The National tribune., 1908-05-07

Col Charles A. Clark. who. as Adjutant
of our regiment. took part in the
charge, and for distinguished and con-
spicuous bravery on this and the fol-
lowing day at Salem Church. was
awarded Medal of Honor by Congress.
On the carrying of the first rifle pit
he says:
There was hand-to-hand conflict
at this point of short duration, and the
enemy was routed. 1t is not true that
bayonets were never crossed during the
war; they were used at the stone wall
by our men. and after the battle it was
found by actual count that 10 of the
rebels had been bayoneted here. We
pushed on with shout of triumph, and
carried the rifle pit higher up. which
now swarmed with the enemy. We had
now reached point where the artillery
in the works could not be depressed
sufficiently to sweep thru our ranks
with grape and snrapnel, and our losses
seemed perceptibly smaller from this
point forward without firing a shot.
our line pushed ahead with wild and
indescribable frenzy. swarmed over the
last and strongest redoubts and fortiff-
cations Of the summit and captured
seven guns OF the famous Washington
Artillery and numerous prisoners. l do
not think that the 9Th Me. fired single
my's last line of works. Our success
was glorious. but We had paid for 1t
dearly. In the less than six minutes
which elapsed from the time We start
ed upon the charge until our flag float
ed in victory over the nights. which
had been thought impregnable. we had
lost more than one-third of our officers
and men in killed and wounded. The
loss of the regiment in this charge was
40 lii 1nI mis- o
The missing men were probably killed
and buried without being identified >
Gen. AIexander's Account.
Gen. E. P. Alexander gives this ac-
count of the way the battle appeared
to the Confederates:
Now ensued one of the most brill
liant and important of the minor affairs
of the war. McLaws had reached the
field and assumed the command, but
credit is also due to Wilcox. who had
delayed many times his number for
several hours. and gained time for re-
Inducements to arrive.
THE story of the battle may be told
very briefly. North of the road. oppo-
site the 14th and 11th Ala, was Tor
bert's Jersey Brigade, under Brown, in
a double Zine. On the south, opposite
the Sth, 9th and 10th Ala, was Bart
Ietts Brigade, one of the best in the
Federal army, which boasted that II
had never been repulsed and had never
failed to hold any position it was or
dared to occupy.
THE strength of the Confederate po-
sition consisted in the thick under
growth which completely hid their
lines, lying down on the crest of a slight
ridge in rear of the woods. These were
held by skirmishers during the enemy's
approach across the open When the
artillery was withdrawn it left a gap of
about so yards between the 11th Ala.
on the left of the road and the 10th on
the right. Bartletts Brigade advanced
gallantly thru the severe skirmish fire,
fought thru the strip of woods, drove
the company from the church, and cut
off the one in the school house. Pushing
on and overlapping the left of the 10th
Ala, they enfiladed it. broke its line,
and drove it back IN confusion. The
Sth Ala, under Lieut.-Col. Herbert, on
the right of the 10th, however, did not
break, but threw back its three left
companies, and brought an enfilade fire
on the enemy's further advance. The
9Th Ala, being in reserve little in rear
of the 10th, rose from the ground. and.
giving the enemy voIley, charged them
and drove them back.
Browns Brigade on the opposite
side of the road, had wider body of
woods to cross, and had not advanced
as far as Bartlett. But when Bartlett
was driven back Wilcoxs whole brigade
joined in the counterstroke. Bartletts
first line was followed so rapidly that
the prisoners in the school house We're
liberated. and the rush of the fugitives
and the quick pursuit overwhelmed the
second line, giving it no chance to make
a stand.
Across the Plank road Semmes's
TWO right regiments. the 10th and 51st
Ca. Joined the 14th and 11th Ala, and
these four regiments, meeting the Jer-
sey Brigade in the woods. drove it back
in such a direction that the fugitives
from each side of the Plank road con-
verged upon the road The Confeder-
ates in pursuit said that they had never
had such crowds to fire upon. The pur-
suit was dangerously prolonged, but,
fortunately, the enemy contented him.
self by checking it, and the Confederates
then slowly withdrew. Long-range fir
ing. however, was kept up until night.
''Bartiett's Brigade reported a loss in
this attack of $50 officers and men out
of less than 500 men. Browns Bri-
gade reported a loss of 511. Brooks,
commanding the division, said in his
official report:
In this b, ief but sanguinary conflict
this division lost nearly 1.500 officers
and men, Col. II. w. Brown. command
ing the Jersey Brigade, was severely
wounded, and Col. Collet. 1st N. j.; Col.
G. w. Town and Lieut.-Col- Hall, 95th
Pa, were killed
"Wilcox's Brigade lost IS killed, 372
wounded and AS missing. a total of 495.
The losses of Semmes's Brigade are in
cluded with the campaign losses. One
of its regiments, however, the 10th Ga.
reports for this day 81 killed. 1872
wounded and five missing, total of 12S
out of 230 present. In the morning at
Charlottesville this regiment had re-
ceived the surrender of the 27th Conn.,,
which had been on picket and was cut
off by the capture of Charlottesville"
Ito be continued)