The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1907-01-10


nois regiment that had been engaged
eoing 4 the rear and for the hrst
time saw wounded men being carried
on on s%tretchera and Ia ambulances.
remember a Of the Illinois boys
saying 70 MS.
Boys. you'll catch @ We've
lust come out OF there, and d rcgi-
ment is al cut 10 pieces"
We had not advanced much ver a
quarter Of a mile along the ridge when
the balls began to 90 zip. ZIP. through
the branches uf the trees and the w
derbrush near us. We Immediately
flied 20 the right in line o. battle
across the end Of a hollow. halted, and
faced toward the enemy. the FIRST Ne
braska being put IN position abous ten
yards in front OF us and a little lower
down the hill.
They Immediately opened fire on
the c~onfcderates, while our regiment
was ordered to reserve its IRE. The
c~onfederates. a Mississippi and Texas
regiment. with a battery returned the
FIRE. They oveuhot us mostly. but we
had Is or 20 men wounded. and our
boys could be restrained no longer.
and began TO load and FIRE as fast as
they could. delivering their ERE over
the heads OF the Nebraska regiment
III venture 20 say that neither the
/ Nebraska boys nor the ~confederates
we're In much danger from some Of
our firing. for / observed that some o.
them Aired much as II they we're shoot
ing squirrels in the tops Of the trees.
AS the leaves on the underbrush and
the butternut uniforms Of the oonfed-
crates We're nearly the san color, Il
was difficult 70 see the latter. but their
balls whizzing about us convinced us
that they were there. In less than
half an hour we had driven them from
their position and their firing ceased
What q feelings were as We we're
marching 10 the front for the drst
time. and how reioiced we were owe
our first victory there are few old sol
diers here. perhaps. who do not know
better than any % as can tell.
That was on Saturday. That even
ing we moved a little farther to the
front and bIvouacked for the night.
THE next moruing-Sunday-before
we moved again TO the front, I took
the opportunity 20 look over the
ground where the battle had been so.
ing on the day before. The under.
brush and saplings were shivered with
the balls. Here was 3 cartridge box
there q broken musket. q few steps
further on a knapsack torn Ia shreds
and letters. writing paper and some
articles OF clothing scattered about
here a bayonet and there a soldier,
hat. a canteen with a bullet hole
through q. crumbs OF bareback scat
p tered about. etc.
! About nine OF ten o'clock We had or
/ ders to move 20 the front, for the pnr
pose. as We understood. TO charge OF
r the fort. As we went forward amonl
the cutdown sapilngs that were In
{ tended by the c~onfcderRtes 10 impede
our advance we frequently came d
dead c~oafederates. After hrequen
haus We came in sight 81 the for
across an open field a few hundrei
yards 10 the front We were momen
tarily expecting the order 10 charE.
on e. when. 10 our great delight VI
saw a white hag raised on The works
Word soon came Of the '-unconditions
surrender. and we marched into IA.
little village OF Dover. a mile OF s.
above the fort, We went on board IN.
transports that night and the mex
day were CHARTERED Ia the fort. when
wo remained until We went nm IA.
Tennessee TO Pittsburg Landing.