The National tribune., 1895-02-28
THEY KILLED GEN. JONES.
Some Details of the Battle of Piedmont as
seen hr a Cnrnra dc Of the 34th Mas.


THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE of recent date
az article from a member of the 12'h w.
W. He CLAIMS members Of his regiment
killed Gen. Jones, commander of the Con-
federate iroa ps ut the battle OF Piedmont,
June s. 1864.
Now. If this is q fact, the 10Th w. Va.
must have run over the 34th Mass, or
killed Gen. Jones after The members of the
81 h Mass were through with hlm, Tor Do
was said at the close of the ahove-named
hattie the 34th Mass. did the killing, and IT
was on the second charge, while Gen. Jones
was firing his pisttl and calling 10 his men
TO XII the - Yankees
While the Second Brigade, First Divis-
ion, Eighth Corps. was forming for the at
tack-composed of the tOllOwing-named
regiments: 18th Conn. on the right, bat
talon OF the 5h n. Y. II. A. in center, 34th
Mass on the left, and 2Sih Ohis sent Tor
ward as skirmisherS-said brigade was
commanded 10y Col. Moore, OF the 25th ohlo-
On the mountain. near a Confederate bat
terry, was brass band playing Dixie"
Their artillery and sharpshOoters opened
the ball.
About that time West Virginia battery
went into action in front of The Second Bri-
rade. / noticed a long haired Sergeant
dismount from his horse and 20 TO his piece
and sight. The cannon was discharged and
shot struck the enemy's caisson aud blew
il up. That stopped the band playing
Dixie"
This lonr-haired Sergeant was noted as
a crack-shot with his gun. 1t was said at
Martinsburg, w. Va, Winter of 1868, ga,
where his battery and Battery b, 9th u. ;.
Art, were stationed, he could with his gun
hit fiour-barrel al 1900 yards oftener than
miss il. This battery and the b Z. 5. had
target practice every week, and many MEM
bers of the infantry regiments had an oppor-
tunity to see artillery practice, and OF course
many men standing In line-0f-hattle at Pied
mont had their eyes on that fong-hared
chief of piece when he dismounted, Tor they
knew when he sighted the cannon II any
man could shake up the Johnnies be could.
The regiment on the right of the Second
Brigade while marching in hne-of-battle,
regimental front had 10 pass through a mar
row and deep creek, and which water flowed
into the Shenandoah River, but Jew
rods away. Said RIVER passed in rear OF the
Confederate works so the Confederate left
wing lay at the fork between the river and
creek. The regiments on the right of the
Second Brigade, First Division, Eighth
Corps. were commanded TO halt, unsllng
cartridge-boxes and carry them In their
hands for the water was waist-deep.
After fording the creek our brigade line
was reformed, and while advancing at COM
mand guide center the Adjutant of the
18th Conn. was MORALLY wounded in The
head with piece Of shell and knocked off
his horse. Two skirmishers near the Adju-
fant fell TO the ground just as the shell ex-
ploded, but were not hurt
While advancing up Mount Crawford"
IL. .1,.~ hi.vI ra1
running parallel with the troops advancing;
the Second Brigade was commanded to halt,
and the rail fence taken down, while the
skirmishers kept right on, driving back the
Johnnies. But when the 2Sth Ohio had
nearly crossed the opening they received
murderous fire from the first line OF Con-
federates stationed in strip of woods. How
ever the 2sth kept right on and forced the
Confederates, back through the narrow strip
of timber to the second clearing, which was
about 10 rods across to the second woods,
where the enemy's line of works ran along at
the edge OF timber, and their left faux was
protected by line of works running at right
angles down TO the Shenandoah River.
Those works were log stumps and rails
piled up breast-high, except their left angle
which was much higher, TO protect them
from enhlading.
through the first strip of woods, the John
mics came right out over their works to at
tack, and drove the 2Sth back through the
timber into the clearing, where their sup
port was going forward 10 attack, but when
the 26th came on a run through our lines it
made little confusion, and a nop-commis-
stoned officer of Co. j called out TO his com
pany TO close up on the colOrs. Co. G. Col.
VIM. 9. Ely, 16lb Conn, turning in his sad
die. called out:
"That is right, Sergeant; you non-com-
missioned officers must do your duty to-day.
Let the Dutchmen 90; we will fight this
battle ourselves"
The German Rifles (2sth Ohio, were as
fine regiment as any in the First Division,
but should not have gone on beyond while
their support was taking away the obstruc-
tions, so they could advance in line-of-bsttle.
After forcing the Confederate troops back
through the timber we saw dead and
wounded Of the 2Slh Ohio lying halfway
across the clearing, near the enemy's line Of
works-Dot exactly the place for skirmish-
line, without good support hard by.
After forcing the Coniederates back into
their works our lines were reformed in the
edge Of timber, and section Of battery of
12-pOund howitzers brass guns came in on
our right and opened the ball with grape and
canister, and enfiaded the enemy's left an-
gle. When grape-shot, canister, aud shell
struck the Confederate barricade il made the
rails and sIlinters fly. Such a faghtfnl
poisei Ii sounded as IL Bedlam bad broken
loose. / had never heard that sort of a
racket
At command "Chargel" the howitzers
were taken along by hand and run up the
mountain overlooking tie river, where some
Confederates had crossed the stream and
Others were swimming across
A call TO them 10 come back or we would
fire on them made them return. 1t was
sad at the close Of battle that 500 prison
ers were taken.
At the center OF the Confederates' lief,
angle there was sort of bull-pen, which
protected the cOlor-cOmpany Of Virginia
regiment O.. S. A.; have forgotten which
one, but ] should like TO know. All the
color-guard were killed except one, Ser
geant He had been int in the thigh with q
piece Of shell or grape-shot, which tore HE
leg half Off He called 10 me and ] gave
him water, and helped him away from The
dead that lay around him. He said:
Sergeant, has your regiment Surgeon?
i told him we had Two or three.
We'll, i should like to see one, and j
this leg is to come of / want it of -
eniek "