Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-01-27

Editor Journal: I notice that d. I. Wal
den writes in The Journal that on the
night before the battle of Knoxville the
Tenth Georgia regiment was selected to
make the preliminary advance.
But the Tenth Georgia was not the only
regiment in that advance. do not re-
member and cannot say how much Of the
Twentieth Georgia regiment was employ
ed in driving in the enemy's pickets that
night but know that company H, of the
Twentieth, was engaged, as I was with
them at the time. Furthermore remem-
Der that we were assigned to the most in
teresting point of the whole proceedings
exactly in front of the key of the enemy's
position, and from this fact our expert
ence that night differed somewhat from
that given by Mr.. Walden
Fort Saunders was the key to the enc
my's position and that is where Long
street made the attack. If he had sue
ceeded in carrying Fort Saunders the bal
ance of the enemy's works. would have
been at his mercy.
1t was a large and strongly built fort,
situated on the top of great bald hill.
As the enemy's pickets retired we slowly
advanced in the darkness, in skirmish
line, until we came within few yards OF
the great walls of the fort, perhaps about
seventy-five yards. There we busted our
selves the balance of the night digging
rife pits in front of the fort So, while
Mr.. Walden and the Tenth Georgia were
shivering in the cold we were keeping
ourselves warm at work with pick and
spade. We barely had time to finish our
rife pits before daylight. But We finished
them In time, and were safe in them when
open daylight exposed our exact position
to the enemy Our business was to sharp
shoot into the port holes of the fort as
soon as it became light enough TO see
them, so as to. prevent the arullerymeh
from firing on our line Of battle as 1t ad-
vanced to the attack. We performed TINS
duty successfully, for they did not fire
on our advancing line Of battle until after
IL had passed over us. Then OF course we
had to cease sharp shooting when our
own men were between US and the enemy.
They had their great guns ready loaded
with grape and canister, and when our
line of battle came within about seventy
five yards of the fort they let every can
non go at once At the same time their
infantry placed their rifles on top OF the
works. firing on our men without expos
ing any part of their own bodies except
their fingers, for they had previously
taken the precaution to so level or slant
the top Of the wall of the fort that when
their rifles were laid on 1t they Woulu
point exactly to our advancing column.
They probably did more damage in this
way than If the enemy had stood up in
the ordinary way and nervously fired at
us. But If they had known 1t, our men
had unloaded guns. They meant TO take
the fort. If they took It at all, with cold
STEEL
Notwithstanding the murdepous FIRE so
suddenly let loose on them, ourfmen CON
tinued to advance until they came TO the
walls of the fort. Not quite to the walls
either. for they found a deep and wide
canal all along in front of the fort that
could not be crossed. They fingered at
the edge of the canal helplessly few
moments and retired in haste out OF the
trap of death, leaving many OF their brave
comrades lying dead and wounded De-
tween our line Of rife pits and the fort
Without having fired a gun. Nor had they
ANYTHING to shoot at II their guns had
been loaded, except the bare walls OF the
great fort.
General Burnside at once offered truce
which was accepted, and the enemy came
out of the fort in great numbers ana as
sisted with great kindness in caring for
our wounded.
They did not claim the wounded as their
prisoners. Neither side could claim the
battle ground, for we still held our r1ne
pits, and they the fort, and the wounded
on the battle ground were between us. IL
they had attempted to rush over US, two
of our batteries, one to the right ana the
other on the left, would nave severely
punished them.
When the truce was proclaimed and they
showed their numbers, we found they
had two defending the fort TO our one
attacking it. The battle YVES fought about
sunrise, maybe a little before; 1t only
lasted two or three minutes, and there
was no more firing all that day. We could
have easily taken any other part OF their
works. but we could not have neld them
while they held Fort Saunders.
Longstreet had Burnside and his ar
nv shut up in Knoxville; also old Par
son Brownlow. The Confederates particu-
larry wanted to get Brownlow. The plan
was to starve them into submission, and
we would doubtless have succeeded II the
genius OF General Grant had not broken
up our arrangements. When he got things
ready, he not only broke our connection
or communication with General Bragg's
army near Chattanooga, but he tore
Bragg's army 10 pieces and started a
force to the relief of Burnside at Knox
Vile This force was coming up behind
us on the same route we went to Knox
WILLIE II Burnside would surrender be-
fore this new force would arrive, then
we could hold our ground against it; but
If we would remain there waiting on
Burnside to surrender until this relief
force would arrive, then we would be be-
tween the two armies and would have to
surrender ourselves. This relief force
would arrive before Burnside would
have time to starve; and Longstreet was
probably ashamed to hasten away with