The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-07-18

Many OF the guerrilla recovering from Inc
panic caused by our fire, threw down their
weapons and fed back to the shelter of the
forest; others more bold stood their ground,
and bullets began to sing over and around
us. The clouds of smoke arising from the
discharge Of firearms hung around rs like
dense cloud, only dispelled by the flashes
from the enemy's rifles.
| Again we poured in a heavy, crushing
volley, and then the bugler sounded the
| charge With q cheer our men sprang to
their feet, the line was hastily formed,
| and we were over the fence and rushing
down on the foe, who waited our coming.
Less than score in number, they fought
| like demons
Our men did not lose their formation, and
| literally swept the enemy from their front.
Revolver and saber did deadly work, and in
| less than five minutes resistance was at an
| end and our first battle had been fought
and won. In the charge we captured SIX
prisoners, all more or less severely wound
| ed The captives were fair specimens OF
| their class and sullen and defiant. Ihey
were roughly clad, dirty and unshaven, and
their conversation and demeanor stamped
| them as murderous ruffiaus with no idea OF
the claims of common humanity. pla-
toon led by Lieut.. Agee followed the flying
enemy into the forest
Several were overtaken and cut down, but
feared an ambuscade and ordered the bug
Ter to sound the recall, an order which the
Lieutenant did not obey with the best
| grace His blood was up and he and his men
were changed from jolly country boys into
destroyers filled with mad lust for blood.
We inflicted a terrible loss upon the enemy,
but had not escaped unscathed.
Two of our men had fallen and three
were groaning from the pain of wounds
which had hardly been noticed during the
excitement of the battle. They were
raised by their comrades, carried into the
old church, tenderly placed on improvlsed
couches and their injuries cared for.
The dead were wrapped in their blankets
and rough, tender hands prepared the bodies
for burial which, under the circumstances,
could not be long deferred. Humanity de-
manded a like care for the mangled and
suffering wretches who lay where they had
been cut down by the fire from the fence,
and a party was detailed to bring in and
care Tor The wounded. This work was sus-
pended by an incident which portrayed the
| character of the enemy.
Charley Gray, the First-Sergeant, was in
| charge of-the party, and was attracted by
the heart-rending groans and cries which
came from a wounded man who had been
struck down by bullet at our first vOlley.
| The Sergeant, in answer to his appeal for
| water, placed his caHteen to the lips OF his
| PROSTATE enemy and then stopped to move
| the man into n more comfortable position.
With a snarl like wounded beast the
rebel raised himself on his elbow and struck
at his preserver with long knife which
he drew from his belt. The Sergeant could
/ .loIl, ha hp
blade cut deep cash in his shoulder and
drove the good Samaritan ideas from his
! mind. In an instant his heavy saber
! flashed from its scabbard and the cowardly
assassin passed from earth. did not think
it safe to expose the men i after this adven-
ture, and called the party in.
| Messengers were at once dispatched to
| Headquarters with the news, and we
| gathered about the csmpfires to wait for
morning. With the first CLEANS of light we
went over the field. 1t was a sad sight.
Fifty men lay dead, mangled by the heavy
bullets or gashed by sabers. Forty more
were found disabled with wounds. These
were taken to our improvised hospital and
cared for 10 the best of our ability. Lying
under a heap of the slain found the dead
body of my host. A bullet had passed
through his head and death had come like
fash Of lightning.
Several hours later the Colonel arrived
with three companies of the regiment and
the Surgeons Our wounded were cared tor,
and their hurts declared not dangerous.
The wounded guerrillas were cared for, but
several died before the cay closed Our
dead comrades were taken 10 s. for
burial, and their bodies placed with military
honors in consecrated ground TO be re-
claimed by sorrowing friends at home.
A week later our outpost was withdrawn,
and thus ended our first campaign. The
reader will be pleased to learn that Mr.
Jones was captured by our men some weeks
later, tried by cOurt-martial and executed
K. V. MALLORY, Decatur, H.