The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1904-10-27

boy as l was. There before Cold
Harbor, for instance, he should have
had at least three orderlies to have
his commands promptly delivered.
On the end Of June we were moved
up within striking distance of the
enemy's works. We constructed hasty
earthworks of our own, as our men
learned to do on this campaign, when
ever there was time. We saw that
lines of infantry connected with us on
the right and left, and that there were
field batteries in the rear From the
general aspect of things we knew as
well that there was to be an assault
as though the orders had already been
communicated.
But the orders did not come that
day. We lay there all night, with the
front well picketed. Long before day
light 1 heard a staff officer cropping
about and inquiring for the colonel. l
found the latter and awoke MIN, and
then 1 heard the orders that were
given him.
1.-The charge will be made at day
light. The signal will be a blank dis
charge from one of those guns in the
rear"
The colonel Immediately dispatched
me with orders for the three battal-
ions and for the company of Captain
s., which had been on picket, and
was just withdrawn. This company
was to join the battalion that carried
the colors, dressing on its left.
In the excitement Of the hour and
in the pressure on my memory Of the
instructions that had been given me I
overlooked Captain SIS company
entirely. / never thought of him or Of
Ills command again until the charge
had been made and repulsed.
The books 1 have read on this cam
paign all agree that the charge was
made at daybreak. It was not. The
men who write In that way were not
there. 1t was intended to be at that
time, as the staff officer had said, but
where was the important movement
during the war that was made ON time
as planned and ordered? There may
have been few, but there were not
many.
Before we heard the signal gun, a
certain general and his staff came out
to our position. They came mounted.
an act Of perfect folly in such a stu
alton. don't want to name that man,
and, without naming him, will tell
the rest of the truth. He was drunk,
decidedly drunk, and 1 was not by any
He was badly wounded later in the
morning 1 respected his courage,
such as it was, but wished 1t needed
not to have been so much aided.
L believe it was full half an hour
after daybreak before we heard that
gun. When at last it came, the lines
sprang up and dashed forward.
You have all read what happened.
There was grand butchery; you can
call it by no other name. There was
absolutely no hope-not the slightest
of reaching those works
The accounts say that more than ten
| thousand of our men were killed and
wounded there that morning haven't
a doubt of it from what I saw myself.
Our men came drifting back-those
that were not stretched on the ground.
The Confederates were now showing
themselves over the tops Of their
carthworks, in their eagerness to find
marks, and discovering now for the
first time that Captain SIS COM
pany had not charged with the others,
suggested that he might take hts
men forward to the protection of some
trees that were not far of, and do
some sharpshooting. which might re-
lieye our men in front.
eff the colonel should find out that
you did not charge with the regiment,
It would be sore thing for me-"
said
But the colonel was killed, the lieu
tenant colonel was MORALLY wounded,
and one Of the majors was rallying as
many Of the men as he could back
where the charge had begun Captain
had moved his men up as sug-
gested, and was doing good execution.
"Why," queried the major, don't
those batteries in the rear open and
cover our men?'
| He sent me back to the nearest bat
terry with written request to that
effect.
It'll open when please" was the
surly reply Of the captain OF artillery,
whose dignity had to assert itself un-
DER all circumstances.
In very leisurely way he did open
ON the enemy's works. His first two
shells burst short and killed six Of our
men.
Our major was in towering rage.
He went back to the battery and told
its captain that Il be fred any more Of
those rotten shells he would charge
on him instead If on the enemy. They
hnh n vary hot there for tmo3 but