The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1908-02-13
DIAGRAM OF THE BATTLEFIELD OF M1LLIKENs BEND.

swept our line away with the greatest
ease.
AS they came cautiously down the
interior slope, many of them loading
their pieces, I signaled UP the reserve,
of which 1 had command, and they
bounced forward with the fury of
cyclone, and went into that gang with
their bayonets. 1t was a furious, a
terrible struggle for a few minutes, but
these darlSies were as savage as tigers
when it came to bayonet fighting, and
they forced them back on their own
side of the leyee and made them stay
there.
For about two hours the fight con-
tinued by Spasmodic shooting over the
crest of this ievee, and We were getting
much the worst of it, for these Texans
were good shots and our men could not
hit the broad side of cotton gin. There
was nothing for il but to go to the river
bank before We were all picked off.
We were no longer afraid of their bay
onets, for their officers could not by
threats or Tcoaxing induce them to try
that game again.
Col Lieb, who was the only mounted
officer on our side of the levee, and
who got bullet in his hip early in the
fight, rode up and told me of this move,
and he had no more than got away
from there before / saw them break
TO the rear from about the center of
our line I notified my Lieutenant of
what was taking place, and at once
started back, as my arm had been brok-
en- at the shoulder by bullet directly
after the bayonet fight and 1 could not
run.
OF course, it is unusual to stay in a
fight after being seriously wounded, but
this was an unusual fight, and it was
better to die game than to be shot to
pieces after throwing up your hands.
We pretty well understood what was
in store for US, and did not propose to
lie down as long as We were able to
stand UP.
A concerted effort was not made to
follow us-only TWO or three spasmodic
rusheS-but as soon as our men would
jump up from behind the river bank
and start to meet them with the bayo-
net. they would go back as if SO many
devils were after them. Our men were
now where they could stand upright
and load their pieces and only expose
their heads and shoulders while firing,
and as the enemy had failed to follow
US to the river bank and shoot us into
the river, as they might have done if
they had had the sense and sand, the
fight was practically wen. 1t was now
only a question of time when they
would Withdraw.
Now, mark, up to this time the gum
boat had not fired a shot, and for the
very good reason that they were so low
in the river that the levee was not in
their line of sight. And if it had been
they could not have used their guns
upon il till we got away from there
But now as we were under the bank
they commenced sending them over into
| the field, way beyond, but their only
effect was a moral one, for they couldn't
| hit anybody
| Col. Iieb turned the command over
| to our Lieutenant-Colonel (Page), and
proceeded to battle his hip at the wa
ter's edge. 1t may have been an hour
and il may have been more when the
enemy concluded they were gaining
nothing by lying there behind the levee,
and so hastily withdrew. The gun
boats-one or two more had run up on
| the last end-scared the Johnnies all
they could. but it is unlikely that they
killed any of them, for at no time could
they see them.
Col. Lieb was helped to his tent, and
remained a few days in the old camp
received reports from the battalions OF
their losses, and sent in his official re
port. The losses were: 9th La.-Kilied
6 officers and GO men: wounded. 9 Off
GERS and so men; missing, 2 officers and
III men. LIST Miss.-Killed, men:
4 wounded, 2 men: missing, men. 18th
II La.-Wounded, 3 men. I cannot give
the loss of the 23d Iowa, as they did
not make a report to Col Lieb. but /,
was very severe. BY much campaigning
and hard fighting they had been re-
duced to Just skeleton of regiment
and ii was the cruelest of fate that this
H gallant little band should have beer
showed into such a terrible fight and
II nearly annihilated. 18th La-Ililled
. officers and 81 men; wounded, Off
GERS and 1fS> men; missing, / Office,
/ and 242 men.
\ There was quite mistake made II
I reporting to Col. Lieb that this last