The National tribune., 1906-11-15

Geary halted. according to orders. at
Wauhatchie, he commanded his men to
bivouac on their arms, with cartridge
boxes on, and placed Knap's excellent
battery upon knoll to the left of the
railroad, where it could command all
of the roads leading to his position.
He chose his best officer and regiment,
Richards. and the 29th Pa, for Off
GER of the Day and grand guard, and
duty of extreme watchfulness. He an
ticipated that if an attack came it
would be from the south, as he nat
urally supposed that the Eleventh Corps
would interfere with any movement to
his left. During the night citizen
came in. who reported Longstreet's S
force west of the mountain and moving
towards him across Lookout Creek
There was some little picket firing dur
ing the early part of the evening, but
shortly after midnight the outposts
could be heard from camp sharply
challenging and being responded to by
shots from the enemy. to which the
pickets replied as vigorously as they
could fire. BY this time clouds were
obscuring the moon, and she only gave
a fitful light, which tended to confusion.
The advance of the enemy was indicat-
ed by the vOlleys they poured upon the
pickets and the answering flashes OF
the outposts' guns as they slowly re-
tired towards the camp. The 137th NJ
V, 109th and 111th Pa. rushed into
line of battle. and almost at once it
became known that they were again
confronting the very same men whom
they had fought at Charlottesville and
Gettysburg. The 18th and 149th n. Y
came quickly to the help or their COM
rades, and prolonged the line of battle
at right angles toward the right along
the embankment of the railroad. This
was not a moment too soon, and IL
Geary had not been so alert the consa-
quences would have been disastrous,
since Jenkins had his command well
closed up and ready to hurl it in what
was meant to be overpowering num-
bers upon the little force confronting
him. The first volley was fired at
half an hour after midnight, and was
responded to by a belt of flame that
ran along the front of the Union line,
carrying havoc into Jenkins's dense
masses. For half hour at least there
was a sanguinary musketry duel be-
tween the two lines, with the Union
soldiers standing firmly in their places
and preventing the Confederates from
gaining a foot of ground. Jenkins then
manuvered to deliver his heaviest blow
on Geary's left, in order to turn that
flank. put finding the resistance there
too fierce to be overcome. he quickly
Snllteu the weight Oh his ATTACK TO UHe
center and right, hoping for better sue
cess. All this time Knap's battery wasi
pouring shrapnel and canister over the
heads of the men i'll front, and so shat
tered the enemys serried masses thati
Jenkins gave special orders to his
to pick off the gunners
and silence the battery. The 29th Pa.
went to the support of the battery and
replied to the enemy's sharpshooters.
Jenkins secured a position by which he
could enfilade a part of the line, but
tho the Union soldiers fell ,apidly, they |
did not recede step from their posi-
ton nor diminish their well-aimed, |
fire. Gen. Geary's son, Lieu
tenant in Knap's battery, was one of,
the many who fell rortaf1y wounded
from the fire of the sharpshOOters |
Soon the battery was so reduced as to
have left only men enough for two
guns All the officers had fallen. and
Maj. j. A. Reynolds. Chief of Artillery,
took command of the battery in per-
son. After an hour and half of bitter
lighting the enemy was beaten off In
the center, but redoubled the attack on
the left, and the Hampton Legion.
around that flank, was met III
notion by a furious attack of two COM
panies OK the 127th N. Y, under Adju-
.ant Mix, which was so sharp as to
throw the famous legion into confu-
sion and drive It back to the sbalterl