The National tribune., 1894-06-21
THE WILDERNESS.
What a Private Saw and Felt in that Hor-
rible Place.

$3.50
rose on 5000 brave comrades for the las
time. What soldier will ever forget th'
words. Fall in! Fix bayonets! Forward
DO ble-quick-March!"
On ne morning of the 5th our Colonel, B
+. s.aIth, was relieved from The command o
our brigade by Brighten. Seymour taking
charge of it.
1t was Col Smiths voice which gave the
above commands 10 our regiment, and We
felt glad in knowing our brave Colonel was
with u.s. All through the night we hac
heard the enemy's axes cutting timber fol
protection.
Our lines moved forward, struggling
through the natural abatis while a blast
of leaden hail from the enemy's laundering
guns poured in the face of our advancing
line; but nearer and nearer the Stars and
Stripes were carried to that parapet OF
death.
The enemy was found to be not only
strong in number, but situated in strong
position, having in front of il large log
heap as long as its line For two long hours
these logs received our lead, while the bodies
of our country's defenders received that OF
the enemy. For a season hell laughed
while Zion went.
Here the brave bearer of our battlefag, D.
w. hSlCU. lcil 'OcdG w lily L SldDDCu
for the colors, but one of the other guards
was the first to get them, and again they
waved in the face of the enemy. Though
the assault had been most calamity made,
it was repulsed with dreadful loss, and our
dead and dying left bleeding in tangled
brush, when our lines fell back short dis
lance and threw up works
Up to this time our regiment had been on
the extreme right of Grants lines, but while
intrenching Shaler's Brigade, of the First
Division, was thrown on our right. There
had been a lull in the storm, except brisk
picket fighting, during which Gordon, under
cover of the thick woods, had thrown his
troops on our right and in rear of Shaler's
Brigade, doubling his brigade up on US.
Shaler aud Seymour were unequal 10 the
emergency. Had they been equal to it, they
would have changed front so as to meet the
enemy, and would have prevented thereby
the terrible destruction of life caused by an
enflading fire from the enemy.
There were no cowardly soldiers then in
our regiment. All such had found hos
pital, or had skunk to the rear. Hence
there were none to break and run; every
man kept his face and gun toward the
enemy, as if determined to conquer or die
on the ground.
But valor could not long exist in that
seething channel exposed to such a rakipg
shower of lead. Shaler's Brigade melted
away, but our brigade remained to face the
rebel storm. As before stated, it had none
30 break and run, and none willing to sur
render, which brought on hand-to-hand
fight.
The sun had vailed his face beneath the
horizon, as If refusing TO longer witness the
bloody scene. Darkness had gathered around
Us and the rebels in our midst; flames is
sued from guns like many flashes Of light
ming, and the roar OF musketry was like that
Of thunder Shrieks and groans of the
wounded and dying at our feet told that the
destruction Of life WAS appalling. Blue and
gray lay side by side, and their blood flowed
into the same pool, while blue and gray
stood over them with ball and bayonet, add
ing more crimson to the pools, and often
misiakiDg friend for foe in the dark.
Our regiment, consisting Of about 400 men
on the field that day, lost 230 killed and
wounded, among which was Capt. Nc Cready,
of Co. II, one Of our best soldiers in camp
and Oh the battlefield. Though good, he
shed no better blood than the private
soldier.
Gordon gathered up his shattered rem
nants, taking Seymour with him prisoner,
and went back to his den in the woods, re-
greting that he had crossed arms with our
gallant brigade.
Next morning presented TO us both sad
and glorious sight. 1t was sad to see so
many of our comrades cold in death. but
grand TO see the Stars and Strips standing,
with here and there a lone soldier to mark
the ground we fought to hold.
Ia the afterpart of the day, when our line
folI hoci 10
the enemy with both of his legs broken,
and he cried so piteously for help that !
determined TO try 10 rescue him. He was
as near to the enemy in point of distance as
to Us. / believed that his cries found SYM
pathetic response even in the bosoms of the
rebels, and that they would moi shoot down
man who in mercy responded to the help
less mans appeal So ] made a dash for
him, exposing myself 10 hundreds of rebel
guns aud carried him back of our line.
where he seemed to be satisfied, and gave me
q thankful look AID where have no doubt
he lay until death ended his sufferings /
was right Of my opinion of the rebels; they
did not shoot at me.
On the morning Of the 9TH both armies
lay painting like two dogs after hard fight.
1t was American blood against American
blood, and the valor was the same Oh both
sides, but each army paused az ifawe-stricken
by the blood of 10000 dead and wounded
dripping from the altar of our country.
Our corps commanders were in their
saddles awaiting the order to recross the
Rapidan, as on former occasions. Finally
the order came from Headquarters some
thing like this:
Let he Second and Fifth Corps attack
the enemy in their front, and the Sixth
Corps pass 10 the left and engage the enemy
on its right flank between it and Rich
mond"
Great Scotti what does 10 mean?" was
asked time and again, until someone whisper
ed, The General is from the farm and
shop" The explanation was so satisfactory
that each soldier knew he had to fight il
out on this line if 1t took all Summer
So our Brigade, with its corps, moved t.
the left toward Spottsylvania Courthouse
But the men were tired, hungry, and sleepy
having had no rest night or day since cross
ing the Rapidan. On this tedious march
men walked and slept at the same time; anC
that the reader may realize the condition tn,
men were in / will relate a circumstanc,
which occurred on this night march.
The infantry had been ordered to clea
the road for the purpose of moving artiller,
TO the front. The men had no sooner stepped
aside than they sank down to their sleep il
the mud as if it was a straw tick
Soon the order was heard TO fall in. TheI
the boys in their dream of fighting com
menced TO pound each other with guns. o
course that business soon brought them T.