The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-30

sault with cheerful manliness and steadi77
ness. No Wavering in the advance; all
moved with a gallantry and dash that near
ly made the enort complete success:
After the troops had been drawn off, and
between 10 o'clock in the evening ana
o'clock of the following morning the ehurS S
division was comfortably blVouacked ana
by daylight securely intrenched rms pre-
caution was necessary in order TO protect
the division against a sudden attack ny
overwhelming numbers, as II was IsoldCeu
from the greater part of the army.
The historian of the Army Oh the cum
berland says of this attack:
Two advantages resulted from TINS I'M
successful assault, though dearly pur-
chased. A position was secured lar on the
enemy's right which was of Importance 70
subsequent movements ana IT was Clear ~
developed that Johnston's right would pc
found in strength wherever column might
go to turn 1t. -. T
| think the most appropriate peroration l
can add to this hastily written sketch OF a
most brilliant passage at arms Is tIaI iu,
nished by war correspondent at the llIne
of its occurrence, when the events were
fresh in mind. Who the author Is 90 not
anpeared Looking over some war papers
a few days since to gather materials LOT
this sketch found the co Gf nj
article in the eleventh volume Oh PUTNAM
Rebellion Record" 1t reads; o-4,,
The battle of Pickett's Mill, on the Zlth,
in which Woods division acted so hand
somely. was briefly described by one Of
your correspondents, but l nave learhh t3
a few additional facts; IN Whlch tne P I2l!6
the enemy made stand, and 1t was pc
lieved had heavily fortified, was IN a thi mex
and almost inaccessible wood, whose mus ms
and ridges of various sizes rose Out Oh Tue
valley in which were deep and sWampy
ravines so thtckly covered with vines vines
creepers and underground of various KINDS
that they presented barriers OF no mean
"All the hills were strongly fortified by
hastily thrown-up works, from Dehlnu
which as Wood CALAMITY and boldly adc
vanced his division, desperate yolieys VI
musketry grape Pee f b ai vet the line
did not break: for moment aIter tIle
shock there was a slight WaVerlng along
the line, when forward with cneer tn rs;
men rushed to meet another Volley equally
as deadly in it's effects. The enemy was
driven from one ridge to another; our
serried ranks were closed up, ana onward
moved the veterans of Wood to the charge.
"At last a ridge was reached where tIle
enemy was intrenched behind very STRONG
works, from which the nre was most ue-
structive and no further advance was pos
sible SO desperate was the fighting that IN
fwo hours Wood lost 475 officers and men
killed and 7S2 wounded, or "a total of l4oI.
Trees from four to five inches IN diameter
were cut down by the enemys bullets. The
Forty-ninth Ohio lost in this bloody engage
ment 252 men and officers out of 475 taken
into action-a loss of more than % per
cent 49, a..
gagement was the severeSt of the campaign
and the division led by the stubborn WOOD
has the full credit of most gallant on
set made in circumS tanceS and IN a posi-
ton from which most commands would
have retired without disgrace.
General Howard commanding the
Fourth Corps, is justly proud of his division
and knows he can depend on it every time.
Well, if, as the correspondent says, Gen.
Howard (who had commanded the corps. TO
which nv division was attached, but few
weeks was justly proud of the division,
what may it be supposed were my feelings
i who had commanded it on many battle
fields-toward it? 1 can truly say L was as
proud of it and its achievements as pea
cock of q new tail.
A word Of explanation, in conclusion, as
TO how the name of the battle originated.
Near to where the battle was fought flows
a deep and sluggish stream called Pumpkin
Vine creek On this stream just where the
battle was fought stood a small country
mill called Pickett's mill.