The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-26
BATTLE WITHOUT BULLETS.
TWO BRIGADEs OF LEES CORPS IN
BLOODLESS FIGHT.


in the Fray Fourth Virginia,
FOrty-ninth' Iowa and Sixth
Missouri Attacked he First
North Carolina, One Hundred and
sixty First Indiana and Second IL
linOis -Fntrenched I'm earthwOrl<s
Near the Cathedral Cemetery and
Were RepuIsed.
/ Much powder was spent in the sham bat
1 tie east of the city yesterday morning, but
no lives were lost 1t was a bloodless
! fight but profitable one, the officers who
| engaged in it think. There must have
| been $4,000 blank cartridges, at least, fred
in the fray.
The battle was fought by the two bri-
gades Of the Second Division. The two
battaliOns OF the Sixth Missouri were held
in reserve as a part of the attacking
force. and did not get into action. Those
of the attacking force that were engaged
were the Fourth Virginia and the Forty
ninth Iowa, with the Sixth Missouri. The
troops that had been ordered to repulse
the attack were the One Hundred and
Sixty-first Indiana, Second Illinois and the
is usually the case to have the attacking
force in a sham battle three times as
large as that attacked. The latter has
the advantage in position, protection,
breath and other ways, and the attack
ing force is made the larger in order to
counteract by numbers these advantages.
The First Brigade assembled at brigade
At a. nj, t.
der command of Col. Armneld of the First
North Carolina Regiment the ranking col
one
The Second Brigade assembled half an
hour after the First, under command of
Col. g. w. Taylor, of the Fourth Virginia
ranking colonel of his brigade. Gen. Has
brouck was to serve as one of the UNI
pires of the fight and for this reason Col
Taylor assumed the command of the bri-
gade.
Directly after its formation each bri-
gade marched to the battlefield. AS ii
was the first formed, the First arrived
on the field in advance of the Second. 1t
was ordered to take up its position be
hind the old breastworks that run east
of the Cathedral cemetery and TO hold
them against the attacking force.
The Second Brigade was ordered to ad-
vance on the breatworks and to take them
if possible 1t was formed with the Forty
ninth Iowa on the left and the Fourth
Virginia on the right. AS stated, the two
battaions of the Sixth Missouri were held
i'm reserve.
Every man engaged in the fight had
more than twelve rounds of ammunition
Instructions had been to issue that num-
Der of rounds to each man, and then, if
there should be any blank cartridges left,
to distribute them. The entire division is
to be armed with the -Jorgensen
rifles within a few days, and it was
thought that the blank ammunition still
on hand for the Springhelds might just
as well be expended in the fight.
The men used their guns TO good ad-
vantage. They kept up a constant fire,
and there was a perfect and continuous
rattle of musketry. No volley firing was
given by the attacking parties. though the
entrenched troops fired a number.
The battle was not hard enough for the
men to get all out of breath, tired and
disguised The march to and from the
battle ground was not long, and the troops
returned to camp at about II O'clock in
good spirits.
The First Bri5 Jade constituted the army
of the defense and the Second Brigade the
army of attack The First Brigade COM
posed of the First North Carolina, the
One Hundred and Slxty-first Indiana and
the Second Illinois, occupied a line of old
earthworks just back of the Cathedral
cemetery, which was constructed by Gen
Sherman to defend his position against
Gen. Wheelers Cavalry. The excellent
military position of these earthworks is
shown by the fact that 1t was almost i'm
possible to dislodge anybody from them
The attacking brigade was composed OF
the Fourth Virginia the Forty-ninth Iowa
and the Sixth Missouri Col Armfie,d of
the First North Carolina commanded The
Il faTn iva II IN,
Fourth Virginia led the attack Neither
side knew anything of the disposition of
the forces of the other except in the most
general way, and the conditions were al
most exactly those of actual warfare
Upon taking possession of the works.
Col. Armfield Immediately put out pickets
ouposts and patrols, and utilized the high
trees for points of observation for his sig
nal men, Along The eptire front, from the
| railroad track, on the left, to the shell
road, on his right, he was completely
| screened. The ground of approach was
further impeded by the numerous barbed
wire fences which were not easily gotten
over by the men, who were, of course, not
allowed to use the wire clippers which are
now provided in The field.
Col Taylor, in spite of all these difficult
ties pushed his men through the rough
ground most admirably, the men taking
| advantage OF every ditch and stump in
their advance. The thick screen of woods
was used 10 conceal the real attack, while
| a demonstration was being made on the
left flank 10 attract the attention of the
| defending force, and the troops were quiet
! ly massed in the heavy woods on the right
| flank from which point The real attack
was delivered. Col Taylor carefully de-
veloped his advance, his skirmish line
! driving IN the pickets, and when the real
attack came, the firing line moved for
ward on run. crouching SO as to afford
as small front as possible, and after
ward moving forward by rushes.
The firing was well executed and The
charge against the breastworks in the
! face of a furious fusilade was a most
| brilliant spectacle. Col. Armfeld had ere
| fused" that is bent back his right flank
which was unprotected, and ready to re-
ceive the feint opened fire in front of the
| breastworks. II was adjudged by the UNI
Dires that the attack would have utterly