The National tribune., 1903-10-01
HOLD THE FORT.


Hold the Fort" have inspiration for those
who took part in the desperate battle OF
Allatoona, Ga, Oct. 5. 1864.
Several writers have given to the pub.
lie the versions Of this battle, and the
half has not been told. The writer was
on duty at Allatoona the day Of this IA
nous battle. with Lieut.. o. G. Ayers, A.
Q. NJ. Of Rowletts Brigade Of Gen
Corses command.
Ayers fell early in the engagement when
the Confederates made their first desperate
and determined advance on that part OF
the Federal lines held by a part of three
regiments Of Rowlett's forces, the 39th
Iowa, 7th and 18th Ill. These troops
for two and onshalf hours contended
against and held in check the charging col
umns of the Confederate brigades of Cock
rell's Missourians and Young's North Car
olinians and Texans. While the work of
arranging the line of battle on the west
ridge was in progress, the Confederate
Gen. Sears moved a force around to the
north, completely enveloping the place.
This done Gen. French demanded Of Gen.
Corse the surrender of the Federal forces
stationed at Allatoona.
Standing near headquarters in the field.
l saw Corse write his reply to Gen.
French's summons for surrender. A. Q.
NJ. Ayers carried this answer to the enc
my, who were in waiting at our picket
line. The FIVE minutes French gave for
deiiberation and reply had more than ex-
pired. The enemy were advancing rapidly
before Ayers reached our outer works on
his return. En- route Ayers passed the
Both Iowa, part of whom were on a
ridge, and two companies OK and e. part
ly entrenched. went to this regiment,
Of which l was an enlisted member, and
there awaited Ayers's return.
The 50th ILL.,, which was at the redoubt
east of the cut, were brought over to the
west ridge just as the Both Iowa, It'll and
18th Ill. were being overlapped ny the Con-
federate forces. At this juncture every
thing looked dark for the Federals OH this
part of our line. The Confederates were
overwhelming. and but few men of Cos. X
and i, of the Both Iowa, succeeded in
reaching the redoubt on this part of the
Federal line: the rest of these companies
were either killed, wounded or captured.
The enemy paid dearly for his attack
rs there were more Confederate dead on
this rart of the field than we had men en-
gagged The 39th Iowa and 9TH and 18th
Ill. were the heaviest losers on the Ma
:ional side. The enemy had numerous bat
teries on ridges commanding the works Of
Allatoona Pass, which played upon our
lines with great severity. and our loss con-
sequently was heavy. The 18th Wis. Bat
terry of six guns was all the artillery our
forces had. and did excellent work.
Brisk firing and very hard fighting con-
tinued from about 8 o'clock in the morning
until about in the afternoon. when the
enemy withdrew. We supposed it was but
to prepare for another charge; but they
left the field, their batteries being with
drawn. and it was evident to us that the
fight was over. Troops from near Kene-
NJ t1sr
cue. which caused the Confederates to
raise the siege.
The valor Of the enemy was sublime.
and they were resisted with equal daring
From the commencement of the Atlanta
until the arrival at Kingston
and Rome, Ga, l had been with my
company. While Sherman was forcing
Johnston from Dalton, Resaca and other
points on the march to Atlanta, the Both
Iowa was in several battles warmly con-
tested on both sides: but compared with
the battle of Allatoona they were Skin
mshes. This, for the numbers engaged,
was the battle most destructive of life
in the civil war. The explosion of shell
and the musketry IRE in and around the
works was incessant during the entire en-
gagement. Seventeen hundred men, but
partly entrenched, were in deadly combat
with 6,000 determined enemy against
them.
After failing to capture the garrison
and supplies at this place. an effort was
made to destroy these supplies. A Con-
federate Colonel, with lighted torch, was
within few feet of the store house when
killed by shot by a guard. But for this
timely shot the large accumulation of sup
plies stored there would have been con-
sumed by flames.
After the battle the enemy surrendered
his wounded and was allowed upon the
ground to care for his wounded and bury
his dead; and our field hospital and that
of the enemy were therefore not distant
one from the other.
An incident in these attracted no little
attention: Confederate physician dis
covered that they had a woman in their
hospital who belonged to the 4th Mo. She
had been wounded in the thigh, necessitat-
ing amputation. This fact soon became
known to our troops, and all were anxious
to see her. Dressed in Confederate uni
form with shingled hair she was of mas
culine appearance.
There seems to be now and then some
misunderstanding with correspondents of
The National Tribune with reference to
the time COrse reached Allatoona with
his reinforcements. Upon this point think
am clear, as it was about dark on the
aboard the cars at Rome and the train was
delayed several hours TO enable construc-
ton crew to remove wreck train from the
railroad between Rome and Kingston, Ga,
and did not reach Allatoona until after 2
o'clock on the morning of the 9TH. The
fth of October was devoted to burying the
dead and caring for wounded. The rail-
road track Immediately north of Alatoona
was destroyed by the enemy. and it was
not earlier than Oct. that the Union
forces started to return to Rome. Another
reason l have for remembering so dis
tinctly is that the commanding officer at
Allatoona put me in charge of the commits
stoned officers Of the 39th Iowa who lost
their lives in this battle, of whom there
were five. My purpose was to get these
bodies back to Rome, but on account of the
bridge over the river at Gainesville being
by heavy rains. l was compelled
TO leave the bodies ut that place, turning
them over to the Post Chaplain there. /
went on with the wounded to Rome the
day following, and shortly afterwards was
sent North in charge of property of the
Quarterma ster's Department. that could
not be carried on the march to the sea-
After leaving Rome with the train of cars
this baggage, l did not again
see the 39th Iowa or any Of that portion
IF Sherman's army until l met it in
Washington sometime in May, 1S65.-E.
STARBUCK, Glenwood, Iowa.
Ricketts's Battery Reunion.
Survivors Of Batteries + and G., LIST Pa.
Battery-held the 1903
Reunion at Gettysburg, where the battery