The National tribune., 1899-06-22
: .ABOY 7LITUTENANT.
Continued from FIRST page,

ClIt, dllNN besNiA' y
are nothing hut raggers!'
A very howl Of rage like the roar
of wild beasts went up from the
blacks. WITH a a,ild shrek and
cry Of Lord Jesus, save me; ase
only a pore nnigaer!" Sergt Offer
went by me, his musket at charge,
dashing straight for the Confeder-
ate officer. The Sergeant's cap
was off, and the "plaits" of his hair
stood up like little horns, and his
frenzied manner made him a gro
tesque-and, at the same time, a most
horrible-lookingr object. Closely
following him were dozen blacks;
The officer saw his danger and
called to the rebel soldiers near
him to Shoot that nigger down.
but the Confederate rifles were
empty. The white men sprang to
the assistance of their officer, but
they were too late. The black
soldier drove his bayonet into the
officers breast, and bore him to the
earth. The other blacks threw
themselves upon the little group:
L fired one shot from my pistol
before the combatants mingled;
Serg't Offer was struck and knocked
down, and a powerful rebel soldier
stood over him with uplifted mus
ket, ready to dash out his brains.
A musket, thrown harpoon fashion
by my sailor Sergeant, Sergt
Dudley, caught. the upllfted rebel
arm, and the man begged for quar-
ter, which was. granted. All OF
that little group of Confederates
were killed or captured. Some OF D,
their comrades, not 10 yards away,
began. firing at US. and we were
glad to dodge back behind the
bombproofss a~,..-- ,@'i9'n
Our prisoners were at once
started for the rear. Two hundred
prisoners and a color had been cap
tured by the First Brigade In this
charge. But more than halt 'of
the goth had gone down. .7. >.
The officers made the greatest
exertions to form their men again,
for there was not company that
had anything like a line of battle,
and the 43d U. S. c. T. were as
badly mixed up as we were.
The enemSs works on this part
of the line wereola perfect honey
comb of bpmbproofs, trenches,
coveredwaysa sleeping-holes, and
little alleys, running in every direc-
ton. A little k1bll gave them an
elevation of about 20 feet above the
Crater. Bullets,9,s 9,same through all
the little alleyways and found VIC
TINS in the most unexpected places.
The right GanlWs of the regiment
was having anlively little fight with
the enemy not aiTdozen yards away
from them. The tops of the breast.
works were cYnti1gually being swept
by grape and. canister from the
battery in the ravine in our front
Mortar shells came dropping down
among us. .-" :
We heard the yells OF charging
column on our left. and looking
we saw the Second Brigade going
, in fine shape, over the line of th'
,, First Division over the bombproofs
: out into the open field on our lef
t and their front. ." "a
! Instantly the batteries on Cmee
t terry Hill and Wright's battery
a were turned on them, and sharl
4 infantry fire reached them iron
y the ravine in their front. w
y could see the great gaps made IL
n their line as the grape tore its wa.
q !; through. They reached covered
e way which ran diagonally acros
:, the ravine, jumped into it, an
n stayed there. a7 erp
S About 20 minutes after ou
:. charge, an officer from the staff G
s our division commander brough
=. this order to Col. Bates: "The Ger
n n eral commanding directs that yo
d at once charge the battery in fror
sr of you!"
II Without a moments hesitation
5, Col. Bates commanded, FORWARD
s, men!" and at once led the way I
IN the open field himself AS h
es sprang out of the ditch he swun
n his sword from left to right to ind
=; cate the movement which he wishe
A the line to execute. He was 10
es ,s lowed promptly by all the men {
or or all the regiments in that immediat
nd vicinity. But the men of the lie
y y wing of the regiment could not ST
lie him, and it was impossible to hes
t. to anything, and probably not mo-
he he than 200 men went forward wit
ng him. This movement had bee
re anticipated by the enemy, and the
Of had crowded one of their numero,
ne coveredways full of infantry on o'
in front and right, Col. Bates hs
ITS not taken 10 steps forward whe
no ac' this line rose,up and at less than
lbt yards range poured in voll'
~ ~ that almost annihilated the char
ut. I ing party. qCols Bates fell, sh
les through theg head; our noble lit
lxi lxi Major, Robert Leake, fell mortal
Old wounded; o}hefi' officers fell, al