The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-01-31
INTERESTING STORY.
The Battle of Champin's Farm; Last
Charge on Fort Harrison.

had gone to roost, but being very
could get a place to lay our weary
bones. We were dreaming of home,
but soon awoke to a realization of
our condition. The bugle sounded
quite early that morning, (Which
caused much mourning before the
day was out) for the deadly fray,
which we had anticipated as we be-
gan to realize we were yet among
the living.
Activity commenced Immediately.
We were dealt with a pick and shov
ell to commence our breast works,
which we threw up hastily in prepar-
alton for action. The officers with
their swords had cut down the su-
gar cane and corn for about a hun
dred feet or more. This being finish
ed, those four or five thousand men
of the Confederates who had volun-
teered to take that fort back, under
the promise of a forty days fur
Tough, were making ready under the
impression that the promise would
be fulfilled, (sad to say it was to
many Of them their everlasting fur
Tough from which they never re-
turned.) Their line of battle con-
sisted of two lines of Confederates
about ten or fifteen feet apart, with
reserve following, so they made
their desperate rush with Lee and
Ewell looking on. Such a moving
mass of humanity, soon to scatter
their remains on the ground and
| their spirit to the God who gave it.
All was quiet until they came
to the rise of ground on which the
fort stood, then that vast column
| of men began to scatter over the
ground as the musketry and artil-
lery opened upon them with deadly
destruction. Our men had fourteen
carbine shooters. We couldn't see
how they could stand such a rain of
deadly missiles; we were astonish-
ed to see such herosm. Our regi-
ment extended from the fort to
about a quarter of a mile along to
the left of the fort, therefore our
causalties were not very great in
this conflict.
Three times the Confederates made
a charge and desperate as they were
they got repulsed each time. This
so discouraged them that they threw
down their arms and came in out of
danger. Those prisoners told of the
forty days furlough and of getting
a mixture of drinks which made
them kind of crazy and savage. AS
they were willing to give up the con-
tention, our officers promised them
a longer furlough than Lee had.
About three o'clock, some of our
| in1 hn flo 1ir
tance from the fort and asked those
fellows to come and get it, but they
had no desire now as it was too
risky.
Our regiment being just outside
OF the fort, stretched along in front
of it to the left, we would catch all
of the brunt of the charge, and we
were fully prepared for it. Just as
they got in motion and were about
to emerge in sight, they were dis
| covered by one of our officers who
mounted the parapet and gave us
warning of their Intentions Then
a great shout went up along our
line which appalled, them. remem-
Der that on that occasion our voices
were more like heavy artillery roll
ing and vibrating through the air,
and theirs as much like the rattle
of musketry, that the different
sound was apparent, and I couldn't
help from exclaiming, Tell your
mothers to put you in your little
beds" / didn't make the remark
because l was any braver than any
other, but because 1 didn't wish to
see any more slaughter, as it had
really excited pity within me, for
will acknowledge that l was Won
dering how the folks were at home
and was very much pleased that the
Confederates had changed their
minds. Well, the horrors of this day
ended, and all was we'll with us but
how was it with the dependent upon
the slain mourning for their lov-
ed ones?
For two days the wounded lay on
the ground with the dead, as they
would not honor our flag of truce
On the third day we were allowed to
remove the wounded and bury the
dead. There were but a few wound.
ed left. We will withhold their suf.
fering condition, and now tell what
we saw on the battle field.
I think it was William Sylvester
Gibbs who went out with us to
where we were burying the dead
Laying there in rows were some oi
the finest fellows we ever saw, and
we wondered why it was so. While
thus thinking, Gibbs called my atten,
tion to some bushes right in front oi
them. We squatted behind them
and saw that the bushes would hide
us from the fort but would not stoI
those missiles of death, or shield the
body, as they fired very low. 1 took
a belt with a splendid plate c. S. A
up it and an English rifle off of q
dead confederate's box. think
Mr.. w. S. Gibbs took a carbine which
he brought home with him. Mr.
Gibbs now lives at Maplewood, this
county, and was as good a soldier
as we had in our company. We
lay along those lines until Novem.
ber 23rd, then we went to help out
some new regiments, which if we
had failed would have been one oi
the worst blows that had yet hap.