The National tribune., 1899-05-11
HOT WORK IN GEORGIA.
Exciting Incidents as Told by . SD III
Man.

Exciting Incidents as Told by . SD ILL.,
Man.
ECIToR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: was much
interested in the letter written by C. w.
Mckay, of Fergus Falls, Mimi, on the Re
SAGA battlefield. He says that in company
with Capt. Jas. Compton, SD ILL.,, O. Larson,
5th Iowa Cav, and w. Hunt, ODD Wis, he
visited the field. was there, and remem-
Der the very incident Capt. Jas Compton
relates. was member of Co. A, SD Ill.
Resaca was my first experience in battle.
enlisted as n recruit in February, 1864, while
the sd was home on veteran furlough.
was 16 years old, and everything passed
through on the Atlanta campaign and the
march to the sea and through South and
North Carolina was impressed on my mind.
As for Resaca, thonght the first time my
company was ordered to deploy in q corn
field as ssirmishers, and advance through it
to the timborS beyond, that would not live
TO tell the story. l thought there was a
Confederate behind every stump and tree.
We went through without any of us getting
hurt. The rebs were crossing the river and
hurrying out of rifle-range.
Our attention was called to the right of
our line few rods There was rebel in 4
tree, picking off our officers quite lively.
He shot at our General, but tailed to hit
him. The General saw the man in the tree
shot at him with his revolver. but did not
hit him, but made him hug The tree so he
had no time to reload his gun. The General
called 10 one of our Ioys to shoot the man
in the tree, and he should have furlough
A comrade shot the rebel out Of the tree.
The General was much pleased, and told the
comrade to report at Headquarters, and he
Sbnn1l In.a hjs f,rln,uI huf ti,a do
said that he did not want any furlOugh until
the campaign was over.
We were relieved on the skirmish-line
and joined the regiment a mile or so TO the
right, and encamped for the night in fine
grove. The next morning we were ordered
to support our battery. The enemy was
throwing shells into the corral of horses and
killing a number of them. The shells came
very c.ose to where we lay.
One of our men swan the Oostanaula River
and captured Confederate flag from the
hreastwOrks. The Johnnes were SO surprised
that orr cOmrade returned without wound,
though they fired volley at him. l have
forgotten to what company the comrade be-
lOnged, but think to Co. /, sd ILL.,
This happened near Lays Ferry, on the
Oostanaula River, and soon afterwards our
company helped to carry one of the canvas
poontoons down to the ferry, and went over.
The river was quite wide and the water
deep, and running rapidly, so we were nearly
swamped several times before we got over.
The enemy had retreated when we got over
Our regiment formed in line-of-battle in the
rear of the rebel works. The I'd Iowa was to
our left; the 9TH Iowa formed in line in
our front, and had barely gotten into line
when the enemy made sudden charge with
cavalry.
The rebels were armed with the Spencer
gun. Our boys thought they had only the
saber and revolver, so they let them get too
close and the rebels fired destructive volley
into the I'd, killing and wounding 100 OF
them before they had been ordered to fire.
When they did the enemy were repulsed with
heavy loss. There was one of their number
who could not stop his horse, but came right
through our lines. A fierce-looking ranger
lie was, and he stopped his horse finally near
where our General was, and talked with him
for some minutes. Then he rode back down
the road as fast as his horse could run, amidst
the shots and shouts of our men. He proved
TO be a Union spy Of the Corp'l Pike kind
l do not know whether it was he or not,
but have thought it may have been. From
the ferry about q mile was brick house near
tne rOau, ana Wnere Tile rebel line was. As
soon as our battery was over the river they
were ordered to open on the house, and sent
several shots through it. There were several
rebel officers in the house at the time about
to eat their meal around the table, but they
left quite suddenly. Our officers sat down
and ate the meal. We camped near the
brick house that night.
Next morning we went in pursuit Of the
rot rur
REEVES, Co. A, SD ILL.,, Beverly, Neb.