The Philipsburg mail. [volume] (Philipsburg, Mont.) 1887-current, 1895-01-17

the line from right to Left had led some
men to the first chamber, held by Cur
tbs, and succeeded in recovering that
and the adjoining parapets, although he
received wounds that cost him his life.
Colonel Lamb had gone outside the
parapats in order to get view Of the
distant parts. He found the front cov-
cred with assailants, and also discovered
that his torpedo wires had been destroy
ed by the navy shots that had plowed
the sand many feet deep, and these ter
rib1e weapons were useless. But the gar
rison was fighting bravely, and Lamb
oheered them with the hope that the fort
could be held until dark, when Bragg
would come to their aid. His sharp
shooters cut down all the Union color
bearers, and the hostile flags vanished
from the outer walls. The traverses
which interseoted the parapets every few
yards now became barricades, over which
the com batants fought, often at arm s
length.
The naval column was out Of the fight
entirely, and the guns on the vessels
kept up steady fire along the sea face
wall, where the sailors had been repulsed.
Gradually taking wider target, they
poured their shots into the active Con-
federate batteries This greatly demor-
allied the garrison, and the assault was
rapidly pushed by the remainder Of Gen
eral A,nes' division. Colonel Bells bri-
gade was ordered up to the angle where
the land face and the sea face Joined,
but the advance, though bravely made,
was checked by sharp musketry fire from
the Confederate traverses.
1t now became a soldiers fight in ev-
cry sense Of the word. The traverses,
ranged all along the main parapet and
extending 80 feet to the roar, with their
shotproof sides and numerous passages,
were SO many little forts, and the cap
ture of any one of them by Terry's men
simply drove the defenders back to an
other one. But the entering wedge had
been driven by Curtis brigade. The por-
tion of the works held by him was
protection to fanlxing column which
formed on the interior Of the main para
pet and swept around in rear Of the row
Of traverses. This compelled the garri-
son to come out of thoir citadels and
fight in open ground Or be captured in
them.
For a time the Confederates met this
flank attack from behind an old breast
plane of the inclosure Colonel Lamb
went along the batteries south toward
the point and directed a heavy fire to be
thrown into the northwest portion Of the
work, where the danger was SO threaten
ing. On his way he ordered every avail
able man forward to the first traverse
ahead of Terry's men, and on his return
he found that traverse still held by his
stubborn soldiers, although the slaugh-
ter among them had been appalling.
The fire from the fleet had scooped out
graves in the sand, and his dead were
lying in them as they fell, half buried
by the showers of dust thrown out by
the bursting shells. Great timbers, gun
carriages, and even cannon, broken by
the huge missiles from the feet were
lying in heaps, and Oh and around them
We're the dead who had vainly tried to
defend them.
The advance of Terry's men had been
arrested, and Colonel Lamb summoned
all his force to the front traverse, with
the determination to charge upon the as
sailants and drive them out Signals
were sent to the gunners in the fort TO
withhold their fire on the position held
by Terry during this countercharge. The
distance between the combatants was
not above a hundred feet, and calling on
men and officers to follow Lamb leaped
the breastworks with the order:
"Charge bayonets Forward! Double
quick! March!" Instantly Union bull
let entered his right hip, and he sank on
the works. Terry's men poured heavy
volley Of bullets into the Confederates,
and the latter fell back behind cover.
Colonel Lamb was taken to bomb
proof and the command given to Major
James Reilly, who agreed to continue
the struggle as long as he had man
left. But this effort of the Confederates
depleted their ranks on the traverses,
and new Union force under Colonel
Abbott, on the left of Ames' brigades,
captured some Of the traverses between
Ames' position and the sea- The land
force was now held at bay only around
the sally port In another hour the sally
port had been carried The Confederate
rear guard made the best fight they
could, only yielding inch by inch, and
it was 10 o'clock, or seven hours after
the fight began, when the last traverse
and battery were in Terry's hand.
The victory was complete, but it had
been gained at heavy COST Only cour-
age that was peerless could sustain bat
tie seven hours under those conditions.
my faith looks up to thee" was a
production Of Ray Palmer when be was
~ years old. It was published ,anony-