The National tribune., 1908-09-10
CHAPTER XVIII.
ON THE RIGHT, JULY 5.

The Twelfth Corps Receivers Its Works
and Almost Annihilates JohnsOn's Di-
sision-Longest Fighting in the Battle.
The Cavalry Battle for the Baltimore
Road-Magnificent Charges by Gus
ter's BrlEade-Stuart's Rough Riders
Warsted at Every Point.
On the Extreme Right.
We left Geary's and Ruger's Divisions
of the Twelfth Corps lying in line of
battle after midnight of July 2, with 26
guns massed behind them, and with Or
ders to attack Johnson's Division at
daybreak AT that time Johnsons Divi-
sion, occupying the Twelfth Corps's
works, was about 500 yards distant The
artillerymen We're punctual to their task,
and greeted the first streaks of dawn
with tremendous salvo, which not only
informed Johnson's soldiers that
whole lot of things were coming their
way, but brought the sleeping soldiers
to their feet al. along the whole Union
line. For Is minutes the Union gunners
poured storm of shells into the woods
and works, which seemed to shake the
earth and to which johnson could make
no adequate reply, as there was no place
for his artillery nearer than Benner's
Hill. But Ewell and Lee had walked up
to the Importance of the advantage
gained by johnson the night before.
They knew that he had reached to
within few hundred yards of the Bal
tiHiore pike, and the vital part of the
Union right flank with its priceless sup
plies of food and ammunition. Ewell
was instructed to strengthen Johnson
for strong advance in connection with
, the assault that Lee was planning upon
the center. Ewell sent three more
strong brigades to johnson, thus giving
him seven. with which to renew the
offensive, and prepared to support him
with the rest of the corps in case of his
achieving success. Therefore. Johnson
was in very aggressive mood, and re-
sponded to the artillery storm by ad-
vancing straight at the batteries, thus
meeting the offensive, which Ruger and
Geary had already begun Ruger's Di-
vision was moving toward Johnson's
left by the way of Spansicr's Run, while
Geary started for the intrenchments
which johnson had seized. johnson
came on in three lines, with his men.
animated by the sight of the Baltimore
pike covered with wagons. with trains
parked around it, and with stragglers,
teamsters and citizen employees stamped
ing in panic at the advance of the enc
my The advancing line began a COM
mon crash of musketIy against each
other. both advancing firing. In vain
the Stonewal Brigade tried to live up
to its old reputation, and set an exam
pie to the rest of the troops by deter
mined rush thru the Union lines. Every
time it struck an immovable lire of
Yankees, who would not bulge, and who
fired the more steadily and the more
deadly the nearer the enemy came.
Geary's Division received every attack
without yielding an inch, but it was felt
that he should have help, and Lock-
woods Brigade of the Twelfth Corps
and Shaler's Brigade of the Sixth Corps
were sent to his assistance.
RHger's Division f'
The nature of the ground in front of
Ruger's Division was such as to pre-
vent his striking the enemy effectively,
as a broad marsh intervened between
his line and the breastworzs. But he
pushed forward strong line of skir-
2 mishers, and threw the 10th Conn. and
147th n. Y. into the woods in the rear
of the stone wall held by the enemy
This prevented the extension of john
Ssson's line in that direction by the threat
of an enfilade fire. After the fighting