The National tribune., 1898-12-01
SOUNDING THE HLARM.
The 6Sih Ohio's Tryin. Time at the Battle
of Atlanta.

fereStin1 accounts Oh the battle OF Atlanta
have been given, but as yet the events of
that iateful day have not been by any means
exhausted
On the morning of July %, 1863, the Gsth
Ohio Second Brigade, Third Division, Seven
teenth Corps, held an advanced position
fronting Atlanta.
| Early we discovered that the enemy had
Withdrawn from our front, and while en-
gagged in preparing our morning meal we
were aroused by the shrll voice of Col.
Welles shouting as he only could:
Fall in, men Fall i'm"
That earnest voice reused rs in an instant,
! and grabbing our war-harness we were soon
| in rapid motion to the rear to repel, as we
supposed, a threatened attack by rebel cav
airy upon our corps hospital and Seventeenth
Corps Headquarters.
| Upon reaching our position, some distance
out, imagine our surprise to find in our front,
instead OF cavalry, long line OF rebel in
| fantry, while at the same time another line
of rebel troops was forming across the road
f! in our rear Our regiment was thus being
sandwiched between two lines of the enemy,
who appeared to have been unaware of the
position Of that little Buckeye band.
From opposition, being partly concealed in
| a dense copse, the commands OF rebel officers
could be distinctly heard, and prisoners were
taken who unknowngly ran into our line
Still the enemy moved OH. Something must
be done aud done quickly in order TO get out
OF a trap which was about to spring upon US.
Those were anxious moments, which to waste
meant visit 10 some Southern prison.
COL Welles hastily surveyed the ground on
our lei, and moment later whispered down
| the line: - 4
- BE cool, men; be COOL Forward by the
| left-hank; march,
| We sprang to our feet and moved to the
| left on the double-quick, and dropping be-
hind a rail fence which lay in our path,
poured yolley into the enemy, who were
| forming in inc in an open field on our right.
The alarm thus given blythe muskets of the
6sth was Immediately responded to by a
battery of artillery. and the battle of July
% opened in earnest.
The Third Division Ieggett's) engaged
The enemy so promptly. that the 6Sth was
enabled, by making rapid move to the lett
| and wide dctouf OF aboE three miles, to
PISS around the enjoys i hb and JOIN our
division on Leggett's Hill.
| Bryce il. K. Scott, commanding the
Second Brigade, and Capt. A. c. Urquhart,
picket officer on Scots staff, accompanied
the regiment in the early morning. But
upon our return they took nearer route than
| that followed by the regiment where they
encountered body of the enemy and were
taken prisoners.
The next day, week, and month, we anx-
iously discussed their capture, whether living
or dead, but could hear notlin, until about
Sept. 28, when they joined US in camp near
Atlanta, having been exchanged.
But to return. Upon reaching our division
we found our comrades heavily engaged with
the enemy, who were advancing in solid
columns to STERN Leggett's Hill. My pen
utterly fails me in an attempt to describe in
detail the events OF that fearful struggle.
| Nearer and nearer came that line Of rebel
gray, indicating that they felt able to brush
us away, bat as they ran against the
muskets Of Leggett's Division they were
sent reeling back, suffering great loss.
The next attack came from the direction of
Atlanta. We now hastily changed front, as
the first attack had come from the east, and
again repulsed the enemy in handsome
style.
The enemy fell back and reformed and re-
turned to the attack, but were again re-
pulsed.
During the afternoon the enemy again adj
vanced upon us from the direction Of Allan
ia, at the same time fnriously attacking our
flank using their artillery. If ever we
were in a position to fight like demons, it
was then.
"Get into the works." shouted Col.
Welles.
(Which side, Colonel" was asked.
II dom care which side," yelled he; "but
get into the works.
Get in we did, but ii was puzzle to us to
know which side would be the safest, as the
attack came from front and flank, which COM
PEELED US to fight first on one side of bar
| rcade Of rails and dirt, and then on the
other.
AT one time a portion of our division was
on one side, firing in one direction, while
little farther along the line the rest of our
division was on the opposite side.
Gen. Logan dispatched to Gen. Leggett:
General, it is ali-important you must hold
the hill"
To this the brave1egsett replied:
Tell Logan when the hill is given up,
there won't be enough left of my command
to fight another battle''s
The left of our division now swung back
to the crest Of another fhill-the right still
| resting on the old iiyorks-wnere a few rails
were hastily thrown together, and behind
these we Rugged Hale ground. Meantime,
| our muskets blazed defiance to the enemy
Still on came the enemy, rolling and
surging against oar lines in another wild
and determined effpit to take Leggett's Hill.
But Leggetts noble men were just as deter
mined that they shohld hot have it.
We saw the enemy coming to take the hill,
| with officers in froht, lises we'll dressed and
| following each other III quick succession
Such scene one does not often behold even
in the wild tumulte Of bHttle, for here it was
the tidal wave Of war beat with its widest
fury against u.s. Volley after voley OF
musketry accompanied by the believing of
heavy guns seemed to have no more effect
than so much chaff would have done in the
| ranks OF those advancing hosts.
On came the enemy until they became en-
gagged in hand-to-hand struggle with the
men of Leggett's Division Wild yells rent
the air and bayonets FLASHED together. Men
with uplifted blades sought each others lives,
but the swift, unerring ball reached them be-
fore the blows were delivered, and they fell
side by side. The crash of cannon and the
roar OF musketry were deafening, and the
enemy, bent on success, were hurled back
only to spring forward with greater fury in a
! vain effort to burst Sherman's coils, tighten
ing around them.
~ we glanced to the right Or left We found