The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-11-23

| | follow with certainty of victory; Hood
 only with apprehension of defeat and dis | ,ster. And ndd Isa,ral Johrston, even | against this judgment, led his little army | against Sherman, a very different account | of the siege of Atlanta couli be written | To even the casual observer, . change in | commanders would have been apparent | The nc st perfect order in the movements | of the army was suddenly changed into liter confusion. cavaIry were hurrying n one direction; artillery. flying in an- Dther; infantry. double ouicking in an- other.
 On the morning of the 10th Hood at- acked Shermans left but our regiment being in reserve was not engaged. Neith- IT side gained any advantage. July End Hood again attacked Sherman's left near Decatur with much greater force. hts )bcjct being to destroy Shermafi's flank ing column This was one of the two great battles of Atlanta. Hood drove back the enemy captured three thousand pris- )ners. but 1t was done at fearful sacr!- | Ice of men: and, as the enemy rccaptured his position, there was no distinct gain to the Confederakes. Our regiment was not engaged. About Il a. m. July 18th, while preparing dinner, we were ordered nto line and moved at quick time to- wards our left, and soon came to the
  The day was intensely hot. without breeze After an hoar of rest, Ye marched up the road and soon came .r hearing of musketry ahead. We tegan tn meet ambulances bringing our voundad and the rattle of musket-y was becoming more distinct. The regiment WAS drawn up in the edge of the wood, fronting an old thrown-out pasture. The enemys po- dtion was a quarter of mile in front al HAx nt a xx,n Ia alnnD the site side of this pasture. The forest was of oak with dense un1ererowth Tn, form of the surfa @ betwsan our regi- u.cnt and the enemy was thus: gradual ,scent l00 yards level 150 yards gradual descent tj0 yards; stssp hill 20 yards; tough, 20 yards wide: ascsat of steep nill 20 yards; level to the enemy's posi- ion 25 yards. The position of the regi- nent where first formed. was excluded from the view of the enemy by the 'n- clined plane in front. The Federals had no artillery until near the close of the
 battle when they brought into action two Parrott guns nearly one-half a mile from
 our right. These did us no harm.
 It was D. m. when the regiment took its position as above described. The first
 thing that attracted our attention was
 Canteys brigade to nur right. on top of
 the hill and under heavy fire. They were
  ing for us. We were ordered forward. Reaching the top of the hill on Cantey's left and now under heavy Are we were ordered to double quick We charged over the level space down the descent and steep hill into the slough. A few in their zeal started up the hill beyond the slough.
 but were ordered back. All were ordered to lie down. Many of our comrades were left dead or wounded behind us. Cantey's hvia dn 0ttF rinht a a wvo
 pected. Two double lines of the enemy stood behind their breastworks in front.
 We waited half an hour for reinforce ments and orders to advance. In the meanwhile the enemy were enfilading our position in the slough, and rapidly kill ing and wounding our men. Reinforce ments never came. and instead of orders to advance we were, after heavy loss. ordered to fall back On this retreat we again charged into the slough, being or- dered as before to halt and lie down. The enemy were now sweeping the slough with a leaden tempest. Men were being killed and wounded faster than on the charge. After another half hour we were ordered to fall back, and were again ex- posed to a fearful fire. Forming again at the same place we charged the third time into the same slough, and the third time were ordered to halt and lie down in this ravine of destruction. Again. after half an hour we were ordered back. Almost completely exhausted By heat and ex- ertion. we could scarcely walk. Many did not attempt 1t; but, resigned to their fate. awaited death or capture. Others, mastering all their strength and courage began the retrograde movement in slow walk back across the open space. The ravine and field were thickly strewn with the dead and wounded of the regiment, among the latter being our commander. Major S. L. Knox.
 relate one incident of the last retreat as Illustrating a common scene after bat tie. We had pa ssed nearly out of danger when saw Lieutenant v. A. Andrews of the Perote Guards fall. No utter-bearer being in sight I. with passing comrade. went to his assistance. The lieutenant was wounded in the ankle. We picked him up and were carrying him from the
 field when he was again struck, the ball this time ranging diagonally through his thigh, and breaking the bone. He turned pale and requested that we lay him down and let him die. We procured q litter, placed him on 1t, and had reached the edge of woods where the regiment first formed. Here, leaning calmly against sapling on the bank of a stream, we came upon Sergeant Bryant Brooks of the same company. There was nothing in his ap- pearance to indicate anything serious. To my question whether he was hurt. he re- piled: "Yes, suppose have my death wound" at the same time placing his hand upon his right breast Requesting a passing comrade to take my place under Andrews's litter. I stopped with Brooks. Having examined his wound, and seeing that the ball had probably passed through his right lung. told him that his condi- tion was indeed serious; then, wishing to say something to cheer him. I added that such wounds were not always fatal. and that he must not give up hope of life. Looking me fulr in the face, ne replied with earnestness and composure, in such a tone that l could not escape some sense of reproach, "I have not the slightest hope of surviving this wound, but you know me well. and ought to know that I am not afraid to die" I replied that l knew he was not afraid to die, but I wished to hope that he would get well. | He was a young man of 21, the picture of vigorous manhood and had married but | recently while at home on a furlough l Not a more heroic death than this was | that of Sergeant Jasper at Savannah. Ga, | during our Revolution. Nor less heroic | than that of Brooks was the death of | hundred or more of the First Alabama's bravest men just up the hill there, and | along It's crest. and in the slough beyond | lon fames eternal camping grounds"
 Tn the meanwhile, evening twilight had | come the firing had ceased. when I se- | cured a little and litter-bearers on which | Sergeant Brooks was gently placed and | borne to the field hospital 300 yards dis | tant, where I procured a cot and imme- |