The National tribune., 1910-02-10

It was only by the stubborn, reckless
fighting of those seasoned veterans that
they saved themselves from disaster,
and certainly saved Sherman from a
mortifying reverse.
There were two hills running paral-
lei with Camp Creek, north and south,
the first extending from near the Ooste-
naH1la River northward to within IS
yards of the wagon road running west
from ReSaca; the second hill was a lit
tie farther east and not quite SO long.
We of Woods Brigade were ordered
to take. and hold the first hill, but thru
the excitement of the advance never
even halted, but kept on over the hill
and on to the second one, 100 yards or
SO farther on, right, you might say,
into the arms of the enemy.
Then came the real tug of war. After
firing our guns we had no time to re-
load .(the enemy, either, for that mat
teri, so We went at each other with
bayonet and saber or with dubbed
guns Finally, as Gen. Logan says,
The enemy retreated," and the respite
gave Us time to gather together our
wits and reload our guns.
Owing 10 the fact that our brigade
had advanced farther than it was or
dered, our right flank was unprotected.
Gen. Giles A. Smith, with his brigade
of the Second Division, was to have
come up with us; but owing to his way
having been rougher and with marsh
of considerable extent to get thru, he
could not keep up with Woods Bri-
gade. who had somewhat fairer ground
to pass over. When Smith did get thru
the tangle and arrived at the hill, he
stopped where he was ordered to, and
this left US in bad fix.
The enemy rallied and came at US
again. The air was kissing, Shrek
ing. seething inferno of shot and shell.
II seemed for a space of two hours and
a half that no living thing could sur
vive that. horrible carnival.
Poor Gillispie was struck fair in the
face by cannon ball and his head cut
clear off his body. Sam Cooper and ]
we're knocked over by the conclusion
of bursting shell, and crawled to our
feet, looking for all the world like two
whipped puppies.
But they came again and yet again,
gathering strength by numbers from
other parts of the battlefield, hurting
themselves against that living wall of
devoted heroes, until at last the regi-
ment on our extreme right an Iowa
regiment that had lost in killed and
wounded all but a pitiful handful of
men. could stand ii no longer, and as
the enemy made what was by a mercy
its last but most vicious advance upon
us, began slowly to give ground. They
had reached the hollow between the
hills, and in another moment would
have been in full retreat, and our regi-
ment, the 27th Mo, being next TO them,
on the left, the 10th Ohio on our left,
would have to either bear the brInt of
a flank movement and an enfilading
fire or else retreat. too. 1t was a criti-
cal moment for all concerned. Realz-
ing our situation, and knowing that our
great chief, Sherman, was watching the
outcome OF the battle from the west
side Of Camp Creek while surrounded
by Gems. Mcpherson, Logan, Hooker
and Sickles and their Aids, some one
called out: Come on; the Johnnies are
retreating,"
Their officers took up the word. and
finally got the men twho were not at
all panic-stricken, but were as tho they
had been thrust under water and were
eudeavoring to get their heads above
so as 10 get a breath of fresh air) to
turn back.
We called out to them to load. and
as they came scrambling up the hill
every one Of them had managed, some
how, to shove load into his gun
When they arrived at the top of the
hill they ran right into the enemy. and
II was good thing that they had their
guns loaded. They poured deadly
fire into the enemy. In the meantime
the rest of US were not idle. We had
no time to watch those brave Iowans
struggle back up the hill. ] assure you
we had all we could do to hold our own
place on the firing line.
At this juncture Smiths Brigade and
another brigade commanded by Gen.
Lightburn arrived on the ground, and
that settled the question with the John
nies. They did retreat in earnest, and
that was the last we saw of them in
close proximity that day. They kept
up desultory firing till long into the
n ght, but that finally ceased, and in
the morning Johnston had his army on
the south side of the Oostenaula River
/ cannot help mentioning an incident
or TWO during the battle. One is that
sof a drummer boy of about 13 years
lyho had thrown his drum away and
took up gun. He had crouched down
behind Q large pine stump and was