Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-07-17

In the timber, driving the Confederates
back and slowly advancing until the
front lire had gone TO the edge Of some |
timber that lay in front Of their works.
Colonel Pugh saw that to advance far /,
Their 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 a lively manner. Just tbeI
an orderly rode up to General Lauman
and handed him an order. which be
read and Immediately sent Colone:
Pugh's column forward.
ooh, the Carnage of That Hour"
What followed was described in a
narrative written by Colonel E. 7. Lee
Of the Forty-frst Illinois as follows:
Scarcely had the word been spoken
when the remnants of these four old
regiments, about 900 men in all, moved
forward with a terrific cheer that al
most made the earth tremble. For
ward they go, right into the jaws o!
death. for they are facing the famous
New Orleans light artillery, one of thu
finest batteries in the field; also Ne
bane's Tennessee battery, Cobb's Ken.
lucky battery and General ]. c. Breck.
inridge's division Of veterans, behind
impregnable brea stworks.
"a section of the Fifth Ohio battery
follows up the charge, and see those
gallant boys. Every horse is killed.
and almost every man who belonged t.
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 breasUworks, 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 d. Of battle
gave the order for recall. But it was
! too late. Oh, the carnage of that hour,
! the sad havoc Of some officers mistake!
! Out Of those 300 who went in the
! charge history gives the figures that
/ Gas were killed and wounded. There
were few made prisoners of war who
had charged over the enemy's works"
Flags a Special Target.
the special targets of the cnemy's ar
tillery. The blue field flag of the For
| ty-frst Illinois had two Of its bearers
wounded and four killed. The last to
hold this flag was Sergeant Samuel b.
Hall of Company Z He was wouaGed
twice The last time he was shot he
fell near the Confederate works. The
flag was sent to Richmond as a trophy
of war and returned to the regiment i'll
1866. The color bearer of the Fifty
third Illinois was Sergeant George
Poundstoue of Ottawa. He carried his
flag almost TO the breaStVOrks.
When he saw that he was about &c
be taken he said. They can't get the
flag unless they get me" Reaching
u. he tore it from the staff and was
in the act Of putting it under his jack
ct when a shell struck him. almost sew
ering his head from his body. This
flag went 10 Richmond with the 9th
ers and also returned. The recall was
sounded. ard what was left OF the gal
liant brigade rallied around the remain
ing colOrS. There We're fOrty-SeveI
survivors OF the Forty-first Illinois
some Of them slightly wounded. Ser
geant II. NJ. Strecter of Argcnta car
ried this flag and with his flagstaff
shot in two and the Gag torn and rid
died with bullets and shells be brOugh
it OF the fed in triumph.
over twO-tEirds Of the men who haC
gone into the charge had been killed
and wounded or taken prisoners. Gen
eral Lauman was placed under arrest
He demanded an investigation. BIZ
died without any being made. He al
ways said that he was not to blam
for the great loss Of his men.
Other Events of the Week.
Fifty years ago. July s. General job,
II. MOrgaa's raiders. $500 strong. wit
ten cannon. crossed the Ohio river int
Indiana. On July 8 the Confederat
fortified post at Port Hudson, La
sassSS~=>---GN