Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-21
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lunch with him. In few minutes his
command would have been in motion for
the front.
If that had happened, and his corps had
vacated the space it then. held. there
would have been absolutely nothing but
the hospital tents and the wagon trains
to stop Hardee's command from falling
unheralded directly upon the rear Of the
18th and 18th Corps In line. Upon what
a slight chance then. hung the fate Of
Sherman's army that day, for though
such a catastrophe as this might not
have wrought entire destruction. it Is
plain 1t would have put an entirely dit
ferent phase on the battle.
X
Just here is a point upon which most
of the accounts Of the battle are wrong
They represent Dodges corps to have
been in motion. Fuller had bivouacked
there the previous night. Sweeny's COM
mand. while technically in motion, had
been halted, awaiting orders.
Just as Gen. Dodge was about to dis
mount to accept Gen. Fuller's hospitality
he heard firing in a ssOutheasterly direc-
ton, to the rear Of Gen. Sweeny's divi-
sion. He took no lunch. He was an in
tensely active, almost nervously restless,
officer. He saw In an instant that some
Gen Fuller orders to form his division
Immediately, facing enthusiastically,
and galoped of toward Sweeny's divi-
sion.
He had hardly reached that command
when Hardee's lines came tearing wildly
mons. AS if by magic, Sweeny's division
sprang into line. The two batteries Of
artillery Ooomis' and Laird's) had stop
ped on commanding ground, and they
quick eye saw the proper disposition to
be made Of a portion Of Col. Mersy's bril-
gade. and. cutting red tape, he delivered
his orders direct to the colonies Of the
regiments. The orders were executed in
stantiy. and the enemy's advance was
checked.
This act afterward caused trouble. Gen.
Dodge was not a West Point graduate.
and did not revere so highly the army
regulations as did Gen. Sweeny, who had
learned them as a cadet. Sweeny was
much hurt by Gen. Dodge's action in
giving orders direct to regimental COM
manders, and pursued the matter so far
few days after the battle. in which he
came near losing his life at the hands
of a hot-tempered officer. He was
placed in arrest. The court-martial, how
ever, did not consider his case until near
ly the end Of the war, when he was &C
The battle of Gen. Dodge's corps on this
open ground. with no works to protect
the troops Of either side, was one Of the
fiercest Of the war. Gen. podge's troops
were inspired by his courageous person
al presence. for he rode directly along
the lines, and must have been a con-
spicuous target for many a Confederate
gun. His sturdy saddle horse was worn
out early itf the afternoon, and was re-
placed by another. There was not
solder who did not feel that he ought
to equal his general in courage, and no
fight of the war exhibited greater per-
sonal bravery on the part of an entire
command than was shown here.
Nor can 1 restrain a tribute to the
bravery of the enemy. We had an ad-
vantage in artillery: they in numbers.
Their assaults were repulsed, only to
be fearlessly renewed. until the sight Of
dead and wounded lying in their way. as
they charged again and again to break
our lines. must have appalled, the stout
est hearts. So persistent were their on
slaughts that numbers were made pris-'
oners by rushing directly into our lines.
When Gen. Dodge rode from Gen. Full
ler's lunch toward the sound of the fir