Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-02
CAMPAIGNING WITH GRANT
Historic Events and Memorable Scenes
Recalled by General Porter,
FAMOUS BATTLE OF THE WILDERNESS
The Awful Carnage Mt the Bloody
Anglc-Dcnth OF General Sedg-
wick 49, characteristics of Grant
and His Generals.

war history and reminiscence in the January
Century Is devoted to the battle OF the
Wilderness, the fall of General Sedgwck
and minor incidents illustrating character
istlcs of Grant, Sheridan, Meade and Han
cock.
II had been anxious to participate in the
scenes occurring at the bloody angle" writes
General Porter land now got permission to
go there and look after some new move
ments which had been ordered. Lee made
five assaults in all that day, in series of
desperate and even reckless attempts to re-
take his main line of earthworks; but each
time his men were hurled back defeated,
and he had to content himself in the end
with throwing up new line farther in his
rear.
"The battle near the angle was prob
ably the most desperate engagement in the
history OF modern warfare, and presented
features which were absolutely appalling. 1t
was chiefly savage hand-to-hand fight
across the breastworks. Rank after rank
was riddled by shot and shell and bayonet
| thrusts, and finally sank. a mass of torn and
mutilated corpses; then fresh troops rushed
madly forward to replace the dead, and so
| the murdorous work went on. Guns were
| run up close to the parapet, and double
| charges of canister played their part in the
bloody work. The fence rails and logs in
| the DreaStWOrKS were shattered INTO spun
| ters, and trees over foot and half in
| diameter were cut completely in two by
| the incessant musketry fire. a section OF
| the trunk of stout oak tree thus severed
! was afterward sent to Washington, wheRe it
| is still on exhibition at the National muse
| um We had not only shot down an army
! but also a forest.
The opposing flags were in places thrust
against each other, and muskets were fired
with muzzle against muzzle. Skulls were
crushed with clubbed muskets, and men
| stabbed to death with swords and bayonetS
thrust between the logs in the parapet which
separated the combatants Wild cheers, saw
| age yells and frantic shrieks rose above the
signing of the wind and the pattering of the
| rain, and formed a demoniacal accompani-
ment to the booming of the guns as they
hurled their missiles of death into the con-
| tending ranks Even the darkness of night
and the pitiless storm failed to stop the
| fierce contest, and the deadly strife did not
| cease till after midnight. Our troops had
| been under fire for twenty hours, but they
still held the position which they had so
| dearly purchased. My duties carried me
| again to the spot the next day, and the ap-
palling sight presented was narrowing in
| the extreme. Our own killed were scattered
| over large space near the angle while
| in front of the captured breastworks the
| enemys dead, vastly more numerous than
our own, were piled upon each other. in
| some places four layers deep, exhibiting
| every CHASTITY phase of mutilation. Below
| the mass of fast-decaying corpses, the con
| vulslve twitching OF limbs and the with
| ing of bodies showed that there we're
wounded men still alive and struggling to
| extricate themselves from their horrid en-
| tombment Every relief possible was af-
| forded, but in too many cases IL came too
| late. The place was well named the Bloody
! Angle"
The results Of the battle are best summed
| up in the report which the general-in-chief
| sent to Washington. At $50 p. M. July r.
| ho wrote to Halleck as follows: The eighth
| day of battle closes leaving between 5000
| and 1000 prisoners in our hands for the
days work, including two general officers
| and over thirty pieces of artillery. The
enemy are obstinate and seem to have found
| the last ditch. We have lost no organization,
not even that of a company, whilst we have
| destroyed and captured one division John
| son's), one brigade Dole's) and one regiment
| entire OF the enemy" The confederates had
| suffered greatly in genera! officers. Two had
been killed, four severely wounded and two
| captured. Our loss in killed, wounded and
missing was less than 1000; that of the
enemy between 5000 and 10000 as nearly as
| could be ascertained.
A flttle before s o'clock on the morning
of May the general mounted his horse and
directed me and two other staff officers to
accompany him to make an examination OF
| tho lines in our immediate front. This day
he rode a black pony called JEFF Davis
| (siven that name because 1t had been cap
turcd in Mississippi on the plantation of Joe
Davis, brother of the confederate presi-
denD. 1t was turned into the quartermas-
ter's department, from which 1t was pur-
chased by the general on his Vicksburg CAM
paign. He was not well at that time, being
afflicted with boils, and he took a fancy TO
the pony because 1t had a remarkably easy
pace which enabled the general to make his
long daily rides with much more comfort
than when he used the horses he usually
rode Little Jef' became a conspic-
uous figure in the Virginia campaign.
We proceeded to Sedgwick's command and
the general had a conference with him in
regard to the part his corps was to take in
! the contemplated attack. Both officers re-
| maned mounted during the interview. The
gallant commander of the famous Sixth corps
seemed particularly cheerful and hopeful that
morning and looked the picture of buoyant
life and vigorous health. When his chief
uttered some words OF compliment upon his
recent services and spoke of the hardships
he had encountered Sedgwck spoke lightly
of the difficulties experienced and expressed
every confidence in the ability OF his troops
to respond heroically to every demand made
upon them. When the general-in-chlef left
him Sedgwick started with his staff to move
farther TO the front.
our party had ridden but short distance
to the left when General Grant sent me back
to Sedgwick to discuss with him further
matter which 1t was thought had not been
sufficiently emphasized in their conversation.
While l was following the road | had seen
him take, / heard musketry firing ahead,
and soon saw the body Of an officer being
borne from the field. Such sight was SO
common that ordinarily it would have at
tracted no attention, but my apprehensions
were aroused by seeing several OF General
Sedgwick's staff beside the body. AS they
came nearer | gave an inquiring look.
Colonel Beaumont OF the stan cast his eyes
in the direction of the body, then looked al
me with an expression of profound sorrow
and slowly shook his head. His actions told
the whole sad story His heroic chief was
dead.
| was informed that he was approach
ing an exposed point of the line to examine
the enemys position more closely, General
Mcmahon OF his staff reminded him that
one or two officers had just been struck at
that spot by sharpshooters, and begged him
not to advance farther. At this suggestion
the general only smiled. and soon after had
entirely forgotten the warning. Indifferent
to every form OF danger, such an appeal
made but little impression upon him. His
movements led him to the position against
which he had been cautioned, and he had
scarcely dismounted and reached the spot
on foot When a bullet entered his left cheek
just below the eye. and he fell dead. AS
his lifeless form was carried by, a smile
still remained upon his lips. Sedgwck was
all IIa had