Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-07-04

| 'Ae AlSnter hill redOubtS.
WINE Price attacked the GRAVEYARD
I'LL Dreastworks and redoubts and Fa-
gan the line on Hindman hill. These
pos1uons were to be carried with a
rush ana their guns turned on Fort
Gurus IN the rear. With the fall of the
1ort Helena was at the mercy of the
Confederates.
promptly at daylight on 1ndepend-
ence day Marmadukes 5000, Prices
o,ooo and Fagan's 1000, told off into
storm1ng parties and reserves, dashed
1or the batteries and intrenchments
that lay In their paths. Fagan's Ar
kansans marched to the rifle pits and
the redoubt on Hindman hill with only
their muskets to aid them. The road
mile back had been found impassable
Tor cannon. and they were without
guns to pit against artillery. The Off.
GERS mad been forced to leave their
horses behind, and the men barely
MADE their way through the thickets
III ume to respond to the signal for at
TACK. However,. they were first to open
the ball, and as soon as the struggling
line could pull itself together went for
ward in battle order.
On one side steep gorge held up the
march, and farther on hillside LOOM
ed before them with thicket alive
with sharpshooters. One by one the
rifle pits and breastworks gave in, and
at last the Arkansans faced the guns
OF Battery D on Hindman hill. They
were also In range Of Battery c on
Graveyard hill. and the guns there
raked the charging line lengthwise.
Graveyard hill had not fallen accord
Ing to plan. for Prices division was
slow In getting to work. His troops
also found the roads blocked and were
compelled to leave their cannon. The
assault was met with storms of grape
and canister from Battery G, and when
they struck the first line Of rife pits
the guns of Battery D on Hindman
hill raked their lines just as those of
Battery c served Fagan's.
Prices sharpshooters made their
way to the front and cut down the
Federal cannoneers. and by o'clock
the Confederate battle flag foated
above the Graveyard hill redoubt
Price had placed some expert gunners
In the front rank Of his storming COL
umn, and they rushed to the captured
cannon to turn their fire upon Fort
Curtis. But the Federals had plugged
the bores with shot and carried off
the primers, leaving the pieces dis
abled for use
All this time Fort Curtis and the
gunboat Tyler were not idle. They
tossed shells necessarily into the cap
tured redoubt. Price sent forward a
column to attack the rear of the Hind
man hill battery, which held up Fa-
gan, and another to storm Fort Curtis
These troops by mistake or in excess
of zeal passed on into the heart Of the
town. Pagan. no longer exposed to
the fire from Graveyard hill, renewed
the assault upon Battery D. The day
was frightfully hot, and the men could
not find water to quench their burning
thirst. The Arkansans rushed for
ward CALAMITY, but the line was de-
stroyed, the survivors Of the shells be-
ing captured at the works Fagan's
sharpshooters fired indiscriminately at
the captors and captives. preferring to
shoot comrades rather than see them
made prisoners Of war.
General Marmaduke's column on
RICHTER hill was also checked in its
march by trees fallen across the roads.
The troopers abandoned their horses
and went forward on foot, dragging
cannon along by hand. They assault
ed Battery a. but were driven back
and then fercely attacked by coun-
tercharge. Marmaduke's line included
Joe Shelby's brigade, famed on all the
border for it's fighting prowess and
also for it's battery of flying artillery,
commanded by Captain Collins. Wher-
ever horses could go Collins guns
would go. even beyond the skirmish
line. The battery was the pet Of the
brigade, because it was always at the
front, and if the battle went wrong
the defeated troopers could rally be-
hind the guns. charge when
charger was Shelby's favorite order
to Collins. And Collins was the SOL
der to obey.
When Shelby's troops got down from
their saddles to join in the attack on
Fighters hill they set to work to cut a
road through the entanglements for
Collins guns. The battery was far to
the front when the Federals sprung
their countercharge. Everything went
to pieces. Shelby was wounded and
started back. The horses of the guns
were shot down and many of the can
noneers killed or captured. Word of
the danger reached Shelby and the re.
treating troopers. A hundred men vol
1nteered to return to the front and
save the guns. "Fifty-only fifty"
said Shelby. Bring back the guns or
remain yourselves!',
Working under a fierce fire, the
troopers cut the dead horses loose and
hauled away the guns by hand. Out OF
the fifty only fifteen came through un'
hurt. and twenty remained" where
they fell. -, $3.50.
Although the Federals were outnum