The National tribune., 1901-02-28

from the fields bullets began to whiz-
the artillery had already been lombard
ing us; the men dropped their corn and
hurriedly mounted their horses. The Fed
eral artillery, having got the range, threw
shot and shell into the disordered ranks,
while masses of "blue-coats" debouched
from the woods, the whole visible earth as
force had arrived and we were right in
it." Some of Carter's men stood not on
the order of their going. They simply
lit out" Adj'tGen. Guerrant, young,
1.-THE and handsome, not having time TO
saddle his charger, mounted him, bare
back, and overtaking the stampeding
Georgians and Tennesseans eloquentiy ap
pealed to them to return-to rally once
again"
In connection with Col. Garter and other
officers he succeeded In arresting their
fight, and, dismounting two or three hun
dred of them, led them back in
an endeayor to check the Federals until
the remainder of our troops could form
line of battle, and the wagons could be
driven from the field. Notwithstanding
the reign of pandemonium, there were
iaughable scenes. A cannon ball struck
the coupling-pol of Commissary, wagon,
cutting it in twain. Wildly 1ourishing his
whip and yelling cit upP' the driver es-
capped with the front wheels, leaving the
fastidious Commissary's SIS boots and
other useful and valuable paraphernalIa in
the abandoned rear part Of the wagon. Just
before the opening of ''the balF' buxom
young mountain woman, with the curiosity
of her sex, visited the wagon rendezvous,
where the gallant Wsgon-master chiyal-
rously exerted himself to entertain her.
The tete-a-tete was rudely dissolved by a
bomb-shell exploding in close proximity to
the trysting place. 1ngloriously the noun
tain nymph wildly and undignifedly STAN
Ial tha G,fIf fut.- in
alone.
A temporary line Of battle was hastily
formed. Giltner's Brigade and School
fields "little battery" took position on the
left, while Carter was on the right. Gra-
hams and Lloyds sections of artillery
were down on the railroad, a mile away,
with Gen. jackson. The enemy in great
numbers irresistibly charged our front,
! while dense columns moved upon our
tanks. We had in line not more than
1000 men, and were fighting, as we after
ward learned, Gen. Shackelford's Division
of cavalry, brigade OF infantry and 20
pieces Of artillery.
PUGH's HILL.
Soon our disordered lines fell back to
a commanding eminence known as Pugh's
Hill, about two miles from Rheatown.
This position was strong in the center,
but could be easily 1anked. Here we
IOuBnl the uidIl DdItle OI the Oay-Ine
| third engagement, long, wearisome, and
desperate.
| When the enemy again came up our ar
| tillery, admirably. handled, first greeted
them. The Federals replied with artil-
lery, also effectively served. A single
shell killed and wounded several of our
artillerymen and horses. Temporarily the
Federal infantry recoiled before the well
directed and incessant fire of Graham s,
Lloyd's and Schoolfeld's guns.
Unfortunately, at this critical moment
it became necessary to change command
| ers. With Col. Giltner and staff / rode
to where Gen. Williams had taken posi-
ton near q section of artillery. The Gen
eral, reclining on the ground. was appar-
emily very sick, but swearing awfully. Mad
as hornet he held his unsheathed sword
in his hand, and, although hors de combat,
was as bellicose as ever. Giltner, aSsum-
ing temporary command, saw, as at Blue
Springs that the little army was In immi.
nent danger of capture and Immediately
made heroic efforts to effect an orderly
retreat 1t was too late. The LIST Tenn
and the 10th Ga, of Carter's Brigade
were composed of men naturally brave
but many of them were lacking in disci
pline. They never fully recovered from
the Generalization that seized them wher
the first guns were fired at Rheatown
Here at Pugh's Hill they again STAN
peded. Would that ! could drop the cur
tain and shut out the whole horrible, in
describable scene! They went like hur
ricane, through fields and over fences, car
rying everything before them. Theil
horse-holders had run away, and horses
riderless and riders horseless ran head
long through GiItner's column of horses
stampeding them before his lines wer.
withdrawn and his men able to mount
The brave men holding Giltners horse.
burriedly threw down the rail fences OF
either side of the road, in order to ge
into the adjacent fields to escape the aw
full maelxtrom OF destruction.
"Old Cerro Gordo," having partially rs