The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1904-10-27
THE FIELD OF BATTLE
INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES or
THE WAR.
The Veterans Of ths RebeiIion Tell OF
whissiins nuiists, Bright Bsyonstsr
nursting Bonbs, bloody Battles


Following the enormous losses OF
our army In the Wilderness. tbs hoavy
artillery regiments from the fortlica-
tons OF Washington and baltimore
were ordered down to re enforce
Grant.
was n private In one OF them. For
nearly two years we had bean doing
garrison duty. and many OF rs had
longcd for service In the field. We
were soon to have enough OF Il. and OF
the severcst kind.
These regiments were very strong:
some Of them. like mine. had twelve
full companies OF ore hundred and
fifty each. less the few that we had
lost I'm quarters. For field service we
were armed with the rifie-muskct. skc
the infantry. I believe that on the day
OF the assault on the Confederate
works at Cold Harbor my regiment
had not less than sixteen hundred
men present. IL was stronger shan
many OF the single brigades Of tina.
army.
I was n boy OF seventeen when en-.
listed (shamming eighteen. as many
other young patriots did In those days,
In order 20 get into the s~eryicel, and
Mt this time was not nineteen. Ou-
colonel had made me his orderly. and
I have always since thought that he
put too much responsibility upon such
n boy rs I was. There before Cold
Harbor. for instance. he should have
had at least three orderlIcs 10 have
his commands promptly delivered.
On the end OF June we were moved
M within striking distance az the
enemy's works. We constructed hasty
earthworks of our own. rs our men
learned 10 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 rs
well that there was 10 be an assault
as though the orders had already been
communicated.
But the orders did not como that
day. We lay there all night. with the
front well plcketed. Long before day
light / heard n stan officer cropping
about and inquirlng for the colonel. I
found the latter and awokc him. and
then I heard the orders that were
given him.
THE charge will he made at day.
light. The signal will be n blank dis
charge from one OF those guns In the
rear"
The colonel Immediately dispatched
me with orders for the three batta!-
ions and for the company OF Captain
-. 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was just withdrawn.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. l never thought OF him or OF
his command again until the charge
had been made and repulsed.
The books l have read on this cam
paign all agree that the charge was
made at daybreak. IL was not. The
men who write In that way were not
there. IL was intended 90 he at that
time. as the staff officer had said. but
where was the important movement
during the war that was made on time
rs planned and orderedg There may
have been a few. but there were not
many.
Before we heard the signal gun. a
certain general and his stan came out
To our position. They came mounted.
an act OF perfect folly In such a situ-
alton. l dent want to name that MAJ,
and, without naming him. I Will tell
the rest OF the truth. lie was drunk.
decidedly drunk. and I vas not by any
means the only one who observed II.
lie was badly wounded later In the
p-rnlng. 1 respected his courage.
such as it was. but wished Il needed
not TO have been So much aided.
I believe IL was full half an hour
after daybrcak before we heard that
gun. When NJ last II came, the lines
rpTHtS UP Nuu hhNHfh hINuIh
You have all read what happened.
There was n grand %butchcry; YOU can
call II by no other name. There was
absolutely no hopc-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. | hayea's
n doubt OF II from what l saw myself.
our men came drifting hack-thosc
that were not stretched on the ground.
The Confederates were now showing
themselves over the tops OF their
carihworks. In their cagerncss 10 find
marks. and discovering now for the
nrst time that Captain SIS COM
pany had not charged with the others.
/ suggested that ne might take his
men forward To the protection Of some
trees that were not far on. and 10
some sharpShootlng. which might re-
lleye our men In front.
"Ir the colonel should find out that
you did not charge with the regiment.
Il would Ice a sore thing for me- |
said.