The National tribune., 1908-04-16


the enemy it was found that they were
rock-fast in their belief in Lees retreat,
and contributed the alarms to the tim
idity and inexperience Of men whom
they supposed had never seen war on
any such scale as had the officers Of
the Army Of the Potomac. Gen. How
ard himself, as before stated, was alb
sent from headquarters, having gone
with Barlow's Brigade over toward
Sickles. nlVon elisa and Mclean did not
relax their vigilance, however, but kept
their men under arms, their pickets
well advanced, and were the only
troops in readiness when the storm
broke. The young leaves on the trees
were now out far enough to obscure
the view of the pickets except for a
short distance. and these could have
little indication of the approach of the
enemy. The first warning came from
the swarms of rabbits, wild birds. deer
and foxes running and flying before
the heavy line of men advancing thru
the woods.
jackson Strikes.
1t was 5 o'clock in the afternoon be-
fore Jackson gave the signal to Gen.
Rodes to begin the advance, and at Sis
the whole left wing was in full move
ment. The companies of sharpshooters.
under Lieuts. Searles and Boecke, on
either side of the turnpike, were first
struck. and as the sound of musketry
rose all further attempt at concealment
was abandoned Bugles rang out along
Jackson's whole line. the officers no
longer restrained their words of COM
mand, and the impatient Confederates
made the woods ring with their wild
yells. Two pieces of Stuart's horse ar
tillery galloped down the pike and fired
two shots, one striking near where
Devens was lying down and the other
cut thru the trees near McLean's posi-
ton. What followed is best and most
truthfully told by DR.. Hamlin in his
previously quoted work, "The Battle of
charlottesville
I'm the meantime the enemy had
marched steadily down the road. and
in the woods had captured the two guns
on picket, were enveloping Won elisa.
and were then pouring a hot fire into
the men on the pike attempting to
change front The two pieces of artil-
lery stationed in the road were fired
several times into the masses of the
Confederates advancing UP the road
and in the woods beside it, but the
officer in command soon saw that fur
ther resistance was useless, and ordered
his men to timber up their guns and
retreat. Before they could escape out
of range the men of the 4th Ga. shot
down the horses and captured the ar
tillery. The two small regiments in the
road facing south, the 41st and 45th ~.
Y, were exposed to a whitening fire
both in flank and rear. and soon broke
up. unable to return a shot to the enc
my's attack. About 800 of them crossed
to the, north side of the road and Joined
the rear of the $3.50 Pa, and formed
with their thin line the only force then
presenting a front to Jackson's over
whelming army. With these men added
to the 153d Pa. and the 54th n. Y, Won
elisa had only about 1000 men to meet
Jackson's three lines of battle adpanc-
ing against him and extending a mile
beyond either flank. The brave and
sturdy Teuton bade his men to stand
firm, and theytpoured volley into the
foe so effectually that the first line OF
Rodes's Division was severely stagger-
ed and stopped, so that the second line
of DColston's Division advanced and at
tackled Won elisa, but Won Gilsa's line
on both tanks had been turned by the
first line of Rodess Division. and there
was no alternative for the Federal
troops but flight: or surrender. Not un-
til his troops had fired three rounds did
Won GilsR order them to retire, and
then both of his staff officers were shot
down while giving the order to retreat.
oyon elisa Routed.
"Von elisa and the wrecks of his
line of battle fell back thru the woods
on the NORTH of the pike. until they
came to the 18th Ohio, drawn up in line
in the woods north of the pike 400 yards
in the rear. a few of Won Gilsa's men
halted and Joined the 18th, which at
tempted, without support. to resist the
attack of two full brigades of the enc
my The 18TH Ohio had been stationed
81 rIr.I but
as soon as the attack on Won elisa com
about 700 yards distant, the
brave Col. Reilly ordered his regiment
to change front, and without orders
advanced thru the woods to assist Won
elisa; but on passing about 200 yards
beyond the Ely Ford path he met the
wrecks of the First Brigade returning,
some of whom rallied with him. A
after they were attacked in
front and on both TANKS by the regi-
ments of two brigades, while two of
Stuarts guns on the pike raked them
with canister. For 10 minutes this
brave regiment, with its few rallied sup
ports, attempted to breast the attack. |
so as to give the division time to deploy
in their rear. but in this short space of
time and in spite of a sturdy resist |
ance the regiment was utterly wrecked. |
The Colonel was killed, the Adjutant
struck down while firing three rounds |
No troops in the world could fight and |
live in such position.
"The survivors of this brief conflict
500 yards in the rear, to the |
line then hastily formed in front of the |
ralley House. This new line of resist |
ance was formed by the 25th Ohio, |
which had been held as a reserve in
front of the Talley House, and which |
had changed front and had been rein
'orced by some of the men of Won Gill |
;a's Brigade, and the two regiments |
stationed on the road facing south, who |
had been driven out of their position
,y the taking fire along the pike Across ,
he road and behind the Tailey House |
he 18th Conn. was deployed, and at
tempted to cover that flank, but Jack |
sons artillery moved down the pike. |
and poured out rapid canister fire at
short range, and three Confederate bri- |
IT was no longer fight. but a massacre. |
rhe Federal troops had no better chance
for resistance than had Custer and his |
men before the concentric fire of the |
Sioux Indians, and had they remained |
10 minutes longer the result would |
have been the same-annihilation After |
a desultory struggle of 10 or Is minutes |
every mounted officer was struck down. |
and the fragments of the Federal line |
broke in confusion and retreated rapid |
ly and tumultpously towards the !
church, where Gen. Schurz was forming |
or had formed the regiments OF his divi- |
sion in the second position of defense of
the corps. Flight or destruction were |
the only alternatives to the remnants
Of Devenss Division, and as they rushed |
3