The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1898-08-04
BENTON. LOUISIANA THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 1893.

struggling heap and kicked and struck !
each other with the utmost vigor. The |
panic lent wings to some men, while |
others were so overcomethat they could
only hobble away.
Its Lees whole army! We are
whipped. We are wiped out.'' were the
shouts heard on every hand, and the
curses and appeals Of the officers were
wasted on the air. | saw 4 ma jor, who
was mounted on horse without a sad
die, strike half a dozen men with the
fiat of his sword and ride down others
as he tried to rally them, but not one
Of the men who received his blows even
looked up at him. 1t was wild enough
retreat before the confederates got hold
of the artillery, but when they had
turned Is or 90 of our guns upon
us, and the bursting shells were
following us up. it was stampede like
the rush of a herd of cattle. Here and
there man fell down and cried out in
piteous tones, but no one halted. In
stead of dcdging the tents and camp
fires, the fugitives jumped against or
over them. The panic spread back to
| the Sixth corps. which was in the rear OF
| all. and diplomacy saved the men
| from breaking away. They were or
| dered forward to check the enemy and
cover the retreat, and action saved
them. When the panic-stricken soldiers
had reached Middletown, five miles
away, they began to grow ashamed Of
themselves and to halt. One of the very
men who had led in the fight suddenly
turned about and began shouting:
Halt. ye towards! Before God. but
We ali deserve to be shot in yer tracks
for bringing such disgrace on the
flag"
Men began to form squads and COM
paries, and pretty soon there was a
general clamor to be led back against
the enemy. The trouble was that nine
men out Of ten had left their arms in
camp or thrown them away on the
road, and they had nothing to fight
with. OF the 200 of us who "iell in on
toe main street of the village, not tea
had carbincs or muskets. Had Early
continued to push along, he must have
made complete route Of it. His orders
wer>, to advance, but his man fell cu1
by The hundreds to plumber the unior
camps, an;! by and by he was so veal
: that the Sixth corps could hold him
From ten o'clock in the morning unit
three in the afternoon the broken regl
, ments were being gathered, and bat
, tle-lines were formed of men Wh'
hadn't 4 gun to fire. Sheridan came
, up soon after ten and began Il
: straighten things out, and at three th'
whole federal army moved forward
The fighting did rot last half an hos;
t and as Early broke back it was a pani
: over again, but this time on the othe
, side We took prisoners by the hun
: Gred. recap;ured every lost gun, and th
confederate wagon train also fell int
q cur hands. The fleeing confederate te
0 fairly clogyed the highway against IL
:. with the stuff they threw away, an
d mrskets, carbnes, sabers, krapsack
b and stores were gathered up by tn
q wagon load. 1t was a battle wo
f through panic, and lost again from tn
: same cause. At ten o'clock Early ha
= every federal camp in his possession
r together with over 100 wagons, 2,0C
$ horses, 5000 stands of arms and >! tiel
+ pieces. He had also captured nearl
$ thousand prisoners. At five O'Clock i
D the afternoon he was scattered an
d broken and flying for his life, with ii
l. loss of everything which could |
t, thrown away or abandoned. NearI
II every confederate prisoner taken W;
& either laughing Or crying in the by
l. terra of panic.