Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1906-10-19

and magnificent charge which 1 led
at Missionary Ridge.
l have waited over forty-tive years
for history to lay before an admiring
world a true account of the important
affair, yet she remains as dumb as an
oyster on the subject, and the great
task devolves on me of enlightening
the world upon the question, and
handing down to posterity one of the
most brilliant episodes that ever oc-
Cured in the annals of war. All, as
distinctly as if it had been yesterday
do l remember that beautiful Novem
Der evening; the sun shining with such
gorgeous splendor, the sky so high and
blue, the faintest tinge of Indian sum-
mer mantling the distant peaks Of
Point Lookout and the surrounding
hills and mountains; while away on
the right, about Tunnel Hill, since
morning there had been a continual
boom of cannon and rattle of musketry.
| lay on the ridge a short distance to
the right Of Bragg's headquarters
watching those long lines of blue, per
haps a mile distant, taking their posi-
tons for desperate charge; while the
many pieces Of artillery scattered along
the top of the ridge were now keeping
up a pretty constant roar About three
o'clock the Yankee lines emerged from
the woods on the opposite side or the
valley. "They are coming! They are
coming!" uttered almost every man IN
q low distinct voice, speaking appar-
emily to himself, instead of address
ing some one else. Every piece of ar
tillery along that ridge now became
living volcano, discharging missiles of
death with the greatest rapidly.
With what fascination | watched those
lines of blue advance, extending as
far up and down the valley as the posi-
ton which | occupied would allow the
range of vision to extend. Occasion
ally gaps were made in those lines, but
ON, on they came-they crossed our
old breastworks IN the valley. l heard
the gunners call for the canister shot.
Oh! how I pitied those blue devils.
l knew many of them would never go
back across that valley, nor come to
the top of that ridge At length they
reached the base of the ridge on which
we were lying.
Our artillery ceased firing, the hill
being too steep. Our infantry were or
dered to rise and fire. Although we
had but one slender line of battle along
that portion of the ridge, yet those
blue coats never came to the top, nor
half way up, while we stayed there;
but in a very short time-by the time
I could load and fire twelve shots, they
were going back through that valley IN
the widest confusion. l saw Yankee
general riding a white horse trying to
rallv his scattered troops at our OLD
breastworks in the valley. L raised
the sights of my gun to four hundred
wards and fired four shots at him, but
| missed, 1 suppose every time. Aanks
informed after that Fighting Joe
Hooker' was the man who rode the
white horse and rallied the flying red
erals at the old breastworks III the
valley but their information might
have been incorrect.
This was the first battle l ever VIII
messed. I felt elated, l felt Juollaht'
falt ecstatic. | felt l could have
charged right up to the mouths OF
hundred pieces of artillery ana captur-
cd every gun. l continued TO 1eel thls
wav as long as my side did all the
shooting and the other side dld all the
oet+ing hurt. About this time General
prooo and staff came gallopinG along.
Cheer after cheer went up. was
thinking about asking him for twelve
or fourteen men with which to go over
and capture Chattanooga and orlns
hoo1y +he commander of the Yankee
army a prisoner, when we were oruereu
to the right at double-qulck, leaving
no infantry whatever along that por-
zion of the line 1t seemed such an
aasv matter to repulse and drive back
IN confusion those heavy lines OF In
fontrv that were hurled against us,
tnat the most distant idea had not en-
tered my mind that the ridge had been
carried anywhere.
AS I was double-Quicking l heard
something saying: ''Whee, whee, vince
Zip. zip. Zip" and, looking up, heavens :
what did it all mean, anyhow! On
rise or ridge twenty rods ahead, run
ming back toward our rear. were nun
dreds of Yankee. l could hardly be-
iieye my eyes, but the awful reality
thrust itself upon me, for the bullets
were flying as thick as hail, and men
were falling on every side. The artll-
lery ceased laundering along the ridge;
some one said: 1.-The Yanks are COM
inc ND the hill again. No infantry
there this time to drive them back. L
saw the artillerymen leaving their
guns In few moments the enemy
would be in possession of our artil-
lerv. We were trying to change posi-
+ion so as TO face those who had first