Chapter 81

CHAPTER LXXXI

During the night our regiment became separated, the left of the regiment moved by the left flank under command of Col. Craig whilst the right moved by the right flank under command of Col. Pardee, thus forming a gap in the center of the regiment.  After moving around for a considerable time in the dark, a number of the boys getting within the rebel lines and with great difficulty escaped being captured, the regiment was again brought together.

We were at once placed in line and ordered to keep a sharp look-out for fear that the enemy might move on us and drive us from our position.  Soon after we were placed in line Serg’t Schroyer came up and inquired “why, we were facing towards the rear?”

This question caused considerable of a discussion in the ranks and finally ended in persuading the Sergeant that he was wrong, whereupon he took his position in line and faced in the same direction that we did.

As soon as the first sign of the approach of day was heralded by the soft gray tints in the eastern sky, the enemy fired a volley over our heads, and causing such a right-about face as we never before witnessed.  Schroyer’s position had been correct, and here we had been laying all night with our backs towards the enemy.

We proceeded at once to build a line of works, and never did men work with a better effect, and by ten o’clock we had a line of breast-works finished that proved admirable protection against the bullets of the enemy.

We remained in our works until about 8 o’clock, p. m., a continuous fire being kept up all the time     between the skirmishers, and who were about as strong as an ordinary line of battle, at which time we moved to the rear in a ravine, where we were ordered to get our dinner, it being the first opportunity we had of cooking a morsel of food for fully twenty-eight hours.  It did not take us very long to prepare a supper of fried beef, crackers and coffee, nor to dispose of it either.

After eating, we were informed that we would remain in out present place over night.  No sooner was this made known, than we spread our blankets upon the ground and soon had stretched our cramped and weary limbs out upon them.  In the mean time the firing in our front became more general, the balls “zipping” harmlessly over our heads, but the number of wounded men that were carried back past us, attested to the accuracy of the aim of the Johnnies.

The night passed away without anything more serious than a number of false alarms, caused by the rapid firing every time the pickets were relieved.  In the morning, after breakfast, we were moved up in the works and relieved the regiment that had taken our place in the evening.  The rebels observing that something un­usual was going on, opened upon us with a volley from their breast-works, to which our regiment promptly responded.

No sooner had the firing ceased than the air was filled with the most sickening smell that it ever was our lot to come in contact with.  It was caused by the bullets striking the dead bodies which had laid exposed to the hot sun between the two lines for two days.  An attempt had been made by our officers under a flag of truce, to secure the burial of the slain, but owing to the fact that many of our men had fallen within an easy stone’s throw of the rebel works, they did not, deem it prudent to allow this, as it would have given our officers a better knowledge of their position.

The regiment which we had relieved had scarcely got back to the ravine where we had rested during the night, ere the rebels opened upon them with a battery, one shell killing and wounding quite a number of the men.

We remained in the works all day and night, continually har­assed by the firing of the enemy, being compelled to keep our heads down behind the works for as soon as a part of the body was exposed it would prove a target for rebel bullets.  On the morning of the 28^th of May, Saturday, we were relieved and moved back to the ravine again.  Here we remained during the day, glad to be allowed to stretch out our cramped up limbs.

It was during the time that we laid here that Serg’t. Witherspoon of Company B, was killed while in the act of bringing water to cook his dinner.  The unfortunate man was fully three ­fourths of a mile from the rebel lines thus showing how far an Enfield rifle was able to do effective service.  Although not a member of our company, the loss at the Sergeant was felt by our boys, owing to our friendly relations with his company.

The following day, being Sunday, May 29, we were expecting to be mov­ed back into the works.  In this we were doomed to disappointment, but by 10 o’clock, a. m., from the unusual hustle and activity among the aids and orderlies, we knew that something more than ordinary was contemplated and our suspicions were soon put to rest by the orders which we received from regimental head-quarters, to the effect to “be ready to move upon the enemy’s works at one o’clock.”

This was indeed a trying moment for the nerves of the boys, for well they knew that an attempt to carry the enemy’s works would be followed by a fearful slaughter, and would in all probability end in a miserable failure in the end, but then it was not our privilege to ask the reason why, it was ours only to do or die.  The regiments were already drawn up in line, and we tremblingly awaited the command to move forward.

General Sherman had heard of the intended charge of General Hooker’s troops and had humanely countermanded the rash order, and thus no doubt saved the lives of thousands of the 20^th Corps.  When the order coun­termanding the charge was read to us, the elongated faces of the men soon assumed the wonted smiles, and old W. Tecumseh at once became a great commander.

In the night the enemy made an attempt to carry our works by an assault but which proved a miserable failure, the enemy was severely punished.  In the morning the 30^th of May, we were again moved up into the breast-works and kept under fire which was very severe, the enemy endeavoring to re­taliate on us for their loss on the previous night.

Immediately in our front stood a large oak free, a little in advance of the skirmish line and from behind which ten soldiers were shot, and from this it was named the “Fatal Tree.”

We remained under fire until Wednesday June 1^st, when we were relieved by a Division belonging to the 15^th Army Corps.  It was here that we first saw General John A. Logan, he was dressed in a blouse and cavalry pantaloons, looking almost as rough as we did, and would have been readily taken for a line officer had it not been for his fine, commanding appearance which was added to by a heavy black mustache and a pair of piercing black eyes.  Our attention was at once called to him and asking one of his escort who he was, we received in reply: “That, sir, is fighting Johnny Logan.”

After we were relieved, we moved back out of range of the enemy’s bul­lets and moving towards the left of our line, a move was commenced that was destined to end in driving the Rebel Army from their stronghold and to assist in gaining for General Sher­man the reputation of being one of the leading strategists of modern times.