The news boy., 1896-06-20

- charge ths works which the fed
sral army had for months been ham,
mering unsucoessfully with shot and
shell. Further TO the left troops
had been massed and . desperate at
tempt was to be made to carry the
confederate works at that point
And what were we to dof Just
charge that was all. Selected with
two other regiments to create .
division, to leod the enemy to believe
an assault was to be made here
only to be sacrificed, that seemed our
fate. Our colonel was dissatisfied
with the order to simply charge and
insisted upon more definite instruc-
tions. The aide, With . peculiar
smile, said: Colonel, you are to
charge the confederate works, cap
ture al within the length Of your
regimental front and hold your po-
sition until driven out or relieved
All right replied the colonel, and
turning to his men he said: Boys,
we'll do it.
'Soon after this came the com.
mand, uttered In low tone Of voice:
Forward Every man was instruct
ed to make as little noise as possible,
lest we should draw the enemy's fire
before we were upon them. Press
ing steadily forward We reached the
line Of cheval de frise, which re-
seinbled somewhat an old-fashioned
hay rake wired together end to end.
Behind this Lay the confederate
picket line, which, as we advanced,
fired and ran back to their main line,
yelling as they went, the Ysnks are
coming! the Yanks are oomin9r The
obstruction we met was soon torn
apart, and rushing forward to the
edge Of the ravine that lay between
the works we received . withering
storm Of grape and canister, which
severely wounded our colonel and
laid low several officers and men.
Staggered but not repulsed, we
rushed down the bank and across
the bottom, up the other side and to
the top, back from which about 80
feet lay the enemy's main works. As
our column came into view another
fierce fire was poured into our ranks,
which literally swept US of our feet
and sent US reeling to the bottom Of
the ravine, leaving several Of our
poor fellows dead behind US. Rally.
ing at the bottom we crossed the
ravine at run and only halted when
the opposite side was reached. Here
we were below therange Of the enemy,
the bullets and shells singing war
music just above our heads. Here
we had breathing spell and counted
noses. Three officers and about Is
men were all that were left, all that
came out Of that hell Of powder, lead
and iron, the remainder being either
killed, wounded or missing. Inever
knew their fate.
"At this time the sergeant of an.
other company, whose name never
knew, started to cross the ravine,
saying he was going into the enemy's
works, If he had to go alone, because
our colonel had boosted to the aide
before we made the first charge that
his regiment would carry out the or
ders to capture the confederate
works if a man was left alive to do
it. Hold on, sergeant said I to
him, and we will all 60 with you.
The only other captain besides my
self, who came out of that storm Of
shot and shell alive outranked me
and assumed command of the
shattered company, and we moved
toward the enemy. Slowly and In
perfect order we climbed the op-
posite bank, reached the top, where,
after a short breathing spell, we
sprang forward with a Michigan
yell, charged like a whirlwind into
the confederate defenses, over them
and in among the astonished
'Johnnies, who only had time to send
one volley into our ranks as we
rushed forward. 1t was quick and
admirable work, and after o short
resistance with clubbed muskets the
confederates threw down their arms
and surrendered. We quickly sent
them over the breastworks under
guard to our main line, the prisoners
actually numbering more men than
we had in line.
Shortly after this the captain
commanding our company-one Of
the bravest men l ever knew-was
seriously wounded in the arm, and
the command devolved upon myself.
sent two men with the wounded
captain to the rear, and then care
fully examined the situation. We
had captured a portion of the works,
perhaps about 200 feet, lying be.
tween a river that ran through
both lines of defense and a tanker.
On the opposite side of this TANKER
and across the river were the con.
federates. who poured into US an en-.