Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-06-22


 while Price attacked the Graveyard hill breastworks and redoubts and Fla gan the line on Hindman hill. These positions were to be carried with a rush and their guns turned on Fort Curtis in the rear. With the fall of the fort Helena was at the mercy of tue Confederates.
 Promptly at daylight on Independ- ence day Marmaduke's 5000, Prices 5000 and Fagan's 2,OOO, told off into storming parties and reserves, dashed for the batteries and intrenchments that lay in their paths. Fagan's Ar kansans marched to the rifle pits and the redoubt on Hindman bill with only their muskets to aid them. The road a mile back had been found impossible for cannon, and they were without guns to pit against artillery. The off, cers had been forced to leave their horses behind, and the men barely made their way through the thickets in time 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 rife pits and breastWorks gave in, and Rt last the Arkansans faced the guns of Battery, D on Hindman hill. They were also in range of Battery 0 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 0, and when they struck the first line of rifle 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 2 o'clock the Confederate battle flag aoated 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 Ta- 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 gallantly, 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 Fighter hill was also checked in it's 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 q coun- tercharge. Marmaduke's line included Joe Shelby's brigade, famed on all the border for its fighting prowess and also for its 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 dier 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 unteered to return to the front and save the guns. "Fifty-only fiftyw said Shelby. Bring back the guns or remain yourselvesw
 Working under 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, .,t.s. s,>i4 ss x. Although the FederaIs were outnum- bered at tho points attacked, they did not lose nerve or despair of the situa- tion. When Prices columns marched past the batteries into the town the garrison recaptured Graveyard hill. That stroke, with the repulse of Mar maduke, ended the battle. By noon the Confederates were in retreat, and at that hour the besiegers of Vicksburg