Year: 1863

10 be considered by him tho light OF strdo With tho
GOODNESS and skifunees Of veteran OF hundred eau
pssus, he set TO work making his dispositions he haa
not single regiment within his reach to support his art
leryi whipplc falling back, and must meet the ap
preaching stampede his force in retreat Brney
Gar out in the advance r imminent danger Of oens
completely surrounded and arnihated the rebel forces
were pressing hard upon the flying Germans, who could
only escape by rushing his lines with every pros
pest Of communicating the panic to them. IL was =
critical moment indeed, and one that mish' wa
stasgcr even the brayest hearted But u'u
not slsggcr the citizen soldier. Calling to one
after another Of his stat, no sem lne"i "'
or one after tho other, lest any shouts ia VI ge''ng
through 10 warn Brney OF his danger aud order him to
fall back Thcn, turning to Gen. Peasonion, ne drected
him to take charge OF the artillery and train all upon
the woods encrclug the aeld and support it with bis
cavalry TO hold the rebels check should they
him. and himself dashed Off to meet whipple then just
emors ng from tho woods in the bottom land. He had
scarcely turned horse when the flying Germans
came dasng the ded In crowds, meeting the head
OF whipples column and stampedng through his lines,
running only men do run when convinced that sure
destruction is awaiting them. At the same moment


rge o. the rebel infantry came dashng through
the woods the north and west close up to the field,
and opened tremendous are OF musketry into the
fused OF and animals To add to the confusion
aud of occasion, night rapidly approach
ing ana da kness already beginning to obscure all
things


rnR PANIC.


must frankly confess that have ability to do jus
tice the that followed It was my lot to be 10
tho centre of that field when the panic burst upon
Nay be witness TO another such scene. On one
hand was a solid column Of infantry retrea,ing at
double quick from tho face of the enemy who
were already crowding their rear; on the
other dense mass or beings who had
lost their reasoning faculties, and were flying
from thousand fanced dangers as well as from the real


danger crowded close upon them agyravatin the
fearfuncss their situation by the very preciptancy
with which they seeking 70 escape from It, On the
hill were ten thousand of the enemy, pouring their
voeys in upon u.s. yelling and hoong. to increase
tie alarm confuson hundreds OF cavalry horses left
rcress a, tho first discharge the rebels dash
Ing ranticay about in all directions; Of batteries
OF artillery thrown into disorder, some properly
Manned seeking to gain positions for effective duty and
others flying from dcld battery wagons, ambulances,
horses men, cannon, cassons, all jumbled and tumbled
together in apparently inextricabe mass, and that
murdorons fire still pouring in upon them. To add to the
of the occasion there but OF escape
tho deid and that through little narrow neck
raviac washed by scot's creek. Towards this the
confused mass plunged headlong For moment 1t
seemed If power could avert the frightfuI calamity
that threatened the entire army. That neck passed,
and this paE trhen, dsordered body Of men and ami
permitted TO pass down through the other corps OF
the army destruction But in the midst Of
that widest alarm there cool head That threaten.
ell calamity avered by the determined sefpossesson
MAJOR General Daniel E. sckes. spurring his horse
he forced his way through the tangled mass and
entered this neck Across this neck there
strong brick WALL behind which the forces OF Generals
Williams Berry had already thrown themselves pre-
para,ory To meeting the enemy On one flank OF the
wall the deeply sunken bed the creek impossible
fer species OF vehcle and scarcely safe for men, At
the upper cad the wall was narrow gateway, the
only opening be found TO this point General sicles
picked his way, and there drawing his sword, blocked
the passage with himself and horse. On came the
panic stricken crowd, terrified artillery riders spur
ring and lasbing their horses TO their. utmost;
iieriess horses dashng along regardless Of all obsta
cics ambunnces ursesng and being dashed 70 pieces
against trees and sumps; flying and crying with
aiarm-a rerfect torrent Of passion apparently
troi'abIe. But against all the brave General threw
himself, and by his determined bravery brought the
nrst heavy cannon drawn by six horses well
mouuted-to halt, and blockaded the passage others
dashed up behind and crowded upon the nrst, their
drivers cuFsng and swearing and calling to the foremost
90 The loose horses jumped the stone WALL the
flying scrambled Is, utterly obvious TO the ac
that the opposite crowded with whose lives
thus douby endangered But by the blockade OF the
passage the stampede q the artillery and cavalry
had been principally checked Once halted, reason be-
gan return TO those VINO had previously lost II, and
much OF the artillery, properly manned, was quickly
brought back upon the neld.


rLxAsANroN CHECKS THE REsKs


In the meantime Pieasanon In obedience 10 the orders
received General Sckles bad mustered three
Of the batteries and busy employed pouring grape
and canister into the woods that were filed with the
reheis Everv movement oNcctiva forca of piecea
was increased by cannoniers recovering from
their fright and returning to duty, 90 that by
the time the stampede was finally checked be
had at least twenty-five pieces bearing directly
uYon the enemy In all directions about the
field. and al close range that every discharge
took effect, not upon two but upon dozens. The
slaughter here mus, have been beyond count. We have
to believe that nearly the whole not the entire
bdy, Of H's force In the attack upon that little
field which must have filed the woods Such inces.
SAINT fire from many pieces, and into dense mass
could not have produced any ordinary limit Of slaughter
But II being now quite dark, and never reganed
entire possession OF the woods where the enemy the
thckest we have means ofknowng how the great the
Slaughter II suficient 10 know that the enemy
held check, md slckles' gallant corps had op
portuny to rally from the disastrous effects Of the
fu stampede Of the Eleventh corps.


END OF PANIC.


10, here finish with the Eleventh corps. They did
not all y across sickics line. They dispersed aud
In alt directions regardless Of the order Of their going
They all seemed possessed with instructive idea OF tho
shortest aud direct line from the point whence they
started the United States ford, and the majority OF
item dd stop utti they had reached the ford Many
them, reaching the river dashed IN and the
north sde and Supposed to be runhhg yet As
as General Hoo hcad Of the panic established line
gnsscs the reads and stopped all who DO
upon the highways bat by far the greater portion
never thought Of the roads but dashed through the
wo until they reached tho river II with
privsies with officers The stampede universal
disgrace general The ugitivcs picked up the
next day wherever found and the corps reformed
but has not since been taken into action