The National tribune., 1902-02-27


out from the side of the tree and hear
his bullet sing l thought that | ought
to have hit him; / saw him again, and
fired, and missed. Then l carefully con-
sidercd the distance, and concluded that
it was greater than ! had first thought.
| raised the sliding sight to 300 yards,
and fired again at the man, whom L could
now see distinctly. A man dropped or
leaped from the tree, and | saw him no
more; neither did see again the man be-
hind the tree.
We had had losses. Veitch and Craw-
ford had been shot fatally; other men
slightly. The sun was shining hot upon
u.s. The brigade was behind us, waiting
for us to diSlodgc the skirmishers. Sud
denly l heard Capt. Haskelrs voice or
dering us forward Mt double quick. We
ran down the hill into the valley below;
there we found shallow creek with
steep banks covered with briars. We
beet down the briars with our guns. and
scrambled through to the other side of
the creek in time to see the Yankees run
scattering through the woods and away.
We reached their position and rested while
the brigade found crossing and formed
again in our rear. | searched for n wound
ed man at the foot of Il tree. but found
none; yet | felt sure that / had fired over
my man and had knocked another out
from the tree above him.
We dhN bh''h dShlii, anu uhh a iu'ii'ii =
fight for an hour or more. At length no
Yankees were TO be seen; doubtless they
had completed the Withdrawing of their
OutpoSts, and we were not to find them
again until we should strike their main
lines.
Now we advanced for long distance;
trcOpS-nO doubt Jackson's-could be seen
at intervals marching rapidly on our left,
marching forward and yet at distance
from our own line. We reached an Gle
waited clearing, and halted. The brigade
came up, and we returned to our position
in the line of batte-On the left of the
1St. 1t was about 3 o'clock; to the right,
far away, we could hear the pounding of
artillery, while to the southeast. some
where near the center of Lees lines. on
the other side of the ChickahOminy. per-
haps, the noise of battle rose and fell.
Shells from our front came among us. A
battery-Crenshaw haws-galloped headlong
into position on the right of the brigade,
and began firing. The line of infantry
hueged the ground.
Three hundred yards in front the sur
face sIoped downward to a hollow; the
slope and the hollow were covered with
forest; what was on the hill beyond we
could not see, but the Yankee batteries
were there and at work. A caisson of
| Crenshaw's exploded. Troops were COM
ing into line far to our right.
tTp0. trEeBE OTutTtu HIS DElBUut lbl
ward. We marched down the wooded
slope Crenshaw firing over our heads. We
marched across the wooded hollow and
began to ascend the slope of the opposite
hill still in the woods.
The advance through the trees had
scattered the line; we halted and re-
formed. The pattering Of bullets among
the leaves was distinct; shells shrieket
over us: we lay down in line. Between
tho frurIl-C Of tho fTppS cDult omen
ground in front; it was thick with men
firing into lis in the woods. Those in our
'front.' were Nouaves, with big, baggy, red
breeches We began to fire kneeling.
Leaves fell from branches above us, and
branches fell. cut down by artillery. But
Ter. of our company. lying at my right
| hand, gave n howl of pain: his head was
hathed in blood Lieut.. Rhett was dead.
Rice, at my left. had found whisky in the
Yankee camp. He had drunk the whisky.
He raised himself. took long aim. and
fired; lowered his gun, but not his body,
gazing to see the effect, and yelled, BY
God. missed him. Mckenzie was shot.
Lieut. Barnwell was shot. The red-legged
men We're there and thicker Our color
went down, and rose We had gone into
| battle with two colorS-the blue regimen
tai State flag and the batte-flaG Of the
Confederate infantry. Lieut.-COl. Smith
had fallen.
A lulI came. l heard the shrill voice
of Gregg:
-a-a-de--Attentionr
"Fi-i-i-x-Bayonetsr
"For-w-a-r-d"- the next | knew
men We're dropping down all around me,
and we We're advancing. But only for n
minute did we 90 forward. From front
and left came n tempest of lead; again
the colors-both-fel and all the color
guard The Colonel raised the cOlors. We
| Ill nn1.. thn ,atpn
through the woods became disorder.
On the top of our hill | could see but
few men whom knew-only six, but one
of the six was Haskell. The enemy had
not advanced, but shell and shot yet raked
the hill. Crenshaw's Battery was again
in full action. We hunted our regiment
and failed to find it. Some regiment-the
Both n. C.-was advancing on our right.
Capt. Haskell and his six men joined this
regiment, placing themselves on its left.
The Both went forward through the woods
reached the Open-and charged.
The regiment charged boldly; forward
straight it went, no man seeing whittier,
every man with his mouth stretched wide
and his voice at its worst.
Suddenly. down to the ground fell every
man; the line had found sunken road,
and the temptation was too great-down
into the friendly road we fell, and lay
with bodies fiat and faces in the dust.
The officers waved their swords; they
threatened the men; the men calmly looked
at their officers.
A man on a great horse rode up and
down the line urging, gesticulating. He
got near to Haskell
"Who are you?" shouted our Captain.
Capt. BlOunt-Quartermast 4th n.
c."
I'VE will follow your' shouted Haskell.
Blount rode on his great horse-he rode
| to the center of the 30th-he stopped he
seized the colOI-he lifted the battle-flag
| high in the air-he turned his great horse
he rode up the hill.
Then those men lying i'll the sunken
road sprang to their feet, and followed
| their flag fluttering in front, and made the
world hideous with yells.
And the red flag went down-and
Blount was dcad-and the great horse
was lying on his side and kicking the air
and the hill was gained.
The Both was disOrganiZed by its ad-
vance. Another North Carolina regiment
came from the right rear. Haskell and
his six men were yet unbroken; they
Joined the advancing regiment, keeping on
its left, and charged with it for another
position Believe it or not, the same thing
occurred; the regiment charged well; from
the smoke in front death came out upon
it fast; a sunken road was to be crossed,
and was not crossed; down the men all
went to save their lives.
And the officers waved their swords,
and the men remained in the road.