Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1913-07-11

he Mississippi stronghold General
Johnston promptly reoccupied the town
| as a rallying point for forces which he
hoped to gather for an attack upon
Grants rear.
At the close of June four Confed-
crate divisions marched from that
point west and had advanced halfway
to the Federal besieging camp when
Johnston received news that the
place had surrendered. Returning to
In the timber. driving the Confederates
| back and slowly advancing until the
front line had gone to the edge Of some
timber that lay in front of their works
Colonel Pugh saw that to advance far
ther meant an assault or sure death In
open field. He ordered the men to lie
down to protect themselves from the
shells of the enemy. which were flying
overhead in lively manner Just then
an orderly rode up to General Lauman
and handed him an order. which he
read and Immediately sent Colonel
Pugh's column forward.
"0h. the Carnage Of That Hour"
What followed was described in a
narrative written by Colonel q. T. Lee
of the Forty first Illinois as follows:
Scarcely had the word been spoken
when the remnants Of these four old
regiments. about 800 men in all. moved
forward with terrific cheer that al
most made the earth tremble. For
ward they go. right into the jaws Of
death. for they are facing the famous
New Orleans light artillery. one Of the
finest batteries in the field: also Me-
bane's Tennessee battery, Cobb's Ken
lucky battery and General J. G. Brock
inridge's division Of veterans, behind
impregnable breastworks.
| "A section Of the Fifth Ohio battery
follows up the charge, and see those
gallant boys Every horse is killed.
land almost every man who belonged to
the battery has gone down in the strug-
gle to help out the infantry. We look
again and see the shattered line has
reached the breastworks, and some
have gone over them into the ranks Of
the enemy only to be made prisoners.
Colonel Pugh as soon as he could make
his voice heard above the din Of battle
gave the order for recall. But 1t was
too late. oh, the carnage of that hour,
the sad havoc of some officers mistakel
Out of those 900 who went In the
charge history gives the figures that
645 were killed and wounded. There
were few made prisoners of war who
had charged over the enemy's works. I"
Flags a Special Target.
The Federal regimental colors were
the special targets of the enemy's ar
tillery. The blue field flag of the For
ty-first Illinois had two Of its bearers
wounded and four killed. The last to
hold this flag was Sergeant Samuel B.
Hall Of Company F. He was wounded
twice. The last time he was shot he
fell near the Confederate works. The
Gag was sent to Richmond as a trophy
Of war and returned to the regiment In
1866. The color bearer Of the Fifty
third Illinois was Sergeant George
Poundstone of Ottawa. He carried his
dag almost to the breastworks.
When he saw that he was about to
be taken he said. "They can't get the
flag unless they get me-" Reaching
up he tore 1t from the STAFF and was
in the act Of putting 1t under his jack
ct when shell struck him. almost sew
ering his head from his body. This
flag went to Richmond with the 9th
ers and also returned. The recall was
sounded. and what was left of the gal
liant brigade rallied around the remain
ing colors. There were forty-seven
survivors of the Forty-frst Illinois.
some Of them slightly wounded. Ser
geant n. M. Streeter Of Argenta car
ried this flag. and with his 6agsta6
shot in two and the flag torn and rid
died with bullets and shells he brought
It OF the field in triumph.