The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-01-29
AN UNSUCCESSFUL chARGE.
Heavy Losses Sustained by thMa2sd Ind. O
80, a., knz q 186A Yiiu

fGns ,sto Aug. 6, 1854. yln
EDITOR NATIONAL THlBtfE: In the
issue of Dec. 1S, under CLIFTON. 1.-THE
Western Army; necollec.iolts7of the Bat
ties of Aug 6, 1864" by C8bt. Colcord,
Co. X, Il2th ILL.,. the statspdtnt is made
by Capt. Colcord that his bsiSSade was on
the extreme right. We ohsyl know that
remember correctly, we theTi belonged to
the Second Brigade, Setofa1 Division.
Twenty-third Corps. l know nearly all
our division was on our left..,,W who was on
the right l know not, for the timber was
SO thick we could not see. 4 think Col.
Swayne was in command of our division
that day. We were ordered to fall in
about o'clock; marched ahout three-quar-
tiers of mile west on the SaniltOwn road,
where we piled our pOnchOs and blankets.
We formed in line of battle on the south
side of the road in thick woods, through
which we moved about n mile. Just as
We came out We We're ordered to double
quick and cheer. We We're then just
three-quarters of a mile from rebel rifle
pits. This was just the thing to wake
up the JOhnnies and give them Il good
chance to pour the minie balls into us as
we went over the logs and brush pell-mell,
and on down n long slope to little creek.
There we halted a minute to load, but
found we were being enfiladed, so crossed
the creek and went part way up the bluff
to an old fencerow. There we We're or
dered to lay down, so we would be out
of sight Of the enemy. By that time the
entire valley and hillsides We're so thick
with powder smoke, we could not see who
was before or behind us. While at this
fencerow we heard terrific crash Of car
bines to our right. We afterwards learned
it was the 9Th Ky. Cav, which had
flanked the rebels. 1t proved to be a good
thing fn, nc yvo found ont whom ,yp
charged up to the top of he hill to the
rebel rifle pits, which were made of rails
and bush, banked with dirt. They had
skipped out across a field to a thick wood.
where they kept pecking away at us until
dark.
Just back Of the line of pits were a
dwelling house, stables, cribs and sheds.
Our company (A), tore down the cribs to
use in making our breastwOrks. AS us
ual, after battle, it began to rain, and
kept up until about 10 o'clock that night.
About Z o'clock our regiment received an
order to move back to the camp we had
left that day. 1t was as dark as pitch,
and we could see only by torches made
with pine rails. 1t was about two miles
back to camp, through mud and water.
The creek by that time was not deep,
though we were all as wet as dishrags
when we started. Now we come to the
sad part of that day. Our regiment fell
in line right in the front. Capt. Weston,
of Co. A, carried torch, and two other
comrades guns besides my own; they car
ried Capt Owens, of Co. G. on an i'm
provised stretcher; he was then dying. l
never will forget his pitiful means all the
way back to camp. AS we went back
over the field where the rebels got in their
shots, our poor boys lay there. the blood
washing down the hillside. The stretcher
bearers had taken all the crippled off the
field before dark. Our loss was about 30
men from the regiment, which left about
800 present and able for duty. Capt.
Owens was great fnvo1te in the regi-
ment, as was also Capt. Swayne, who
was wounded that day and died of his
wounds at Knoxville, Tenn.i Lieut.. Dunn
was killed OH the field, also some eight en-
listed men, and Is or 20 wefs wounded.
Our part of that days battle was fail
ure. l saw only one dead rebel.-JoHN
II. KIRBY, First-Lieutenan51 90. A, 123d
Ind, Greensburg, Ind. Tof