The National tribune., 1902-03-06
WHO GOES THERE?
tCautfnuel from, frat ,x,UaA
Continued from first

CONTINUED from first page)
man lay behind the best tree he could get
the trees had become more plentiful. We
fired lying, kneeing, standing, sometimes
| running: but the line held. If we haG
I had but the smallest brCaStwork but W,
had none.
In the afternoon the Federals tried more
| than once to throw Il force around on!
left-thrOugh the open field: but each
time they were driven back by our oh
lique fire, helped by a battery which We
could not see, somewhere in our rear.
now suppose that before this time Long
street had formed oh .Iackson'S right; the
sounds of great fighting came from the
east and southeast.
| We had resisted long enough. Our cart
ridges were gone, although our boxes had
more than once been replcnished, and we
| had used up the cartridges of our wound
| ed and dead.
Just before the sun went down the
woods suddenly became alive with Yam
KEGS. y deafening volley was poured
upon our weakened ranks-no longer
ranks. but mere clusters of men-but the
shots went high: before the smoke lifted
the blue men were upon us; they had not
waited TO reload.
Many of our men had not a cartridge.
bUt the enemy We're so near that every
shct told.
Their line is thinned they come still,
but i'll disconnected groups; they are al
most i'll our midst; straight toward me
comes towering man-hiS sleeves show
the stripes of Sergeant. His great form
ana his long red hair are not more con-
spicuOus than the yiGOr of his bearing. He
makes no pause. He strikes right and
left. Men fall away from him. Our
group is scattering, some to gain time to
load, others in flight. The great Sergeant
rushesi toward me; his gun rises again in
his mighty hands, and the blow descends.
l slip aside; the force of the blow almost
carries him to the ground, but he recOy-
ers: he comes again; again he swings his
gun back over his shoulder his eyes fixed
upon my head where he will strike. |
raise my gun above my head-at the par
ry. Suddenly his expression yields-a look
as if of astoniShment succeeds to fixed
dCtcrminatiOn-and at the same instant
his cOuntenance passes through an indie
scribable change as the blood spouts from
his forehead and he falls lifeless at my
feet, slain by shot from my rear.*
Confusion is everywhere. Ones, twos,
grcups, are beginning to flee from either
side. Here and there a small body of
men yet hold fast and fight. The shout
ing is more than the firing. AT my right
l see our flag, and near it flag of the
Federals.
In a moment comes a new line Of the
enemy: our ranks-what is left of them
must yield. We begin TO run. / hear
1st-cry out. Jones, for Gods sake.
stcpw ] turn. A few have rallied and
are bringing out the flag. Our line is
gOne-brGken-and .IacksOn's left is
crumbling away. Defeat is herein a
hamdbreadth Of us-and POpe's star will
shine the brightest over America; but now
from oar rear a Confederate yell rises high
and shrill through the bullet-scarred for
est, and fresh brigade advances to the
charge, relieves the vanquished troops Of
Gregg. and rolls far back the Federal
tide of war. 1t was none too soon.
Or the morning of Aug. 30 81 men had
answered rOll-call in Co. ii. On the morn
ing of the Both but 13 responded; we had
lost none as prisoners.
The goth was Saturday. The division
was TO have remained in reserve. We
were yet lying in the woods some hun
dreds of yards in the rear of our position
of the 29th, and details were burying our
dead, when we were ordered to form. We
marched some distance to the left. \ low
meadow was in our front,
with a rail fence at the woods about 800
yards from us. Bullets came among us
from the fence at the woods, toward
which we were marching in columns Of
fours, right in front. I heard the order
from Maj. McCrady-"B "Battalion--by
and Haskell repeated-"Co.
H"'-then McCrady-"On the rightly
file-into line-Marchr This manuver
brought the regiment into column Of com
panies still marching in its former direc
ton, Co. III being the rear of all.
Again | heard McCrady- Battalion
by companiesw and Haskell again-"Co.
H." then McCrady - Left - half
wheel" and Haskel-"Left wheelr'-
Ihen McCrady-"Forward into line" and
both voices-"Double-qu -quick-March,
1t was a beautiful manuver. performed |
as it was under close fire and by men |
battle-sick and void of vanity. The re- !
spcCtive companies executed simultaneous |
y their work, and as their graduated dis |
-ances demanded, rushed forward, with |
1 speed constantly increasing toward the |
eft company, Co. III, which wheeled and |
ran 10 place, forming at the fence from
which the enemy fled. We lost Maj. Nc |
Grady, who fell severely wounded.
For the remainder of that bloody day |
.hc 1st was not engaged. We heard the |
great battle between Lee and Pope, but |
ooli no further part.
On Sept. J., as night was falling, we
were lying under fire. in storm OF rain, !
IN the battle Of Ok Hill. or Chantil!y. as
he Yankees call it, The regiment did |
not become engaged.
The campaign of eight days was over |