The National tribune., 1900-07-19
"GETTING A MOVE on"
A Comrade Who Was In a Hurry, but Got
Away Last, Tells About 1t.

A Comrade Who Was In Hurry. but Got
Away Last, Tells About 1t.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: I am one
Of the readers of your valuable paper and
an old coffee cooler of the Second Diyi-
sion, Fourteenth Corps. Our regiment,
the 10th ILL.,, was transferred by an or
der of President Lincoln to the First Di-
vision of the Seventeenth Corps, com
manded by Fighting joe Mower. We
marched through to the Sea and on
through the Carolnas, and were at Ben
tonville, n. G. l think l was the last
Union soldier off of that battlefield. I
will tell you how it happened.
When Sherman's army was nearing
GOldsbOro the left wing was attacked by
the whole of Johnston's army. Our di-
vision, being on the right, was marching
straight to Goldsboro. We had just got
into camp, tired out, one evening, when
an Orderly rode up to headquarters with
orders for our division to march at once.
We started on n forced march and kept
it up all night. Next morning at 8
o'clock we were on the battlefield and
ready for business, with old Joe In the
lead. All the army had halted and
thrown up good breastworks, and the
rebels were only a short distance ahead.
shell and mimic balls were flying around.
Our division jumped over the works
and formed in line of battle, facing the
enemy. Just ahead of US was a swamp,
which we waded, knee-deep, and as we
emerged the rebels poured into our ranks
terrific cannon and musketry fire at
close range.
We We're ordered to charge and cap
tured their works, with many prisoners
and part Of battery. We should have
halted then, but went on like q Kansas
cyclone, yelling like demons and the
Johnnies falling back slowly, firing as
they retreated.
We had driven them over a half mile
when our brigade commander ordered US
to halt and form new line of battle,
which we did in low piece of land with
pine trees all around. Joe Mower came
dashing up and ordered US to hold that
position at all hazards.
In a few minutes the rebels reformed
and started to drive US off the field. We
| could hear them coming with that we'll
known rebel yell. My hat seemed to
raise on my head. Our Colonel rode
along the line and said:
Boys, don't fire until you have orders"
In a few minutes they came over the
hill not over 80 yards away and opened
a terrible musketry fire on our regiment.
Half a dozen of our company (H fell
around me. / couldn't stand that. l
halloed as loud as could:
Go. II, fire."
was not commander Of the company,
but / knew no regiment would stand that
| long without firing or running. Our
regiment was on the extreme left Of the
division, and without any support on the
left. Whose fault that was l don't know.
Now the rebels farked US on the left
and we had orders to fall back slowly,
firing as We fell back. In the retreat
got between the two lines, and when we
fell back to hill, probably 100 yards
to the rear, the regiment reformed, and
such roar of musketry you seldom hear;
1t reyerberated through woods and hills.
| You would like to know where / was
about that time. Twenty feet in front
of our regiment was large pine tree. A
German of our company and l were be-
hind that tree. He was to my left. We
were both kneeling, so our boys could
shoot over our heads. The smo';e of bat
Germ objects 30 yards away. That Internal
yell once more, and the Johnnies came on
right up to within 80 feet of me. One
was so close l could almost see the whites
of his eyes.
| shall never forget how he looked and
how spotted felt. l looked to the left
| the German was gOne-and to the rear
and my regiment was gone. 1t seemed
to me all of JohnstOn's army was in from,
of me. To say / was scared would be
putting it mildly. I first thought
would surrender, and then 1 thought OF
Andersonville, and made up my mind tc
try. and get away. My gun was empty
menced crying:
Surrender, you Yank."
l. l almost flew as the mimic balls few
like hail all around me, but l got away
safe and sound. Not so all of our regi
ment. We probably lost 100 men In q
very short time. As 1 retreated 1 passed
many of our regiment, killed and wound
ed, on the field. One poor fellow of Co
f., who was shot in the head, called tc
me: "Serg't Mcclure, take me off the
field" l stopped moment and exam
ined his wound and could see brains ooz
would be dead in few minutes, and he
was q large man and l was STRIPPING
l would have liked very much to assist
him, but ut that time l was pOwerless tc
do so, and ran out through rain of rebe
mimic balls.
| l soon came to the Ohio Brigade, the
right wing of our division, commanded
by Gen. Fuller, and they We're streaming
| back. Fuller was mad and made many
threats to the men, but they went on
Finally the Color-Sergeant Of the 1Stl
| Mo. came along, and Fuller ordered hin
to place the colors on the works we had
taken on our first assault. We soor
formed a new line of battle and checked
the enemy.
After sundown our division fell bacl
and the JohnmeS had possession of thai
part of the battlefield. During the night
Johnston's army retired across the river
l have always thought there was some
one to blame for sending our division il
without any support on the right or left
We fought our way almost to Johnston's
headquarters, and had we been supported
at the proper time he never would have
l'crossed that river and got away after
night with his entire army. A. Nc
CURE, Sergeant, Co. III, 10th Ill. Wich
ita, Kan.