Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1907-11-16

borhood at the time. The veteran cap
tain bears tn As motion OF having
given the order that caused the open
ing Of the battle OF Chickamaugua.
Ny company" said Capt. Boyle.
was on the skirmish line on the
morning Of September 10. 1853. which
was the morning on which the big bat
tie opened. We had just emerged
from dense piece OF woodland and
had come suddenly upon a bunch Of
rebels behind lot OF underbrush not
more than 60 yards away JEFF Goar.
a member OF my company, who was
marching little in advance OF me.
saw them first. and came running back
to me.
There they are, captain he shout
ed.
Well why in the - don't you
shoot?' l called
The words were hardly out OF my
mouth when Goar fired into the bunch
of rebels. II was like throwing a stick
into hornets nest. There was a yell.
and then the whole line blazed away
The rebels that we had run on to were
what was known as the Black Horse
cavalry. The fight ragged fiercely for
time and we were forced TO retreat
TO the main column. While the fight
was on both Of my lieutenants. Thomas
Thompson and d. F. Allen, were
wounded.
Our colonel was also killed that day
When the column advanced on the
enemy the Fourteenth Ohio was i'm
mediately on our right This regiment
had 20 men killed in an instant. The
fire was terrific. After some very hard
fighting we forced the cavalry TO re-
treat 10 a line OF infantry that was
coming up In the rear. Then the line
rallied and advanced. A rebel brigade
advanced upon us at an obtuse angle
TO the battalion in which my company
belonged The firing became fast and
furious. In some way don't know
just how came to do II, 1 became sep
arated from my command and found
myself between both lines OF fire. 1t
was most dangerous position. / got
behind tree. and when our battalion
fired | jumped 20 the side OF the tree
next the rebels
When the rebels fred their volleys
/ jumped around 10 the side OF the
tree next 20 my own company. I stood
this for some time. and finally got a
chance to get back to my company. A
number OF bullets struck the tree
while l was there, but escaped IN
hurt.
During the day we lost a battery
OF artillery close 20 our line. Gen.
Thomas came riding up and ordered
us 20 retake it. which we did. The
capture OF this battery ended the first
days fight as far as our regiment was
concerned
Next morning 1 went into the fight
with sc men. | had one man instant
" killed early in the fight. and before
night there wasn't man In my com
pany but that had been struck by a
bullet except John Sutton. Cyrus
Clark and myself Out OF the entire
Sc only IL were able TO fight.
we maintained our organization
however. and finally I took what men
! had left and went with the rest OF
the regiment TO the point where Gen.
Thomas was Fighting three-Quarters OF
mile TO the southwest While the
regiment WAS going 60 his assistance
We came 90 an CTen field and met a
rebel brigade coming across. II was
marching In as fine order as I ever
saw. ! ordered my men TO fire. They
did. and our entire line Joined In. The
rebels returned one volley and then
fled. ! firmly believe that If that rebel
brigade had not been repuised the
chances are Gen Thomas and his
stan would have been cut off from the
line and the battle might have ended
then and there.
The battle Of ChickamauRa was one
OF the most bitter engagements in
which ! participated During the fight
the noise was SO great that all animal
nature seemed 10 lose its natural in
stinct Quail would drop to a log or
hide in a bush. They would stay
there. budding close TO the wood I'M
I'll one could go up and touch them
with ones hands Rabbits would run
TO the men and hide between their
legs or crawl under the kuapsacks or
blankets. Ii was pitiful
Hit Between Eyes.
OuIAuS the uSut James a. Price.
who went with me to recover my pipe.
was struck sQuarely between the ewes.
at the top of the nose, by a fattened
bullet that became imbedded In his
skull. He came to me and asked me
TO pull II out. But / could not get II
out OF his skull. II required all of the
surgeons strength, with a pair of for
ceps, 20 extract that bullet. Andrew
Leverton. a friend of mine and a mem
Der OF my company. who was killed
that day, asked me early in the
morning to be left behind with the
guard about the supplies and baggage
l told him that We would need every
man and he promptly fell into line. |
have always thought that he had a pre-
monition that be was going to be
killed that day"
Capt. Boyle PARTICIPATED in some OF
the hottest engagements OF the civil
war. He participated In the battle of
Rich Mountain. Ann Springs. Shiloh
Perryville, Stone River and numerous
other engag ements. Notwithstanding
his len 9th Of ea-..fca