Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-10-13

Whatever it might be. he did not clear the
road before $3.50 a. m. Then Hunters ana
Hointzelmar's divisions moved out ana py
the right flank marched to the battleneid'
The writer was marching with Helntzel-
man. He was Eliminating about the COM
ing Battle. Beyond that little stream that
we were soon to cross a little army was
waiting for us to give battle. over its reg
iments fiuttered a little flag, made up OF
stars and bars, demanding of "Old Glory
only equality and independence. The prop
osition seems fair enough. Why can we
not abide in this fair land as loving broth
ers and under two flags? Would 1t not
still remain a great national union?
Would any hostile power dare to put foot
upon our sacred soil? Would our interests
not be mutual7
"Alas, we had been friends in youth;
But whispering tongues can poison truth,
And consistency lives in realms above,
And life is thorny and youth is vain,
And, to be wroth with one we love
Doth work like madness on the BRAIN"
-Coleridge's Cristobal.
AS we were marching to the front some
regiments were marching in the opposite
direction, their time having expired (three
months mem That was discouraging to
those whose time also would soon expire.
The march was slow, and the writer NOV
ed up along the TANKS. AS the head Of
Hunters division crossed the ford he
crossed with it. Burnside's brigade being
the head of the column, marched by the
! left flank and headed directly south Tor
the stone ridge Time, about $3.50 a. m.
We had not gone far before battery
posted on a piece of high ground dis
covered our approach. and with terrific
roar gave us no reason to think that 1t
| did not mean business. Burnside swung
| into battle line as he marched and threw
| out skirmishers. Other regiments came up
| to the support Of Burnside. Then line
| of battle on the hill sent in one volley
and the battle was on. 1t was Evans who
| opened the battle. Hunters whole divis-
| ion was joining in. General Hunter was
| leading Burnsides brigade, and was car
ried back wounded. The union line still
advanced. Griffln's and Ricketts, batter
| les had come into action. The atmosphere
/ was a bowling wilderness, and its timber
is iron and lead. Burnside falls back; Por-
| ter takes his place; General Jackson has
come to Beauregard's support; Bees brig
| ade is sent to the support of Evans, and
| the battle RACES with awful fury.
The wounded were coming to the rear
| by the hundreds, and the Confederates
| were driven across Young's branch. 1 was
| standing in the midst of group of woun-
ded and fair sprinkling of unwounded
/ ran away, seemingly in comparatively
safe place, but the watchful eye of Con-
federate cannoneer penetrated our haven
| of safety and sent shell in that explod-
| ed within 20 feet of us, cutting one poor
fellow in two, wounding five OF six 9TH
ers, tearing away my haversack and the
left pocket Of my jacket, with the ex-
clamation. MY God. this is awful" and
"Swifter than any deer, bounded to the
rear,
Filled with shame and mortal fear"
Heintzelman's division was advancing at
! swift pace, coming in on Hunters right,
| Wncox's brigade in the lead composed Of
the Eleventh New York Fire Zouaves
Thirty-eighth New York. First and Sec
1 ond Michigan and Second u. s. artillery
| The writer followed this brigade into ac-
ton, 1t was my only alternative; If
should need protection from the Black
| Horse cavalry which was prone at any
moment to sweep the rear. had no par
| ticular dread Of infantry. but an eternal
one of man on horse, with sword and
| pistol. sos
The Thirty-eigl1th New York and Fire
Zouaves deployed into line advanced
across Young's branch; drove the enemy
before them and charged the Henry House
1 Hill. The First Michigan charged further
| to their right Ricketts, and Griff1ns bat
/ teries advanced and opened furiously on
/ the Confederate masses on the Henry
House HILL The Thirty-eighth New York
in its first charge gained the Warrenton
L
road crosses II. The First Michigan and
the Fire zouaves were acros it with their
backs to the west supporting the batter
| les. Our two divisions are now in action
| Ia perfect tempest loaded with lead and
iron sweeps both hin and valley The tide
of battle GIBBS and flows, the bridge is
cleared but no Tyler appears: Black
/ burns ford was sufficient for him; Sher-
| man and his bummers cross the run north
of the bridge, charged up the hill and
| Immediately returned and got out of ac-
| ton. Colonel Wilcox was wounded and
| made prisoner; a Confederate regiment
in Federal uniform advanced almost up
to one Of our batteries poured a wtther-
ing volley into 1t and horses and gunners
| were no more, Chat was Ricketts, bat
| tery). Griffin met almost the same fate
The First Michigan charged Confederate
battery four times and were as many
| times repulsed. The Zouaves charged and
were cut to pieces. The ponderous Blue
Line moves slowly, shaped like forked
lightning
The Confederates are pushed back like
swarm of bees before a tornado, but
| they gather strength and increase in
numbers as they go, only to return and
stick and stab and sting and throw their
! fiery darts, and yell more loud and hor-
| rid than Millions hideous Lump that
| posed as hellgate guard. Along the Henry
| house plateau were the brigades of Evans
Holmes, Cooke, Kirby Smith, Bee and
Barlow, at least fragments of them, from
| around their common center (Stonewall
| Jackson). BY simultaneous charges they
swept the earth from Bald Hill, west and
! northward, and eastward to the Sudly and
| Brentville road, which ran north and
south, flying jim every direction that
led across Bull Run. The Union army
| went for safety, and the Confederate
army had won its first great victory. Old
Glory's defenders met their first defeat.
They had stood to their work nobly, but
that day they were no match for the de-
tenders Of the stars and bars. AS the First
Michigan entered into a double quick for
the pike I was a considerable distance
in the rear. I made rush through a
clump of bushes to catch up and lost my
cap. The shells were bursting around me
so promiscuously that / left it and picked
up a nice Confederate cap a short distance
beyond Young's branch.
1t was not much darker and of the
same shape as my own. 1 had found a
very safe place from where I could see
the battle and in full view of the First
Michigan, but when our army retreated /
had to break cover and take the lead; a
coward who had not been in the fight,
poked his head from behind a stump,
pointing his gun at me, commanded me
to halt and take off that id rebel cap.
threw 1t at him and 1 presume he kept
1t as a relic for his people of a rebel that