Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-01-20
BY e. A. SILVER,
Co. c, End Battalion Ga. Vols,
Wrlght's Brigade, A. N. v.

E4,s..eS .IFsS.ss';':F's !
were making all the time possible toward
/ the river accelerated by the vengeful
| Confederates in their rear. AS they passed
| US. FINLEY and ! mad a few more shots
! at them, and as the Mississippi boys came
up, a big strapping fellow called out,
! Bang Il, boys, but amt we making them
I think ITS Christmas, though Intent and
| absorbed ina what was Transporting around
me, had not noticed until the racket was
about over that the Federal batteries
| across the river were raking the woods
| we were in with grape and she'll Ihat
4 Federal brigade was well nigh destroyed.
4 Those who survived the attack in the ra-
| vine were either shot or taken in their
race to the river, or drowned after they
! entered it, My recollection OF the spoil
| was, three stands of colors, LOO prisoners,
] besides the killed and wounded, with their
| entire outfit in guns and equipment. 1t Is
| my recollection they were from New Jer-
! sey end every mothers son Of them were
| as drunk as lords, at least those were
I which l saw as prisoners. English and
Keith came into the line just before this
! fight, not having been killed or taken as
/ supposed, being out in front sharpshoot-
| ing when their company fell back. 1t was
4 now dark We were relieved by the Fcrty-
/ eighth Georgia and ordered back to the
/ main line. Some rain had fallen, the
/
that ravine were hard to climb in daylight,
the intense darkness further complicated
! the difficulty of locomotion. The men
Slipped and slid aud fell, and / believe
some of them said words which our good
| chaplain mad he have been there would
| nave rebuked them for. But the provoca-
| ton was great. After many trfbulations,
and sore in every muscle, we finally
reached our brigade and slept that night
the sleep of the just,
The next DAY there was some additional
/ fighting on the skirInish line, considerable
/ cannon firing at the main line and of
/ course the average number of casualties.
/ The 9th dawned fair and quiet. Grant had
! evidently reconsidered his intention of
getting to Richmond by the North Anna
\ line. In the afternoon we pulled out and
4 taking the road to the PamunKy found
/ the cavalry under Hampton, drawn up to
| receive an attack, but after monkeying
around until nearly sun down, no attack
came, and we were marched down about
| three miles and went into some works
which we were told were built by La
1 Fayette, as a protection against the at
tack of Simcoe and .Tarlton In their eff
| forts to capture Richmond during the rev.
olutionary war. On the next day Grant
1 Carter and I were sent out on outpost
| duty.
Not being relieved the next day, we re-
we had sent numerous messages to the
rear, no relief came. On the night of the
! second day addressed a note by a pass
! ing ranger to any commanding officer he
| should find back at the lines, explaining
the situation, asking relief, and If not
/ given by o'clock we would march back
/ to our command and leave his front I'M
| picketed. This had the desired effect, for
I by that hour an officer in charge of a
/ squad of men was heard coming up the
\ road. Hunting him, we gave him such in
/ formation as we were possessed of in re-
| gard to the location of the enemys posts,
/ etc, and retired to our lines. On getting
to where we had left the brigade we
found a North Carolina brigade in the
/ place they had occupied, with no knowl-
| edge of where they had gone. After wan
| dering down the lines till near midnight
without news of the brigade, we spread
| our blankets and went to sleep. AT day
| light we resumed our tramp and found
| ourselves behind the lines of Breckin-
/ ridges division, lately moved down from
western Virginia. They evidently knew
very little about soldering. for we were
continually annoyed and delayed by their
rear patrols hating us until patience was
/ pretty near exhausted. Toward midday OF
| January LIST we succeeded in finding our
| command near Mechanicsville. then on
/ the march to Cold Harbor, the patering
| fire of whose opening guns was heraldng
/ the opening Of one of the most sanguina-
| ~ battles of the war. The lineup of Fed
! erals determined to force their way to
Richmond. and that of the Cohfederates
little more determined that they should
not. forms one Of the most interesting
/ chapters in campaign so full of interest
ing, sad and gloomy but glorious memo
ries. During the afternoon and night of
! June LIST Meade. under Grants orders,
was massing his best troops in large
| force; some estimates put II as high as
| 6O,oOO, closed in column by division front
| upon the plateau overlooking the Chicka-
hominy, above the grapevine bridge, the
scene of Longstreets glorious victory
over Porter in 1862. Promptly at daylight
this mass Of infantry in blue advanced
confidently to assault the Confederate
| lines. ] say confidently, because their
numbers were so overwhelming, the force
/ IN their front so inferior victory seemed
| assured. Hurrahing as they came, calling
out, You id rebels come out of them
| works. They reached to within forty
yards before a gun was fired Then from
| the muzzles of the guns of Hith and PEN
| der, Fields and Kershaw a sheet of flame
| withered the moving mass, They hesitat-
! ed, wavered. broke and fed. Time and
again they advanced to be slaughtered as
! at first. The brigade of Wright. which had
been touching the left of the line. was to-
ward o'clock drawn back and moved
| further TO the right, as it was evident
| that here the principal effort was being
made. Pressing in the rear of the ground
held by Kershaw and Fields we were COM
PEELED to submit to a terrific fire from the
enemy's batteries, which well posted and
pitted, overlooking our first and second
| line Of defense, overshot them and came
with full force among us.
While awaiting orders of assignment in
this position, the enemy on our right
front assaulted the brigade of Clingman
composed Of North Carolinians, forced
them out of their trenches and on a rap
Id run to the rear. Wright's brigade was
ordered in to retake the works. but Col
quit. who occupied the second line, af-
ter trying in vain to stop the run of
! Clingman's runaways, ordered the Twen-
ty-seventh and Twenty-eighth Georgia
regiments in TO retake the works.
In five minutes time they had accom-
| plished this, driving the Federals out and
carpeting the earth with dead and wound
| ed Federals. Wright then occupied the
second line and I'm moving in among the
| other losses, Lieut.. Col. Emory RyIander
was killed
The Federals were in a manner success
/ full I'm their assault on the position of
| Breckenridge. some half mile to our right
| near what is known as Turkey Ridge
| With his division occupying q summit on
| open ground. he was assailed in heavy
| force, his mountaineers, like the noble
red men. being used to nothing larger
than sorrfrrel rifle co1tId not stand the