Middletown transcript., 1897-07-03
BATTLEFIELD LUCK.
STRANGE FORTUNES OF THE THIR TY-
EIGHTH OHIO VOLUNTEERS.

cord of Thirty eighth Ohio volunteers
Soldiers in the field, like sailors voyag
ing upon the wide seas, at times be
come superstitiols and accumulate
store of tradition about the luck tina
goes With their regimental standard
the same as those attaching to a ship
No doubt the members of the Thirty
eighth took it as an omen of good for
tune that after two years. campaigning
they had lost but 20 of their number
killedin battle out of over l 300 orig
inal members and recruits borne on tht
rolls. The regiments highest loss in q
single battle up TO the time of re-enlist'
ing had been but 16. That was at the
stormiDg of Mission Ridge. Nov. 25
1868. In that battlethe regiment moved
straight upon guns planted along a
crest deemed impregnable by the Con-
federates. Fortunately the cannon
were careIessly handled, and their shots
went over the heads of the assailants,
so v hat promised at the outset TO be
slaughter pen proved less fatal than an
ordinary stand up battle.
Before the campaign opened in the
spring Of 1864 the regiment re-enlisted
and of the original numbers $50 clung
to the standard for "a :, c,nd term. A
sprinkling of old recruits and some fresh
levies brought the ranks up to 750 eff
fectives when Sherman began his march
toward Atlanta in May. Ten battles
were inscribed on its flags between that
me ard the fall of Atlanta-ten bat
ties during 100 days of almost constant
fighting; ten battles, incluing Resaca,
KenesaW Mountain ard Peach Tree
Creek-yet the total loss in killed in
this lucky regiment in the first nine of
the Atlanta series had been but A.
What turn in its fortunes that in its
next battle, the last of the ten of the
Atlanta campaign, one man out of every
five in the ranks was killed. one man in
every two, nearly, hit by a missile and
out of every two hit one received a
deadly hurt.
The proportion of fatalities was q
one, for as rule in the civil
war the ratio of killed to wounded was
one TO three or more. And then this
enormous loss was incurred in single
charge, which was all over in half al
hour after the signal was given to go
forward. But the charge was driven
home; hence the awful sacrifice was
not in vain.
Sherman's last battle around Atlanta
was fought Sept. at Jonesboro. Thorn.
as army of the Cumberland, alone.
bore the brunt of the attack. On both
sides the men we're in that condition
often cited by war writer's, and as often
secuted by old soldiers, known as
"eager for the fray" Having deter
mined to give up Atlanta because he
could not hold it, Hood started his
army southwark and posted Hardee's
corps at Jonesboro TO cover the retreat.
At such times soldiers will b9 at their
best. A retreAling army is seldom SO
far gone in spirit but, like a disappear
ing snake, it has a sting ready for an
enemy who attempts to arrest flight by
All attack from the rear. Therefore to
Eardee's men The affair at Janesboro
bad all the feIcehess of a last stand,
while to Thomas il was finale blow
aud must lie struck hard.
The Confederate defenses at Jones'
boro were upon ridge covered with a
SCI cen of woods. Between the lines
The ground to be charged over was
sWampy in places, and again covered
with a dense and almost impenetrable
Two divisions of Thom-
as corps moved to the assault about a
in the afternoon. They gere checked
at all points except on the extreme
right, where Edie's brigade of Carlin's
division carried projection of the
enemy's wolksin the face of CALLING
Gre. Colonel Edie's men were regu-
lars and had opened the ball With a
most gallant fight. They charged in
Two lines through the swampy thieket,
and, led by officers who leaped their
horses over the breast work to inspire
valor in the men. broke through the
snemy's line at vital point. But they
exhausted their ammunition in the ef-
fort and were in danger of losing all |
that had been gained when Estes bri-
yade ,including:the Thirty-eigbth, rush
ID to their support.
Afttr passing through the thiaket the |
ine of battle made dash of 800 yards |
across an open field to the works where |
he regulars were holding on with grim
enacity. They were lighting hand to
land with the Confederate second line.
The Confederates at that point belong.
I'd to the famous "Orphan brigade" Of |
Kentucky, band of fighters hard to
-eckou with. 1t was byword in the
southern army that Hood abandoned
Atlanta because be had no Kentuckians |
eft ito build breastworks With.n The
rhirty-eighth and Fourteenth Ohio to-
yether encountered the orphans, nfo ur
regiments in all. They cleared the line |
ike whirlwind, and after sharp |
struggle captured nearly the whole of |
lie brigade,
Gu the left of Estes there was no sup
porting column, and the Confederates
held their ground there, enfilading The |
Thirty eighth fer some moments with