders and with an ardor
equal to that Of Opdycke's followers
upon the swarming assailants, soon to
be inspired by the arrival Of their COM
manding general, Stanley, who had
leaped into the saddle the instant the
first rife report signaling that the bat
tie was on reached his bivouac north Of
Harpeth river. Galloping into the
throng Of friends and foes commingled,
Stanley cheered on his men until pain
full wound laid him low. The Confeder-
ates on the right and left Of Cleburne' S
column, catching up the advantage gain
ed by his laundering blows, joined in
the assault to drive the wedge home.
Stewards belated corps, having come up
after Cleburne formed his line, found
the space too narrow between the pike
and river to accommodate it's brigades,
and these surged to the left, following
in Cleburne's footsteps and fighting over
the same ground. Union officers in the
; works along the pike counted 13 separate
and distinct Confederate assaults on
, their front. The slaughter in the ranks
of gray was frightful in the extreme.
General Adams Of Stewards corps spur
, red his horse upon the parapet, anc
I1OoI ttuu SUC0Il 1G14 Gu0I6 GOSCUL0I3 COAA
, rades in death, with hundreds who fol
lowed their daring leader. Five Confed
crate generals, including Cleburne, were
killed and eight severely wounded il
q close contact with the Union works.
; Cleburne hurried from point to point
leading charge after charge against the
] most stubborn positions Of the enemy
r Finally one of his subordinate officers
4 General Cranberry, commanding thu
! brigade which had preached the SECOND
; line on the pike and was fighting hant
t to hand with Opdycke's reserves inside
t the barricades, fell dead. Cleburne, see
e ing at that moment Union charge tina
g threatened to sweep Granberry's strug
Cling soldiers out Of the works, rode t,
o the spot to inspire the men in place O
. their fallen leader. He galloped at
q dashing pace across an open field swep
by hail Of missiles so thick that boil
p horse and rider were pierced with man.
4 bullets before reaching their destination