The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1897-06-18

and take position with Porter's bat
terry" We started ON the run and kept il
up for about two miles; but, as General
Shackleford afterward told me, his guide
directed him too far to the left, so we
missed Porter's battery entirely anC
halted on a ridge toward which the
main force of the rebels was advancing,
and 1 think our brigade was the end CT
/ the Union line TO the east. The Seven
teenth and Twenty-ffth Kentucky
moved at once to the summit of the
ridge and opened fire vigorously, while
our half of the brigade, the Thirty first
and Forty fourth Indiana, lay fat in the
snow behind them and little down the
slope. We had passed behind the Thir-
ty-frst Illinois, and saw three men ~
ing right by our road-my first look at
men killed in battle. They lay ON their
backs, each with a bullet hole in his
forehead, l was struck with the singu-
larly peaceful expression on each face.
Wounded Kentuckians soon passed
our line i'll considerable numbers, some
not making sound, others groaning
and one shrieking dreadfully, and took
notice that the one making the most
noise was mere boy with a shattered
arm. Our Captain Waterman had just
passed behind Us, saying that in 4 min
ute or two we should move to the right
of the Kentuckians, and 1 was still
looking in the direction pointed by his
sword when suddenly there was grand
crash and roar through the deep woods
as if heaven and earth were coming to-
gether. A big body of rebels had come
close into our right and partially in our
rear. saw the Kentuckian on the ex-
IRENE right throw his gun high in the
air and fall back dead. The next man
gave one glance and turned to flee. The
line broke, and both regiments came
rushing back right over Us. In less time
than it takes to tell it we were up and
after them, all rank and order lost, Off
GERS and men, Kentuckians and Indi-
anians all in a mass, and thus we ran to
the bottom of the slope
The line officers rushed with drawn
swords among the men; who soon fell
into ranks from mere habit, and, with a
spontaneous feeling of shame, began to
check their retreat Colonel Bristow
came down on US shouting phrases
which he assuredly never learned in
Sunday school. Aid-de-camp Terry gal
Hoped in with a message from General
Cruft of the Thirty-frst and shouted:
Come on, Indiana! I'm only boy,
but I'll go at the headr' We raised the
yell, reformed and fell back slowly and
were soon all i'll line at the top of the
next ridge. All? Well, not quite. Our
lieutenant colonel and about 200 others
had turned back by the road we came
in, and we saw them no more that day,
while about 80 from various commands,
with one lieutenant at their head, never
stopped till they reached the landing we
had left the day before. twas long told
about the campfire that this officer
found a boat just starting down the
river, got aboard ard actually reached
his home in southern Indiana before he
heard that Donelson had surrendered.
We had got well in line and were
listening to some rather emphatic re.
marks from Colonel BristOw when the
shout was raised, Here they comew
On the ridges there was tall timber
without underbrush, but down the slope
the latter grew thickly, so 1 could see
nothing. A few scattering shots We're
fired as the volleys of the advancing
rebels began to strike the trees, but
stern orders were given to wait for the
word. 1t came soon. "Readyp' 1 gazed
down into the thicket and saw no man,
but the bushes moving and an occasional
puff of smoke. "Aimr" 1 drew down
my gun about where thought the mid
die of man would be in those bushes.
''Firep There was a terrific crash as
1000 rifles went off, and after it a wild
yell of exultation from our line. Our
blood was up. Shame and anger had
cast out fear. For minute or two there
was firing at will, and then our little
battle was over. The smoke rose slowly,
and there was an almost oppressive ST.
lence for few minutes. Then came once
more the dull rumble of the cannon at
the fleet and water battery, followed by
An0ShCt4g AAA4AS La " Jul 4C4ls L l41Ch
saw few men lying on the ground. In
the retreat and fight our regiment had
lost - killed and so wounded.
A cry was raised, 1.-THE cavalry is
coming" We moved forward and stood
at a charge bayonet for a few minutes,
and looking down an old road 1 saw the
rebel flag for the first and last time.
The next instant the cavalry was out
of sight, and where we were for the rest
of that day l have never been able to
figure out. We moved this way and
that, hearing firing to our right and to
our left, and near shutdown were in the
hollow nearest to the rebel intrench-
ments on the upper Dover road, and to
US there came General Lew Wallace
with the Eighth Missouri and Eleventh
Indiana They did the right half wheel
in a manner which drew a cheer from
Us and then charged up the hill little
to our right. They fired but one volley
and had gone far to the right by the
time we reached the top of the hill. We
halted RanOl went q six DOunder and