The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-08-25
THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE WASHINGTON c. THURSDAY u.s.


the head of the brigade. 1t is forming in
two lines of five companies each. The Color
sergeant stands at the head waving ont the
colors SO that they'll stream out and show
what regiment it is that's going to lead"
"Plucky fellow" muses. Bronson admir-
ingly. n o
Nov Stones Missouri Battery is coming,
all limbered up, as If it were going along, I"
continues Walter. o. Now that fine-looking
old gray-haired GENERAL that we saw yester-
day . l'i
&C. F. Smith; used; to be Liftenant nv
the Tinth Infantry" says ONeil.
:" He's ridden uplhndput himself between
the two lines of the I'd Iowa. He makes q
speech to them and points over to the rebels
They're cheering him now. He pulls of his
hat and puts it on the point of his sword
The I'd Iowa rushes down the hill"
By all the howly saints in hiven, Oh
must say that !" says O'Neil impulsively.
No, no, don't look around, for heavens
sake!" shouts Bronson; "here comes lot
of rebels making a rush for the gun to fire it
at our men. Shoot quick but sure.' He
fires as he speaks and brings down the leader
of the rebels just rs he stOops to pick up
the lanyard which the last man dropped, be-
fore firing. as he fell dead. The rest take
deadly aim at the rebels aud bring so many
to the ground that the remainder run back.
| Walter resumes his marathon:
They're at the bottom of the hill
Many of the men are fallen, but some of
them jump up again and overtake their COM
paniOnS Gen. Smith looks grander than a
king as he rides along at the head, his white
hair streaming out, his hat still waving on
his sword. He doesn't mind the bullets any
more than if they were flies. The rebels
are piling into the breastworks as fast as they
can run to meet him. The I'd Iowa is going
ahead magnificently.
There, the color-bearer goes over Some
body picks up the colors and runs ahead with
them. Now the colOr-bearer is up again,
pushes on, and snatches the flag away, as if
mad at the other fellow for taking it..
They re starting up the hill On run. The
sharp brush stops some of them. The rest
swarm up that other place where it's steep
and slippery. Many slide back, get up, and
try 1t again.
The 18th Iowa follows them-the SD
Ind is going up. Heavens, L believe the
battery is going to try it too.'
They are?" said Bronson, looking up,
in establishment. ''They never can do it.
See-there go down all the horses to that
first gun. Now they're up again and they
strike the hillside with their hoofs, as if
they'd drive them into the ground. Now
they almost lie flat on the ground as they tug
aud strain. They pant; the foam flies from
their nostrils; the positions have jumped of,
are pulling at the bits, and shout words of
encouragement. The rest Of the cannOneers
have their shoulders against the wheels and
the gun; they push as il they'd burst a
| oft fha tnY, IF boI
voices, to encourage the horses; the faithful
animals become as excited as the men; they
pant and strain as horses never did before; L
| can see blood fly from their nostrils.
Now the gun starts again, and now it is
at the top of the hill, and Eow the horses
make one supreme effort and with a mighty
| bound spring over the crest of the hill,
snatching the tremendous gun after them as
| ii it were only q trace-chain. The men who
have been pushing are thrown fiat on their
faces by the great Jerk, but they spring up
again and dash after it.
1.-The trained horses know that they are in
the presence of theceneny, and Of their own
accord wheel round go as to present the
muzzle of the gun TO the front, and as the
cannoneers run up all they have to do is to
| unlimber and get ready to fire Now the
other guns are goihg up in the same way"
And now," says Walter, " the I'd Iowa
brings its guns to a charge bayonets, cheers,
| and makes for the rebel lines. A part of the
) rebels start to run, the officers drive them
) back with their swords, the rest stand up on
J the works and fire. Now they're all jump
] ng down and running. Gen. Smith still at
/ he head, with his horse prancng proudly.
/ Now the boys are in the ditch-now they re
leiimbing the banks a rebel officer jumps up
f-om behind and runs one Of them through
! Nth his swo-d. A half dozen bayonet him at
once, and others run up and bavonet or club
tno few rebels who still show fight. Now
the whole line sweeps in. Hooray, the
| forts ours +"
The rest OF the File spring to their feet to
Join their cheers to his, but their voices are
drowned in the fierce shouts of triumph
that 90 up from the Threats of the victors
and the roar of the double-charged guns Of
| the Missouri battery, which are pouring
craze and canister into the rebels, fleeing to
| the main fort for shelter.
| Then the sounds of battle ebb away except
where the gunboats, which have reappeared
to make diversion, are slowly pounding
away at long range. There is also continu-
ance of the firing upon the extreme right,
| where McClernand and Lew Wallace have
been making efforts to regain the ground lost
| by them in the morning. This dies away,
too, and the File take advantage Of the gen.
eral lull to 90 back to the company for food.
They are ravenous They have eaten moth
ing since the preceding day.
Their services in watching the 32-pounder
they silenced are no longer needed, since that
has been rendered harmless by the presence
of our troops upon its flank.
The File make substantial supper and lie
down to rest, but they are awakened about
midnight by the Captain, who tells them
that an Orderly has come over from the regi-
ment with orders for Co. A to join it immedi-
ately upon the right. The day went hardly
with the regiment. 1t was engaged in a
short-range fight with two Tennessee regi-
ments which ran on to it in the woods, and
rs both sides were stubborn the loss was fear
full Most of the field officers were killed
and wounded, and three colOr-bearers were
killed. Itdid not leave its ground, however,
untilevery one of the 40roundsi in its cartridge
boxes were fired away, and then it fell back
in good ORDER drew 81 round of cartridges to
the man and returned in search of its Tennes-
see opponents, whom it found again and drove
back. The orders were that the fight should
begin again at daybreak, and it was impera-
tive that Co. A be with the regiment to bring
it up to good fighting strength
Co. falls in and starts toward the fight
AS it passes along the center they hear a
bugle inside the rebel lines sounding a pecu-
liar signal, which is repeated over and over