The National tribune., 1907-07-11
Stories Emneny Worth Telling Of Experiences and Adventures
in the Great National Struggle.

! this arrogant Potomac division marched
into and between the lines of our bri-
gade. interrupting its concert of action,
delaying the right wing and the SD
Ind. and. indeed. carrying many of our
men into that stronger current to the
left. The 18th Mich. in the front line
and the 22d Wis. following them, main
tanned, however, their alignment and
charged rapidly over the protecting
ridge and then down across the death
swept valley. led by Col. Gilbert of the
18th. who committed the grave mistake
of remaining mounted, which noble
rashness cost the gallant officer his life.
Some disorder in our regiments also
came from the entanglements of the
wooded hill. and the headlong rush
across the valley, but straight over and
thru the exhausted First Brigade boys
they pushed into and among the silent
guns of the abandoned rebel battery.
Billy Emerson. ideal soldier that he al
ways was, vigorous and fleet of foot.
had literally obcyed The order to double
quick. without noting whether he re-
tained his place in Co. A ranks or not,
and when he reached the top of the
hill he found that of his company only
two were with him. They were those
two lively youngsters of the pony
squad" George Yont and George Dick
inSon. Lying diagonally opposite the
left end of the outwork we have called
the ''lunet' was a fallen tree or log
large enough to afford shelter. The
three boys threw themselves behind
this, and then crawled forward. Finer
son leading, to its end, which brought
them to a position nearer the rebel
breastworks than the breeches of the
captured cannon. Others from another
command followed, and occupied the
whole length of the log. They settled,
and had fired one or two shots when
an officer Emerson thinks it was Col.
Baird, of the S5th Ind.) called out, Get
up and charge them again.
Come on. boys,'' shouted Billy, and
all behind the log started forward.
Emerson, crouching low, with his gun
at trail, had gone but a few PAGES
when he felt blow under his right
shoulder as tho struck by a switch. His
gun dropped from his hand. he whirled
completely around and fell fiat to the
ground. He lay a minute before realiz-
ing that he was wounded then strug-
gled to his feet, seized his gun. but did
not attempt to pick up his hat. which
had fallen, and started back down the
hill. AS he arose he saw, close behind
him, both Yont and George Dickinson
lying shot thru the head and already
beyond earthly help. Suffice it to say.
further. that he reached the rear safely,
was finally sent to a hospital at Madi-
son, Wis. and never recovered suffi-
ciently to be returned to the regiment.
1t may be difficult to prove with GER
tainty, but / believe it to be incontro-
vertible that the spot where Billy Emer-
son, of Co. A, 22d Wis. fell was the
high-water mark of the bloodiest strug-
gle on the Atlanta campaign, and the
only action in which artillery was cap
tured previous to the final battle of
Jonesboro. A published letter from one
OF the burial party speaks of two bodies
of 22d Wis. men being found farther
within the rebel outwork than any 9TH
er, and that one of them was a son of
Lieut. Dickinson. of that regiment
Harvey Reid, 22d Wis, Maquoketa,
Iowa.