The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1900-09-13

regiment, en- masse, came steadily on, to
be checked only temporarily by stubborn
resistance and holding on of brave Union
men. The continued flank movement is
what beat us. However, we opened fire
as soon as they came in range, which they
returned.
Right here we lost n good many men,
but as they moved to the left some of the
| regiment gave way and the 18th fell back
| to the second position. Many in those
backward movements got scattered and
lost from their companies; some fought in
other commands; some kept on to the rear.
The rebels were checked by our fire, but
| their thanking movement caused q con
| tinual falling back by the Union lines.
Some time in the afternoon most Of our
company had taken position behind a large
| pile Of oats in sacks. From this vantage
| point they turned their fire on the horses
of a rebel battery and killed about 40 of
them, compelling the rebels to abandon the
guns. One of Schwartzs batterymcn
came along saying:
Battery Schwartz ish all gone except
one man undt two horses" Some of the
boys asked him if they spiked the guns.
Spike dose goons and Spite dose goons?
No, Nor This raised laugh.
! The rebels rolled one wheel away from
each captured gun, supposing they had
a good thing anyhow, so when the retreat
came they had no time to hunt up wheels.
They remained in our hands-the six
guns of Battery Schwartz were restored.
| A NIGHT OF HORROR.
| The regiment, after being driven from
one position after another with loss final
ly rallied, and what few were left with
| the colOrs Were sitting on Il log near
Grants Headquarters at nightfall. Rain
began to fall and we were miles from our
tents, then occupied by the rebels.
| Y
CarOndelct fired their big 9-inch guns
every ID minutes, sending screaming shells
out where the rebel lines were in bivouac
cutting great limbs off trees. They kept
the enemy from muchnccdcd rest. There
was very little rest that night for anyone,
and yet how we courtcd sleep to forget
the awful surroundings Wounded men
were coming in all night long. All the
artillery available was placed in battery
above the Landing, ready to check and
drive bnck the rebel army in the morn
ing. Gen. Johnston was killed out about
the Hornets Nest, in front of our bri-
gade. Our Colonel Qtansom) was wound
ed and taken aboard one of the boats, all
night calling for his sword and horse
| cod Bat had been killed under him dur
ing the day.
Out ON the CORY field our brave Colonel.
w. ii. l.. Wallace, who commanded n di-
vision, lay wounded and unconscious, dy-
ing on the 11th Lew Wallace was Colonel
Of the 11th Ind. Our Wallace was Colonel
of the 1lth Ill. He commanded q bri-
gadc at Donclson and c. +. Smiths Di-
vision at Shiloh. He was grand man.
L. II. G. Ransom was our Second Colonel,
the brayest Of the brave. The boys won
the stars for both. At the head of the
regiment, looking upon our thinned ranks
on the Sunday morning of the surrender
Of Donclson, both had shed tears Both
gave their lives for the Union.
Major Nevius was wounded; Can't.
Coates wounded; Capt. Carter. of Co. X,
killed; Lieut.. Fields, commanding Co. A,
wounded; Serg't Law, commanding Co.
Is. killed. He was a young man of good
moral character, always neat and soldierly
IN appearance. Our Adjutant was also
killed.
THE SECOND DAY.
) Morning came at last. Soon the roar
OF artillery and musketry told us the reb-
lels were giving way.
We took very little II any part in the
second days battle as IN organized regi-
; ment. Some of the bays went sharpshoot-
ing on their own hook. Late In the after
noon we We're again in possession of. our
tents. Several of the enemy wounded men
were found as comfortable as could be un-
, der the circumstances, stretched out on
our blankets. Our tent had 81 cannon
, and musket ball holes through II. The
r tents were pulled down as the lines formed
but righted by the rebels In order to use
them for the night. / counted 90 dead
!; horses in front of our brigade and dead
men in every direction.
: Details were several days gathering in
the dead. We'buried ii of our dead in
J one grave. We made of oak timber u
, monument. Their names were cut in the
: sides and the whole painted white and
set up at the head Of the grave. We also