The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1904-05-12

picksts began TO exchange shots. Near the
into the woods and forming in massed col
umn. At $50 p. m. this heavy massed
forward rapidly across the valley toward
the hill. Our pickets opened fire, and the
enemy's skirmish line returned 1t. Our
their places in tive battle line as wous
say: Boys. they are coming; the woods
are full of them" We were ordered to
lie down flat on the ground. so that the
enemy's first volley, when they reached the
top of the hill, would pass over us. Col.
McClain passed quietly along the line. tell
ing us to hold our fire until we were sure
that we could make our shot tell. Don't
RISE" said he. until you can see their
hats then rise and fire" They came on
in steady, massed column. When their
first line was almost to the top of the hill
they raised the rebel yell-"Yeep. yeep.
that was always heard when they
made charge. When we saw their hats
rose and fired volley simultaneously with
volley from their front line.
AN AWFUL voLIEY.
In that single volley 2t Of the 51st Ohio
fell dead and q fell mortally wounded
Kee, Andrew Ihler, Benjamin F. Fry,
George Cunningham, Andrew II. Cosgrove,
Absolem Scott. Sidney NJ. Brown, John A.
Taggert, John Nj. Dutton, George Fetters.
Franklin Miller, George Murphy, Walter
+. Davis, Robert Flynn, Thomas IIeslip.
Christian S. Meek, Harrison Wolf, John
Davidson, James McFarlin, Lorenzo ID.
Dial, Isaac Hardsack. Francis NJ. Sanders,
Joel Davis, Ormilt Richeson. The names
of the mortally wounded were: Alexander
Berlin, John III. Parks. Jacob Geiser. Capt.
Heskett, John Winklepleck, Charles
Stewart, Edwin F. Cowen. Anderson Pass
more, Enoch L. Beckwith, Robert Jenkins,
John q. Fox, William A. Wales, John ID.
Carpman, Franklin r. Buck. James ID.
Dougherty, Nathaniel Jones, George Nor
row, Samuel Butt, Samuel hewitt, Chris
topher J. Ref, and Jacob Shannon
l have no record of the slightly wounded
or prisoners, except those of my own COM
pany. Their names are-.wounded-
Gideon Coggsill. Thomas +. Exby, Jacob
Gross, Thomas Maxwell. John c. Richman,
Emanuel Yingling They were taken pris-
eners, as We're the following of the same
company: John II. Carr. Samuel Den
nison, Robt. Goldsborough, John GOWN,
William Lenhart, James X. Parrish, Isaac
n. Sell, Elias Utterback.
When the shock of this double volley
was over it seemed to me that both lines
to notice who had fallen their second line
came over the ridge. Here is where our
men were taken prisoners. | always had
a dread of being taken prisoner. and while
[ thought the chances were against my
getting away safely, decided to try.
ran as fast as l could and when got al
most to our second line Of battle | found
Samuel Cornelius, of my company. badly
wounded. | placed my rifle against a tree.
and thought would try TO help him off
the field. / soon discovered that he was
utterly helpless, and at the same time |
discovered that there were several rebels
within few yards of me, one of them al
most near enough to shake hands: but just
then greetings were not expected, and /
instantly seized my rifle and left my COM
rade to the mercy CD of the enemy. Com
rade Cornelius was never heard of after
this by any of his friends. A few quick
bounds brought me to our second line of
battle. which was then rising to fire.
fell in with this line and fired a few rounds
and began to hope that the adva ncing
rebel column was checked: but now, we'll
formed lines soon appeared. marching
down through the woods toward us. and
what was left of our second line fell back
in great disorder.
I had often heard it said that "Misery
loves company" but I had never thorough
ly understood the real meaning of it be-
fore. and even then I couldn't understand
where the love came in. There were per-
haps 1000 of us, who ran as fast as We
could TO the river and when | reached the
river | was nearly exhausted. The river.
where We crossed. was about GO feet wide
and two feet deep. On the opposite side
was a rocky bluff 20 feet high. As we
were climbing this bluff we could hear the
enemy's bullets striking the rocks about
US.
NV idea then was that the Army of rhe
Cumberland was RAPIDLY passing ont of
existence. and that the Union cause was
hopeIesslv lost When We reached the
top Of the bluff we found that Gen. Neg
lev's Division was quietly living in massed
column. in a cornfield. waiting till those
across the river.
TERRIFIC ARTILLERY FIRE.
Suddenly the whole division rose and
moved forward, and the 80 guns on the
hill opened on the rebels. In all of 1Iy
experience during the war | never else
where heard such terrific artillery fire
as did just then. The rebel column was
checked and driven back through the woods.
leaving their dead and wounded on tine
field. My panic idea of the lost Union
cause was suddenly changed, and | fell
in with Negley's Division and recrossed
the river.
l presently found several 51st Ohio men :;
among them was Col. McClain. We went
back to where we were attacked, and
found the bodies of our fallen comrades
and our knapsacks undisturbed. Our dead
were lying where they fell. Enoch l.. Beck
with and Reason s. Thompson were miss
ing the latter was never heard from, but
the dead body Of comrade Beckwith was
found i'm a deserted rebel hospital in Muir
freesboro, three days after the battle. The
last account | have of Reason S. Thomp-
son is, he was seen by company comrade
near the river, where we were driven
across. 1t is likely that he was killed while
crossing and his body foated down the
stream and was buried the next day with
the unrecogniZed dead.
The rebels were driven back into the
woods where they had formed for the at
tack. BY this time it was dark. and the
struggle for Middle Tennessee was over
When morning broke. Jan. 3. it was
raining. and as the day advanced it rained
harder and harder. Details were sent to
bury the dead, but on account of the rain
it was almost impossible to work. Van
Cleve's shattered regiments reformed n
mile north of the point of attack. on the
west side of the river. Each army held
its position during the day, and each com
mander seemed to be confident that his
adversary would fall back and leave him
the honors of the battle. AT regular in
tervals during the day the rebel batteries
would fire few shots, evidently to in
quire if we were still there. when instant
Iy our batteries would return the fire,