The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-06-28

I've knew the last advance was coming II and it was to whip or get whipped Our brigade was ordered to move in such a manner as to strike the enemy's works all at he same time, the works being somewhat in the shape of half circle I or elbow. The batteries all took up new | positions waiting for our troops to move | forward. Everything being in readiness and the sun being about an hour high. l the command was given to move forward. Amid the roar of at least one hundred cannon on our side. and answered by fui- ly as many from the Federals. the entire army rushed to~the attack. thought had heard. some shooting the two previous days, but 1t was child's play compared to this. Imagine 200 canon and 10000 small arms being turned loose at he same time, accompanied by the battle yell of 76,o0o Rebels and you will have dim Idea of the noise On we moved, determined to win or die. The breastworks loomed in sight. the enemy rise, pour in @ deadly 1 fire and with a volley we close in upon them. Brave men on every side fall to rise no more.~ It is kill, kill. kill; the enemy stagger their artilierists are shot down: they give way. break and run for life; the works are ours; the cannon are ours. They have been won. but. oh! at what Q cost Polk on the right and Longstreet on the left are still at 1t. We hear the ex- ultant shouts of their men as they drive the enemy back. Soon the old field to our right Is blue with the Federais as they hastily fall back our cannon rake them with canister; they run to us thinking we are their men hallooing "don't shoot and hundreds are Captured before they find out their mistake.
 The battle Is over: a great battle has been fought and won, and as the sun sinks behind the hills into long shadows fall upon ten thousand brave men sieep- ing the sleep that knows no waking
 The remnants of the different compa- nies of our regiment are formed; they are ordered to stack arms; count the guns of our company, fourteen out of thirty-five are all that are left Other commands had suffered equally if not worse, thus telling in silent language the great loss the whole South had sustained.
 Details were now made to hunt up and look after the wounded, and while live I shall never forget the horrible sights that met us on every side near the ene- mys works, where the fire had started, we found men with their arms and legs burned off. the white protruding bones crumbling to ashes at the touch, while others had their bodies completely baked I am convinced that many of these men, heinz unable to crawl off. were cremated while living and no doubt would have recovered if they could have been res cued.
 The boys in blue were taken care of as well as the boys in grey. canteens of cool water being placed in their eager hands One German. with three inches of his backbone shot away by a piece of shell was propped to a sitting position. He could not speak word of English, but through German Cffaller) in our com pany we learned that he had been in this country only three weeks when he re. ceived s7Oo bounty to enter the Federal army. He further informed us that when a lager beer saloon, and among other things he said was that General Thomas had told them all they had to do was ''to huzzah, charge the rebels and they would rum" that they tried it and that they damned rebels instead of running. had killed near their entire regiment Poor German, being paralyzed and suffering no pain he had no Idea how badly he was wounded. The next morning found him in deaths cold embrace. covered by a| light frost.
 In this battle General Bate had two horses killed and third wounded, but cutting out an artillery horse, mounted him and galloped forward amid the wild shouts of his men.
 being completely worn out, we threw our selves upon the ground and surrounded by the dead soon were sleeping.
 So ended one of the greatest battles of the war, one which, had Lonsstreets ad- vice been taken. and the enemy hotfy pursued, would have ended in the utter annihilation of the entire Federal army. ond Bull Run, for the enemy all along their line were in full retreat.
 Respectfully.
 W. B. Smith, ST.