Evening star., 1896-12-26

THE "BLOODY ANGLE"
One of the Most Desperate Engagements in
the War.
Gen. Horace Porter Tells of Scenes In
by the Incessant Musketry Fire.
rter in January Century.

Gen. Horace Porter in January Century
L had been anxious to participate in the
scenes occurring at the angle" and now
got permission to go there and look after
scme new movements which had been or
dered. Lee made five assaults in ALL that
day, In series of desperate and even reck-
less attempts to retake his main line of
earthworks, but each time his men were
hurled back defeated, and he had to con-
tent himself in the end with throwing up a
new line farther in his rear
The battle near the angle was probably
the most desperate engagement in the his
lures which were absolutely appalling. 1t
was chiefly savage. hand -to-hand fight
across the breastworks. Rank after rank
was riddled by shot and shell and bayonet
thrusts. and finally sank. a mass Of torn
and mutilated corpses; then fresh troops
rushed madly forward to replace the dead
and so the murderouS work went on Guns
were run up close to the parapet. and
double charges of canister played their part
In the bloody work. The fence-rails and
logs in the breastworks were shattered in
TO spl1nters, and trees over q foot and
haif in diameter were cut completely in
TWO by the incessant muSketry fire. A Sec
ton OF the trunk of stout oak tree thus
severed was afterward sent to Washington
where 1t is still on exhibition at the Ma
tlonai Museum; We had not only shot
The opposing flags were in places thrust
against each other, and muSkets were fired
with muZzle against muzzle. Skulls were
crushed with clubbed muskets, and men
stabbed to death with swords and bayonets
thrust between the logs In the parapet
which separated the combatants Wild
cheers, savage yells and frantic shrieks rose
above the signing of the wind and the pat
tering OF the rain, and formed demoniacal
accompaniment to the booming of the guns
as they hurled their missiles of death into
the contending ranks. Even the darkness
OF night and the pitiiess storm failed to
stop the fierce contest, and the deadly
strife did not cease till after midnight Our
troops had been under fire for twenty
hours, but they still held the position which
they had so dearly purchased. My duties
carried me again to the spot the next day
and the appalling sight presented was har-
rowing in the extreme. Our own killed were
scattered over large space near the
angle" while in front of the captured
breastworks the enemy's dead, vastly more
numerous than our own were piled upon
each other. in some places four layers deep
exhibiting every CHASTITY phase of mutila-
ticn. Below the mass of fast-decaying
corpses. the convulsive twitching of limbs
and the writhing of bodies showed that there
were wounded men still alive and strug
Cling to extricate themselves from their
horrid entombment. Every relief possible
was afforded, but in too many cases it came
tco late. The place was well named the
Bloody Angle
The results of the battle are best sum-
med up in the report which the general-in-
chief sent to Washington. At 6:3O pm.
May II, he wrote to Halleck as follows:
The eighth day of battle closes leaving
between three and four thousand prisoners
in our hands for the days work. including
two general officers and over thirty pieces
of artillery The enemy are obstinate and
seem to have found the last ditch. We
have lost no organization, not even that of
a company, whilst we have destroyed and
captured one division Johnson's). one bri-
gade (Dole's) and one regiment entire of
the enemy" The confederates had suffered
greatly in general officers. Two had been
killed, four severely wounded and two cap
tured. Our loss in killed. wounded and
missing was less than seven thousand: that
of the enemy between nine and ten thous-
and as nearly as could be ascertained.