The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-07-22

the ranks OF the rctrcating Fcdoral
anu sought tho places OF cOnccalmcnt
INTO which the troops had plunged. A
vast number went pcll-mcll into an Old
raj road cut, to escape fire from the
right and front a battery on Lees
! lilll saw this and turned It's fire into
the entire length OF tho cut, and the
smells began to pour down upon the
tcdcrals with the most frightful dc.
struction They found their position
OF refuge moro uncomfortable than the
field OF the assault.
Thus the right grand division OF the
Army OF the Potomac found itself re-
pulsed and shattered On It's first at
tempt to drive MS from Maryc's Hill.
Hardly was this attack on The !!t,!;!
when we saw the determined F1dcruls
again filing out Of Frederick burg and
preparing for another charge. The
Cnnfcdcratcs under Cobb reserved
their fire and quietly awaited the up.
came nearer than before, but were
forced 10 retire before The wcll-dircctuu
guns OF Cobb's brigade and the fire OF
the artillery on the heights. i}y that
time the field in front Of Cobb was
thickly strcwn with the dead and dv-
ing tcdcralS, but again thcy formed
with desperate courage and removed
the attack and were again driven or.
AZ each attack the slaughter was so
great that by the time the third at
TACK was rcpulsCd, the ground was so
lhlckly strcwn with duah that the
bodies seriously impcdcd the approach
OF the Fcdcrals: General Loc, who
was with me on Ices Hill, became un-
easy when he saw the attacks so
promptly renewed anu pushed furwa";!
Win sucn persistence, and feared the
rcdcrH.la might break through our line.
Alter tho third charge he said TO me
| Ncncrai, they are massing very
heavily and will break your line, am
afraid "Gcnclal,' replied, III YOU
put every man now on the other side
OF the Potomac on that field TO up.
proach me over the same line, and give
me plenty OF ammunition, | will Kill
them all before they reach my line.
look to your right; you are in some
danger there, but not on my line"
! think the fourth time the Fcdcrals
came, Il gallant fellow reached within
! ono hundred feet OF Cobb's position and
then fell Close behind him came some
lew scattering ones, but they were
either killed or fled from certain death.
Ihls charge was the only effort that
looked like any real danger TO Cobb,
ana alter it was rcpulscd | felt no ap-
prchcnsion, assuring myself that there
was enough OF the dead Fcdorals on
the held to give nc half the battle.
The anxiety shown by General Lee,
however, Induced me to bring uD two
or three brigadcs, to be on hand, and
General kcrshaw was ordered, with
the remainder OF his brigade, down to
The stone wall, but rather to carry am
mnnition than rs Il reinforcement for
Cobb. kcrshaw dashed down the de-
clivity in time to succeed Cobb who
fell from q wound in tho thigh. and
died in a few minutes from loss OF
blood.
a fifth time the I'cdcrals formed and
charged and were rcpulscd. A sixth
time they charged and were driven
back, when night came to end the fear
fll carnage, and the l"cdcrals with
drew, leaving the bnttlc-lic literally
hcapcd with the bodies Of their dead
Before the wcll-directcd fire OF Cobb's
brigade, tho Fcdcral5 had fallen like
the steady dripping Of rain from the
caves Of house. Our muskctry alone
had killed and wounded at least 5000;
and these, with the slaughter by the
artillery, left over 1000 killed nbd
wounded before the foot OF Maryc's
!lill The dead were piled sometimes
three deep, and when morning broke,
the spectacle that VIC saw upon the
battlefield was one OF the most dis
trcssing ever Witnessed. The
charges had been desperate and bloody,
but utterly hopeless. Thought, us
saw the Fcdcrals come again and again
to their death, that they deserved sue
cess If courage and daring could en-
title soldiers to victory.