The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-04-28
THAT CANNON CHARGE.
Holding a Dangerous Position for Hours
Under II Leaden Hail.

Holding a Dangerous Position for Hours
Under Leaden Hail.
Editor National Tribune: From the time
that cannon charge was commenced until
somewhere between and 10 O'Clock at
night was within few feet of the cannon
in the lunette at Resaca, Ga. What fol-
lows | take largely from a letter written
the next day to my wife, from ReSacd, be-
fore we began to gather up the dead; let
ter of two full sheets written to the Sabbath
school at Pontiac H.. of which / was
Superintendent, about 10 or Is days after
the battle; also letter written to my wife
in the field near CaSSville, Ga, on May 22
All three puTpOrted to give a full and COM
plete history OF the battle; in addition to
these there is a page in my diary, written
the morning after the battle, that also
gives quite full description.
We formed in line for this charge a few
minutes after 1 o'clock. Col. Case came
to the right of the regiment where | was In
command of Co. A, with Adjt z. ID. Plat
tenburg. Col. Case pointed out to me the
direction of the lunette and told me what
was there; that the object of the charge
was to drive the enemy from the works and
capture these guns and hold them.
We made the charge. On arriving at the
klnette the gunnerS Immediately threw up
their hands and surrendered. We rushed
through to the breastworks of the enemy.
The firing that was doing us the damage
came from our right, and the rear OF the
Notifications After passing the lunette
we came to the Notifications which passed
to the right along the edge OF the rising
ground, considerably to the rear OF us. The
enemy had left; they were fully 4 hundred
yards to the rear of their Notifications, go
ing on down the hill towards the pontoons
that were laid across the river. Thomas
Suthff, OF my company, was killed In that
charge.
There were perhaps 40 or so men OF the
brigade at those breaSt-worlfs; there were
about q men of my own company. When
we found that the brigade was falling
back we fell back to the lunette.
Shortly after we had fixed ourselves close
to the lunette the Confederates moved
back TO their Notifications and Immediately
began firing upon u.s. We lay on the front
and right of the Iunette, with our faces to
it, and the coOrs of the five regiments
planted between the first and second can
non.
Serg't Hess had charge of the colors OF
the 10th iii. When the command to fall
back was given, some of the comrades
near him said he heard the command and
rose to take out the cOlors. He was night
in front of the opening where the first can
non on the right of the lunette protruded,
and there he was killed by bullet, which
entered just below his chin.
Immediately directed Serg't Miller, OF
my company The was one OF the detained
color guard, to take charge OF the colOrs.
Three times that afternoon the Confeder-
ates charged our lines and attempted to
capture the guns; the last time was Just
after dark, and shortly afterward they left
their intrenchments. About an hour, or
about half past two o'clock, sometime
after the first charge and the firing had
ceased, the boys commenced to put their
caps on ramrOds and hold them up. As the
4 = I'll how tynv
shoot, and they killed quite number OF
them.
Lieut.. Smith, OF my company, who was
beside the opening of the cannon on the
extreme right OF the lunette, got very much
excited in this gun practice. lie had a
Colts revolver. | suggested to him that
what he was doing was helping nothing,
and would certainly result in his being
wounded. Just then quite a number OF
rose to fire at cap that Henry
Snider held up with a ramrOd, and Lieut..
Smith, losing his presence OF mind, jumped
up and began firing at them with his Colts
revolver A volley of bullets struck him.
The names of some other of the boys OF
nv company, and others that were present,
that can remember, are Winfield >. Kelly,
Corp1 James NJ. Chritten, William Sheets,
f. c. Huetson, Martin d. L ing, Jesse
Massey, Alecls Sheets, G. c. Yester, William
l.. Miller, BENJAMIN Thompson. Capt.
Perry, of Co. c., was with us for about hall
IN hour after the brigade fell back, and
ne went back to them.
Twenty seven men of my company, with
some others, helped to hold that lunette
rom half past one O'CLOCK in the afternoon
o about half past nine at night, when we
we're relieved. There were some members
# Co. A, 10Th Ohio, with us; among the num-
,er Joseph I'll. Blackburn, of Co. A, who lay
1t my side. Somewhere about an hour
.fter the charge, in repulsing second at
empt of the enemy trying to take the can
unette was a patch of hazel brush, in !
,hich we were laying, and which in part |
oncealed us from the firing on our right, |