The National tribune., 1908-04-30
Stories Eminenty Worth Telling of Experiences and Adventures
in the Great National Struggle.

regiment As we were coming dowr
across the clover lot we received a vol
ley from some direction which wound
ed a number of our men. One, GeorSt
Ames was shot thru the hips, and lay
about halfway between us and tht
pike. Two of our men volunteered tt
go and bring him in, which they did
and took him to the hospital, where hC
died OF his wounds.
At the Ledge.
We stayed at the ledge some time
but the rebel artillery on their left com
menced throwing shells uncomfortable
close to us. We were moved back tc
the west onto lower ground, in the ole
pasture field, and lay down. After some
time, the shells commencing to hum
for us again, we moved forward into
the edge of West Woods and lay down
We were now in columns by companies
and lying on our faces. While we We're
here body of troops, said at the time
to have been Sedgwick's Division, came
marching into the woods from the north
thru the old pasture. Our Colonel says
there were three lines. If they were in
brigade front. that would indicate three
brigades. AS they came thru on oul
left they were between us and the
ledge of rocks we had just left, and as
we were lying down, I could not see
how far their line extended toward
the turnpike, but probably thru the
woods and into the clover field ad-
joining the pike. They were march
ing south and on a parallel line
with the pike, into the West Woods
They had no skirmish line in front, but
came on in magnificent style. solid lines
of infantry, with arms at right-shoulder
shift, flags flying and field officers rid
inp N he N lc hnt 10
1t was splendid sight. Soon after
they had disappeared from view in the
woods our Colonel ordered us up, and
lined us up along the same ledge of
rocks again to be ready for emergen-
cies.
Soon after we had lined up here we
heard, far in the depths of the woods,
the murderous volleys of musketry
which surprised and slaughtered Sedg-
wick's men. AS we stood there strain
ing our ears to catch the sounds of the
conflict, We heard another sound, as
near as 1 can describe it. AT first it
was like the breaking loose of great
Good of water. sweeping everything be-
fore it; it was simply mighty roar.
AS it came nearer we could distinguish
voices and shouts, the clanking of scab-
bards, guns and oaccouterments making
an awful din, when suddenly there burst
out of the woods close to us a rushing
tide of human life, rolling on and on. a
mass of individuals, while
riding around in this onrushing tide of
men were mounted officers, waving
swords which flashed in the sunlight.
and calling upon their men to halt,
while some bareheaded, with hats in
hand, were entreating the men to stop
and reform; but the flying mass car
ried horse and rider along With 1t. -
Now, L want to direct the attention
of the reader to two things here. One
is that these troops. whoever they were,
came out of the woods at the same
place where they entered, and kept on
a due north course across the open
pasture till they were lost to sight in
the brush and timber to the north. Sec
ond, there were no fleeing soldiers COM
ing across the little clover field between
us and the pike, nor none coming down
the pike that / saw. When the fleeing
troops first burst out sof' tffe> woods we
were standing at shoulder-arms. Col.
Hoffman said, STEADY, boys: steady,
boys" and when the mass of the fugi-
tiyes had passed us he gave the order
"Right-shouider shift arms; by the left
flank-marchi''
1t is said that Gen. Howard pointed
to us as we marched away as an ex-
ample to his fleeing men, and was heard
to say, Men, that is the way to leave a
field
Altho the pursuing rebels We're now
firing into the right of our regiment, we
went off the field deliberately, left in
front. We marched north a short dis
tance, and then. filing to the right, came
into the turnpike, passing between the
Miller barn and the straw stacks which
stood just south of the barn AS we
passed the stacks l could hear the bull
let's go zip-zip into the straw over our
heads. AS we were passing them I saw
quite number of our men lying around
them, who had crawled there for shell
ter; some of them appeared to be dead
The Sight In the Shed.
There was a shed attached to the
barn, with the open side towards the
road. When we got around so we could
see under IL, il, too, was full of dead
and wounded men. Some of them had
on artillery jackets, and were no doubt
members of gallant Battery b, 4th u
S. Art, which fought on the pike neal
here in the early part of the day
After reaching the pike We turned
north, and passed the Miller house on
our right. There was stone wall bor-
dering the pike on the east. which. after
an acute angle and turned to the east
When the left of our regiment reached
this angle the Colonel turned ii east
along this wall, and marched aboIt halt
the length of the regiment. He halted
US, and we front-faced; that is, we
faced the south. My company Cd was
just at the angle of the wall, so the
right companies of the regiment mus
have been on the pike and across il.
When We looked back towards ths
woods we saw a single Union soldier
walking deliberately thru the old field
from the woods, following the trail oi
his fleeing comrades. but his deli1erat'
movements showed that he still Lad lis
nerve with him. He was loading his
gun, and when il WAS accomplished III
deliberately turned, around and fred a
his pursuers, and then walked on, Will,
ali the time the rebel bullets wcr,
knocking up the dust all around him
We gave the brave fellow a cheer, anC
he soon disappeared in the brush anC
timber. going north in the direction hi.
comrades had taken. Who was tha
braye man?
About this time the pursuing rebei
reached the north edge of the woods
but very few of them came out int,
plain sight. Some of the men on tn,
right of the regiment fred on them
and some of my company also, restin,
their guns across the stone wall Th,
rebels went back into the woods ou
of sight. This was the last firing dom
on that part of the field that day.
No Artillery Fire.
The artillery did not open fire. Meth