The National tribune., 1907-10-03

he flushed anfithrilled with the pas
sion of conflict. 1whom | once heard cry
out: Men, if you will charge with a
yell, you can take yon breastworks
without firing a Lshot.H
But. after allGthose words seem dull
in print. l hadGheardi him utter them.
had seen the enemSta few rods ahead
beneath the southern skies. / had seen
the rush, the yell and the victory. Aye,
there was the difference. And ii wasn't
yesterday; it was 40 years ago.
Aye. 40 years'ago During the night
of the 11th of May 1.-THE Second Corps
was moved to a position for the as
sault on salient which had been dis
covered on tho right center Grant
had determined thattthe attack should
be made there. 1.-the hour being set FOR
O'Clock the next morning. The night
was dark, it rained heavily. the road
was difficult, so it was midnight before
we reached the point where we were
to halt. Morning dawned with ID heavy
fog. delaying the start more than h&ii
an hour. Hancock put Barlow on his
right, in double column and Birney to
his right. The instruction was to cap
ture the pckets without firing a shot
The ground over which we had to pass
to reach the enemy was ascending and
wooded to within 800 yards of the enc
my's intrenchmeHtS. In front of Bir-
ney there was also a marsh, but the
troops, notwithstanding these difficult
ties, pushed on in quick time. without
firing q gun. captured the p:ckets, and
when within 400 or 500 yards of the
enemys lines broke out in loud cheers,
and with rush went over the breast
works. History says that we captured
40 guns and 1000 men. 1t was a hand
to-hand conflict. the men on both sides
being too close to lire.
During all this time Hancock sat
with his staff, knowing that his men to
be successful must move with death
like stiffness After the yell came he
became alert and eager to hear from
the front. There was no finer appear
ing man on horseback in the army. AT
the time he Wore common blouse,
without showing any rank except on
his collar and the regulation army hat
man in the prime of life, there was
in the flash of his fine eyes. the eX-
preston on his features and the poise
of his erect figure. the something which
master men reveal when in their real
element.
The first news from the fight was
brought by one of our men, who could
not be discerned until he had almost
reached us. He had neither hat nor
gun. and the blood was streaming from
his face. The General, catching sight
of him, leaned eagerly forward in his
saddle.
My man." he asked with authority,
what is the news from the 'front.'
Looking up and seeing Gen. Hancoc<.
the fellow replied, I'VE have captured
half the rebel army and all of their
artillery
Having received this most satisfac-
tory message, Hancock spoke in kind
lier tone. MY man." he said, sympa-
thetically, follow this road back and
you will find a hospital"
With that he moved a short distance
to the front up the road, and in few
minutes prisoners began to stream
along. Among them were Gems. Stew
art and Johnson. former schooimates
of Hancock's at West Point. 1t WIS
one of those circumstances so comrnon
in that conflict, where even families
were pitted against each other. John
son shook the hand Which Hancock Of
fered, but the naughty Stewart refused
to do so.
From that time on, as history will
show. the battle ragged, the rebel; try
ing all day to retake what we had sap-
tured. Hancock, bustly giving orders.
was in his element. His fine face glow
ed, and he. evidently found delight in
the fray The ,ever-present danger, the
uncertainty of the outcome, the readi-
ness with which each order from his
responsible position was carried OUT,
put him on his mettle
1t was on the following mordins,