Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1912-07-05
"Form Your Company"

colored troops from the Ninth Corps.
and we crossed to the south side Of
tho Appomattox river. n formed q
part of Hartranft's Division, Ninth
Corps. Our winter quarters were In
a depression a little north Of the Avery
House, division headquarters.
The night of March 24-25 was fog
gy and damp. The smoke Of smoul
dering campfires hung low; all night
long the usual crackle of the muskets
of the pickets kept VI. punctuated
with an occasional "hee-haw" Of the
army mules. We slept fully clothed
About 4:30 a. m. l was awakened by
an occasional cannon shot, more in.
tense crackle Of musketry-nearly
volley iring-and the rebel yell. ]
thought best to get ready for trouble.
and, without waking my messmates.
II took the three canteens and went to
a low spot In b eswale, where we had
a pork barrel SUM in the mud, and
filled the canteens with water. When
I returned to the hut a mounted ON
Ger or orderly Tin the darkness !
could not determine which, galloped
by from division headquarters. and az
he passed shouted: Form your com.
pany. and double-quick for Fort Sted.
man. Don't wait for anybody"
The company (B) was quickly
formed, and we started for the fort.
To the left rear Of Fort Haskell we
ran into the rebel skirmishers. We
then lay down and began firing. Our
line was nearly at right angle to our
main line OF works and our left about
100 yards to the rea of Fort Haskell.
Mortar shells were dropping, by the
ton, at an angle from the left, and
shrapnel from the same general d.
rection; mimic balls and. later, CAMS
ter, from our own cannon, which had
been captured at Fort Stedman and
turned On US, from the front.
Fort Haskell vas a rim OF fire to
the north and west. In the darkness
we could not determine II or not the
foe raj in possession of Fort Haskell.
AS daylight approached a slight air
movement made a rift in the pail OF
smoke over Fort Haskell, and we
could see Old Glory waving from its
ramparts. 1t looked good. and, oh
how we did cheer! The starry dag
never before looked so good.
1t is a matter OF official record that
the 2OSth Pennsylvania was the frst
regiment to charge the line of the en-
envy, and cleared the rebels out OF our
line from Fort Haskell to Fort Sted-
man, recapturing Batteries IL and IA
and capturing $50 prisoners. Scott
Eckert (Co. b. was the first man back
in Fort Stedman, and he was followed
h,v tha r;ub& ~ o,1p ro0lrnopS 44
The order to charge" reached
Lieut.-Col. Heintzelman Is to 20 min
utes after we had regained full o
session OF the works. When the or
der to charge was given I was on my
knees, opening a box of ammunition.
Many of the men were out Of car
tridges and were taking from car
fridge boxes of the wounded and dead.
Your description Of the close and
deadly fighting does not paint he
word-picture as red as conditions JUS
titled. 1t wal the first place I saw
footprints Of men in puddles of hui
man blood. Blood was on my boots
when the fighting ended. It was hell!
When we gained full possession Of
the works firing ceased.
The muzzles Of the guns In Fort
Stedmap we're not 200 yards distant
from their main line of works. We
had a picket line about half distant.
and had crowded their picket line into
their works.
When We gained full possession Of
the works firing ceased, and the reb-
els put up a flag OF truce, to gather
their wounded from between the lines.
AS quickly as the smoke lifted We
dropped our guns and held UP haver-
sacks, and started, for u picket line
10 swap rations for tobacco" Rebel
officers standing on their works mo-
toned and shouted: go back to your
works. We will open fire." We re-
Piled: Shoot. We want tobacco"
Preparatory for the spring campaign
all suffers had been ordered to the
rear at City Point. and We were out II
tnhaccs