The National tribune., 1909-02-11

of the enemy in its immediate rear.
Gen. John w. Geary, commanding the |
Second Division, Twentieth Corps. tells |
the story of this in his Official Report /
as follows:
'The position occupied by the enemy |
was one strongly intrenched on an ir- |
regular conglomerate of hills. with
spurs running in every direction. The
general direction of their main lines
of intrenchnents on these hills inclined
northeastward toward bend in the |
Connesauga River forming a refused
right flank to their army. On most of
the elevations they had batteries, pro-
tected by earthworks of various de-
scriptions, and so disposed as to sweep
in every direction the lines of approach.
The very irregular formation OF the
ground gave the enemy unusual facili- |
ties for cross-firing and enfilading the
ground to be passed over, and they, in |
posting both their artillery and infan- |
try, availed themselves fully of these |
advantages. The hills. steep and rough, |
were thickly wooded; the narrow ra-
vines between generally cleared. I'm
mediately in front of the position on
which my command formed for the
attack small road passed down mar
row ravine, running from the enemy's
main line to the Dalton road. Every
thing being in readiness the advance
was ordered. Ireland's Brigade crossed
ravine and a hill swept by the enc
my's artillery and musketry fire, and
drove the enemy impetuously from an
other hill, and, turning q little to the
right, charged with wild, ringing cheers
for the capture of battery, which from
| key position was dealing death on
every side. At the same moment on
| Ireland's left portion of Butterfield's
| Division vas racing with him for the
same deadly prize. The advance OF both
| commands reached the battery nearly
| together, the 111th Pa. of Ireland's
Brigade, under Col. George A Gotham,
| leading and forcing it's way thru the
| jaws of death, till they had their hands
| upon the guns and their colors on the
| earthworks, from which part of the
| gunners had been driven and the rest
| killed or captured. This work was a
sunken one at the crest of the HILL and
open toward its rear. Twenty yards in
rear was line of strong breastworks,
| from which a deadly shower of bullets
| poured around ard into the battery,
| rendering it impossible for men to live
there. Gotham, with that cool and ac-
| curate judgment which never forsook
| him. formed his line, now augmented
by other portions Of the brigade. within
| Is yards of the guns. where by the
| formation of the ground his troops were
| less exposed 20 the terrible fire. while
at the same time his own muskets COW
cred tine battery from the front. Dur
| ing the advance Of 1reland's Brigade a
| body of troops from another division,
sweeping thru the brigade. had severed
/ it, and by my orders all of il, excepting
| three regiments, were posted in re-
serve. and Col. Gotham was directed
| to take command OF the three regi-
ments, which had now silenced and
held under command of their guns the
battery. Three regiments of Busch
beck's Brigade, which had advanced
gallantly, driving the enemy from two
hills on the left Of Gotham. were not
| far from him. With these three regi-
nents Col. Locknlan was now ordered
| to report to Col. Gotham, which he did
promptly.
| Between and p. m. I received or
| ders from Maj.-Gen. Hooker, command
| ing the corps. to relieve whatever of
| Gen. Butterfield's Division was then
holding position in the front line. Half
| of my Second and Third Brigades We're
| then with Gotham. From the remain
| der of my command the order was at
| once complied with, and all Gen. But
| terfield'S troops We're relieved, and by
| the direct order of Mai.-Gen. Heoksr,
as well as my own, Col. Gotham was di-
rected to make every effort TO secure
and bring off the battery in his front.
| To this end l sent him as reinforce
! ments the 5th Ohio from Candy's Bri-
gaze ana other regiments from the Sec
| ond and Third Brigades, numbering in
! all 10 regiments. and invested him with
| full command of all the troops at that
| isolated point. I had now sent him one-
| half of my entire division. Our lines
were now strengthened and established
| in readiness for further operations. Gen.
Williams's Division being formed en-
tirely on my left and Gen. Butterfield's
Division being wholly withdrawn and
posted in reserve. Musketry fire was
kept up during the afternoon and night,
and strong works We're thrown up on
| the hills occupied by our main lines.
Cobham's Stormy Place.
"In the isolated position held by Cob
| ham it was impossible to- erect even a
| slight barricade without receiving a
| terrible fire from the enemy, so feet
| distant. In front of my left and Will
| liams's right was a long, cleared field
occupying two hills and a narrow ra-
vine, and extending to a wooded hill
| on which was the enemy's main line
In front of my right was field occu-
pying "a long. wide rayine, extending
| from the right of my line to a cleared
hill on which was also the enemy's main
| line. Thru this ravine ran the road pre-
viously referred to- Across the ravine
to my right were lines of intenchmeats
held by the Fourth Corps and facing
I