Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1899-01-28
THE LAST CHARGE.
1t Was the Closing Action OF ths
Civil War and Wns One of
Desperate Bravery.

Col Ransom Kennicctt, of Chicago
led the last charge in the civil war. The
charge was made at the stormiug of
Blakely, Ala. and took place some time
after Lee had surrendered to Grant,
April o. 1865.
The story of the assault and taking
of the Notifications at Blakely, defend
ing Mobile, makes one of the most he
roic and picturesque bits of history in
the civil war. The war was ended and
the confederates had surrendered when
the engagement took place. This par
ticular division of confederates and
"Yanks" confronting each other at Mo-
bile knew nothing about it, however,
and they fought as desperately as if it
had been at the breaking out Ct the
war instead of the close.
Reenforcements were being hurried
forward to Gen. Frank Steele, in COM
mand of the Thirteenth army corps
(unionists) and his men were wildly
impatient to capture the fortifications
and achieve the glory for themselves.
Col. Kennicott led an advance of 300
sl<irmishers to dislodge lot of confed-
crate sharpshooters on the right and
pave the way for the last general as
sault. He led his men across stretch
of "tangleleg" a half-mile long. dis
lodged or captured every confederatein
the rife pits, and lost but one man. A
rush was then made all along the line,
the earthworks were taken, and Mobile
fell. 1t was one of the most gallant
charges of the war, splendidly planned
and executed.
The storming of Blakely took place
during what is called the Mobile cam
paign." Gen. Frank Steele came over
from Pensacola in the latter part of
March and first of April, 1865, and laid
siege to Mobile. The last defense cf the
place was formidable line of fortifi-
cations at Blakely, ten miles from Mo-
bile. Earthworks had been thrown up
in a semicircle around the towr. On
top of these big logs had been fitted in
place, protecting the heads of the men
behind the works, and leaving hand
breadth space through which the firing
might be done. Intrenched behind this
protecting line the confederates kept
| up a constant fusillade in comparative
safety. There were 1900 of them, COM
manded by Gen. John st. Liddell and
Gen. John CoclSrell and Gen. Thomas.
| The confederates had about 40 pieces of
artillery and about 5000 or 90, 900 men.
| 1t is counted that under circumstances
| like this besiegers ought to outnumber
the defenders five to one, so that the
opposing forces were about evenly
matched. In addition to the earth
works the confederates had stationed a
! lot of sharpshooters a half-mile in
front.
The siege was conducted on humane
lines, the idea being to lose as few men
as possible, even at the expense of con.
siderable time. April 0, however. saw
the end of the siege in the daring as
sault led by Col. Ransom Kenricott
There were lot of Illinoisans there, in
various parts of the line, and every
man made gallant record. Gen. John
C. Black, Gen. j. B. Lealle, Col. James
Sexton, Capt. Black, Maj. Bell and
Capt. Kennicott, brother of the colonel
1t was decided to detail 800 men to de
ploy as skirmishers and clean out the
rifle pits on the right. They were tc
be supported by the whole division
The command of the 300 picked mer
fell upon Col Kennicott. They made
their way through the half-mile of OBJ
structions under raking fire from bat
teries and musket. During the whole
siege the guns had not roared so ter
ribly. The cannon belched out steady
stream of fire and smoke, ard i
seemed the whole 300 men must be Gu