The National tribune., 1896-10-29

the Confederate forces moved forward
in double lines in third charge, their
continuous shouting at times rising above
the roar Of the musketry. They were
permitted to approach within easy mus
ket range. Mai. Ward ordered his men
to open fire upon them, to which they re-
piled with vigor, butwere again Obliged to
r,tire out of range after a sharp conflict
of Is to 20 minutes.
Every time the Confederate infantry
retired out of range to lower ground,
the Confederate batteries from elevated
positions firing over their heads, cross
fired the Federal position with perfect
storm of shot and shell. Just at the
close of the third assault the two pieces OF
Rabb's battery having nearly exhausted
their she'll and canister, and nearly all
of the gunners of the right piece being
wounded and disabled, Lieut.. Haines was
ordered to report with that piece to
Capt. Duncan, commanding the rear
guard, and No. j, on the left, was
limbered towards the rear, on the north
side Of the road.
In the three desperate assaults which
the enemy had made on his line, Col.
Williams saw that his right and front
had suffered so heavily in killed and
wounded that be could not sustain
another charge, for which the Confed-
crates were preparing, without too great
sacrifice, and started to ride to the rear
to form the 18th Iowa in a favorable
position for the colored infantry to fall
back upon, when his horse was shot
under him.
Mai. Ward Immediately gave him his
horse, and he mounted it and rode back
and formed the 18th Iowa in line facing
the direction from which the enemy were
advancing: but he had hardly completed
this duty when the Confederates made
their fourth charge, forcing the line of
colored infantry, which from the first
assault had been curved line with the
center of the curve outward, back about
100 wards, close upon the train.
At this time the smoke was so dense
along the line of battle that the troops
could see each other distinctly only a
few yards distant, making it difficult to
keep
a PERFECT ALIGNMENT.
Two companies of the colored regiment,
which had at first formed the left of the
left wing, under Lieut.. w c. Gibbons
on the north side of the road, in re-
tiring on that side Of the road became
separated from the other companies by
the train, which was now between them.
But as the Confederates were also
pressing forward on the Federal left,
Lieut.. Gibbons had all he could do to
keen them off him until his men joined
their comrades north of the road, near
the rear of the train.
Early in the action Col. Williams was
convinced, from the movements Of the
Confederates and from information OBJ
tanned from a Confederate soldier who
rode into bis line inquiring for Col. De
hOist, lbdb tntil bi<liH stltetSh osiS Soiis,
to be directed against the front and right
flank, and to strengthen this part of his
line and to be prepared for the charge
which he knew was coming ordered up
from the rear four companies of the 18th
Iowa
In the meantime Col. Sandy Walkers
Choctaw Indian Brigade had formed in
line on Gen. Maxey's left, about half a
mile south of the rear of the train, on
Capt Duncan's right, when his line faced
east, but directly in his front when he
changed his line facing south, and III
view of the situation he sent message to
Col Williams, stating that he was so
closely pressed by the enemy that he
could not spare the men called for.
Though Capt Duncan was threatened
by this Indian Brigade in his front
while the desperate conflict was going on
In front and on the right of the train,
his command did not become heavily en-
gagged until the line of colored infantry
was broken and the retreat commenced.
After the line of colored infantry was
forced back In the fourth assault, the
Confederate commander rapidly drew
his lines closer around the Federal posi-.
tion, and bis troops seeing that success
was assured, went into the closing scenes