The National tribune., 1901-11-21
I'VE THREW UP BREAsTWoRKs

Durfer took personally-conducted tour
Dixieward.
The next day, Saturday, the Goth, we
were relieved, and took n position in the
cornfield fronting the railroad and few
hundred yards north of the Globe
Tavern.
We threw up breastworks here, and lay
low all day, nothing disturbing us except
an occasional stray shot in the woods;
but we did not care much for that, so
long as they were not shooting at us.
Sunday, the 21st, Gen. Hill and some
more of the big guns on the Dixie side Of
the line tried to work big surprise party
on Gen. Warren and the boys who wore
the blue and followed Old Glory; but this
time we were not entangled in the dense
woods, we had free field and fair fight,
and when the returns were all in the sur
prise was with the other fellow and not
with us.
l think it was about noon when they
opened on us with about 20 pieces of ar
tillery, though there wasn't a man in the
SSth but would make a pile of affidavits
that every battery in the entire Southern
army was in our front, or rather left
flank, and belching full blast ON our de-
voted and, it looked TO be, doomed lines.
The works which we had constructed were
somewhat like a horseshoe in plan, our
position being on the right, while they at
tackled the left flank, and this brought
their fire right in our rear. At Martins
suggestion we got on the outer side Of the
works, and were not very hard to coax
over either.
Martin always had 4 cool head on him,
and he exercised rare good judgment now,
because there was no enemy in our imme
diate front, and a perfect torrent Of all
kind Of missiles howled and shrieked
spitefully and wrathfully tore, screamed
and madly bowled and plunged in from
the left. Some Of the boys were so
awfully scared that all the growth was
entirely knocked out of them, and they
havn't grown any since, though George
Armstrong said II was only a lack Of
ratiOns that retarded their growth; at any
rate, the boys were more scared than
hurt for ! do not remember that one Of
our regiment was injured by that fierce
fire, though It was stated that 20 cannon
ball struck within a radius of 100 yards
of where we were lying. | think this was
the heaviest artillery fire that / ever ex-
pcrienced, and after these dogs OF war
had barked to their satisfaction, then
came the infantry charge.
They came up with the familiar rebel
vel! Of Ki-yi! Ki-yi-yi-yii long drawn ont
and said to be so demoralizing to now sol
diers; but we had got used to tive dint
care so much for the rebel yell If the
Quartermaster wouldn't forget US and go
back on us with our rations.
/ think they made three charges but
were handsomely repulsed every time
with heavy loss. for l never saw in all
my soldier experience so many dead men
on either side iii SO small a space as
! saw dead Southern soldiers on that
sangUinary field. Some of them had
reached the flank of a line Of our breast
works about 100 yards in front of the
railroad, and were killed in close Droximi'
| " to our line. Gen. Warren says his men
buried 211 of the enemy's dead at thiS
point, and have no doubt that this state
ment is true, as they report total loss
in these operations of over 5000, most OF
them being killed and wounded.
This ended the fighting at the Globe
Tavern; Lee knew when he had enough
and all appetite for further fighting al
this point was effectually and forever
knocked out of him, and the gallant War
ren was left victor of the field: and NJ
braver man wore the stars in the Army
of the Potomac than this little black
haired, swarthy-faced Warren.
In these operations on the Weldon
Road, our regiment lost total of 3.
killed, wounded and missing, out of lest
| than 300 who went into the action