The National tribune., 1902-06-12

upon 1t, drIylnS 1t back IN confusion, anu
in following it up the 9th charged upon
and captured one of the guns of the
enemy which they were stealthily trying
to push unobserved closer up to our line
| in order that thus it might be made the
more effective. This gun the 9TH Ohio
carried back in triumph, amidst the
cheers of our men, who had witnessed its
capture, and who now gave that gun and
| its captors most enthusiastic reception
| us they returned with it.
In the meanwhile the enemy were pre-
pairing a surprise and harvest of death
for us at the left of our line. While our
| attention had been directed toward our
right, and we were being highly elated
| with our success there, Gen. Dick Taylor
had been arranging to assault the battery
at the coal pit and turn our flank there,
which done and held would have cut off
our forces upon our right from retreat
upon the road upon which they had
| reached that place. During this time our
guns at the coal pit had been directing
| their fire at the enemy out in the open
| space, and in reply to the batteries Of
Jackson placed near the river bank.
| While these scenes and these struggles
were taking place a part of Dick Taylor $
| infantry were stealthily climbing along the
side of that ridge to attain 4 position at
close range just above the heads OF our
artillerymen, when they We're to open fire,
| shooting down our men aud horses, thus
rendering that battery helpless. The main
body of Dick Taylors Brigade was mass
ed behind projecting spur in our direct
front, and where they We're hidden from
our view, awaiting to hear the voley and
cheers of the detachment that We're 10
open upon our doomed artilIerymen.
| These arrangements having been COM
pleted by the Confederates, their forces
upon that mountain side, without a mo-
mentS warning to us, opened with most
| furious and destructive IRE upon our bat
| terry, killing most of the horses standing
in their names at the limbers and many of
our gunners at their pieces. This was
the signal that Gen. Dick Taylor had
been waiting for at his place of conceal
ment behind spur of the ridge in our
direct front. and at once his column
wheeled out therefrom, and at charge on
the run direct for our battery they came
and carried il at once as there were no
artillerymen to make resistance, these hay
ing been almost instantly killed or wound
ed by the fire of the hidden enemy in the
woods above them, or been driven away
by the main rush of Taylor's infantry
which almost instantly followed, and the
battery was theirs.
just before Taylor made his charge the
Goth Ohio had been assigned to the de,
Tense Of that battery, and accordingly
formed line just in rear. Col. Candy, Ad-
jutant Guynne and Quartermaster Brand
who We're mounted, took a position in q
shallow depression just in rear Of the
line, and encouraged the men throughout
the tight to the utmost of their power
AS / had lost my horse, he having broken
away when short time before, l had
been ordered upon the side of the ridge
but when ordered down / found him gone
so joined the regiment on foot, as it wen,
into place in line in the rear OF those
guns. The disposition Of these forces
was as follows:
4 In the front line were the seven guns
numbered and in action, then firing n,
the Confederate batteries in the direction
of the bridge. Just behind these guns
; were their limbers, with the horses at.
tached, and just back of these stood the
) Goth in line as their support.
When the Confederates attacked the
battery the 66th courageously stood to their
position, and instantly returned this fire
as best they could, firing at an enemy al
most entirely hidden from view and shell
tered by rocks and trees. At this mo.
ment, to add to our discontinue, two
of the limbers, with horses attached, came
madly rushing through our line in an
effort to escape, knocking down and in,
juring several of our men and breaking
our line at those points. 1t was certainly
II iTiSHtIui scene as tnOSe mlddened
horses rushed through dragging their lin.
bers after them. With these also came
some of our artillerymen who thus far had
, escaped the fire of their hidden foe, as il
was certain death to have remained al
the battery, and where they then could
J have done little il any good. I will never
forget the terror and frantic appearance
Of these poor fellows, some with hats of
and hair disheveled, as they thus passed
through the line of our regiment, shouting
and gesticulating.
Some Of these artillerymen stopped nj
; the line Of our regiment and returned with
! US when We in turn charged and retooh
those guns. Added to this terrible situa
ton for US, Gen. Dick Taylor moved out
from behind the spur Of the ridge where
sheltered and unobservad by us he was
waiting for his time to charge, and the
exact moment and the right conditions fol
him had arrived, and out he came, moving
at run right up the road in our direct
front to carry our battery. And at such
! critical time this was silent and unman
ned as the gunners had been shot down
driven aTnv In vann.op<sc A..