andersonville-第80节

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us；　pile　knapsacks；　form　in　line；　fix　bayonets；　and　dash　off　with
arousing　cheer。

〃The　Rebel　fire　beat　upon　them　like　a　Summer　rain…storm；　the　ground　shook
with　the　noise；　and　just　as　we　reached　the　edge　of　the　cotton　field；　we
saw　the　remnant　of　the　brigade　come　flying　back　out　of　the　awful；
blasting　shower　of　bullets。　　The　whole　slope　was　covered　with　dead　and
wounded。〃

〃Yes；〃　interrupts　one　of　the　Fourteenth；　〃　and　they　made　that　charge
right　gamely；　too；　I　can　tell　you。　　They　were　good　soldiers；　and　well
led。　　When　we　went　over　the　works；　I　remember　seeing　the　body　of　a　little
Major　of　one　of　the　regiments　lying　right　on　the　top。　　If　he　hadn't　been
killed　he'd　been　inside　in　a　half…a…dozen　steps　more。　　There's　no　mistake
about　it；　those　regulars　will　fight。〃

〃When　we　saw　this；〃　resumed　the　narrator；　〃it　set　our　fellows　fairly
wild；　they　became　just　crying　mad；　I　never　saw　them　so　before。　　The　order
came　to　strip　for　the　charge；　and　our　knapsacks　were　piled　in　half　a
minute。　　A　Lieutenant　of　our　company；　who　was　then　on　the　staff　of　Gen。
Baird；　our　division　commander；　rode　slowly　down　the　line　and　gave　us　our
instructions　to　load　our　guns；　fix　bayonets；　and　hold　fire　until　we　were
on　top　of　the　Rebel　works。　　Then　Colonel　Este　sang　out　clear　and　steady
as　a　bugle　signal：

〃'Brigade；　forward！　　Guide　center！　MARCH！！'

〃and　we　started。　　Heavens；　how　they　did　let　into　us；　as　we　came　up　into
range。　　They　had　ten　pieces　of　artillery；　and　more　men　behind　the
breastworks　than　we　had　in　line；　and　the　fire　they　poured　on　us　was
simply　withering。　　We　walked　across　the　hundreds　of　dead　and　dying　of　the
regular　brigade；　and　at　every　step　our　own　men　fell　down　among　them。
General　Baud's　horse　was　shot　down；　and　the　General　thrown　far　over　his
head；　but　he　jumped　up　and　ran　alongside　of　us。　　Major　Wilson；　our
regimental　commander；　fell　mortally　wounded；　Lieutenant　Kirk　was　killed；
and　also　Captain　Stopfard；　Adjutant　General　of　the　brigade。　　Lieutenants
Cobb　and　Mitchell　dropped　with　wounds　that　proved　fatal　in　a　few　days。
Captain　Ugan　lost　an　arm；　one…third　of　the　enlisted　men　fell；　but　we　went
straight　ahead；　the　grape　and　the　musketry　becoming　worse　every　step；
until　we　gained　the　edge　of　the　hill；　where　we　were　checked　a　minute　by
the　brush；　which　the　Rebels　had　fixed　up　in　the　shape　of　abattis。　　Just
then　a　terrible　fire　from　a　new　direction；　our　left；　swept　down　the　whole
length　of　our　line。　　The　Colonel　of　the　Seventeenth　New　Yorkas　gallant
a　man　as　ever　lived　saw　the　new　trouble；　took　his　regiment　in　on　the　run；
and　relieved　us　of　this；　but　he　was　himself　mortally　wounded。　　If　our
boys　were　half…crazy　before；　they　were　frantic　now；　and　as　we　got　out　of
the　entanglement　of　the　brush；　we　raised　a　fearful　yell　and　ran　at　the
works。　　We　climbed　the　sides；　fired　right　down　into　the　defenders；　and
then　began　with　the　bayonet　and　sword。　　For　a　few　minutes　it　was　simply
awful。　　On　both　sides　men　acted　like　infuriated　devils。　　They　dashed　each
other's　brains　out　with　clubbed　muskets；　bayonets　were　driven　into　men's
bodies　up　to　the　muzzle　of　the　gun；　officers　ran　their　swords　through
their　opponents；　and　revolvers；　after　being　emptied　into　the　faces　of　the
Rebels；　were　thrown　with　desperate　force　into　the　ranks。　　In　our　regiment
was　a　stout　German　butcher　named　Frank　Fleck。　　He　became　so　excited　that
he　threw　down　his　sword；　and　rushed　among　the　Rebels　with　his　bare　fists；
knocking　down　a　swath　of　them。　　He　yelled　to　the　first　Rebel　he　met

〃Py　Gott；　I've　no　patience　mit　you；'　and　knocked　him　sprawling。
He　caught　hold　of　the　commander　of　the　Rebel　Brigade；　and　snatched　him
back　over　the　works　by　main　strength。　　Wonderful　to　say；　he　escaped
unhurt；　but　the　boys　will　probably　not　soon　let　him　hear　the　last　of

〃Py　Gott；　I've　no　patience　mit　you。'

〃The　Tenth　Kentucky；　by　the　queerest　luck　in　the　world；　was　matched
against　the　Rebel　Ninth　Kentucky。　　The　commanders　of　the　two　regiments
were　brothers…in…law；　and　the　men　relatives；　friends；　acquaintances　and
schoolmates。　　They　hated　each　other　accordingly；　and　the　fight　between
them　was　more　bitter；　if　possible；　than　anywhere　else　on　the　line。
The　Thirty…Eighth　Ohio　and　Seventy…fourth　Indiana　put　in　some　work　that
was　just　magnificent。　　We　hadn't　time　to　look　at　it　then；　but　the　dead
and　wounded　piled　up　after　the　fight　told　the　story。

〃We　gradually　forced　our　way　over　the　works；　but　the　Rebels　were　game　to
the　last；　and　we　had　to　make　them　surrender　almost　one　at　a　time。
The　artillerymen　tried　to　fire　on　us　when　we　were　so　close　we　could　lay
our　hands　on　the　guns。

〃Finally　nearly　all　in　the　works　surrendered；　and　were　disarmed　and
marched　back。　　Just　then　an　aid　came　dashing　up　with　the　information　that
we　must　turn　the　works；　and　get　ready　to　receive　Hardee；　who　was
advancing　to　retake　the　position。　　We　snatched　up　some　shovels　lying
near；　and　began　work。　　We　had　no　time　to　remove　the　dead　and　dying　Rebels
on　the　works；　and　the　dirt　we　threw　covered　them　up。　　It　proved　a　false
alarm。　　Hardee　had　as　much　as　he　could　do　to　save　his　own　hide；　and　the
affair　ended　about　dark。

〃When　we　came　to　count　up　what　we　had　gained；　we　found　that　we　had
actually　taken　more　prisoners　from　behind　breastworks　than　there　were　in
our　brigade　when　we　started　the　charge。　　We　had　made　the　only　really
successful　bayonet　charge　of　the　campaign。　　Every　other　time　since　we
left　Chattanooga　the　party　standing　on　the　defensive　had　been　successful。
Here　we　had　taken　strong　double　lines；　with　ten　guns；　seven　battle　flags；
and　over　two　thousand　prisoners。　　We　had　lost　terriblynot　less　than
one…third　of　the　brigade；　and　many　of　our　best　men。　　Our　regiment　went
into　the　battle　with　fifteen　officers；　nine　of　these　were　killed　or
wounded；　and　seven　of　the　nine　lost　either　their　limbs　or　lives。
The　Thirty…Eighth　Ohio；　and　the　other　regiments　of　the　brigade　lost
equally　heavy。　　We　thought　Chickamauga　awful；　but　Jonesboro　discounted
it。〃

〃Do　you　know；〃　said　another　of　the　Fourteenth；　〃I　heard　our　Surgeon
telling　about　how　that　Colonel　Grower；　of　the　Seventeenth　New　York；
who　came　in　so　splendidly　on　our　left；　died？　　They　say　he　was　a　Wall
Street　broker；　before　the　war。　　He　was　hit　shortly　after　he　led　his
regiment　in；　and　after　the　fight；　was　carried　back　to　the　hospital。
While　our　Surgeon　was　going　the　rounds　Colonel　Grower　called　him；　and
said　quietly；　'When　you　get　through　with　the　men；　come　and　see　me；
please。'

〃The　Doctor　would　have　attended　to　him　then；　but　Grower　wouldn't　let　him。
After　he　got　through　he　went　back　to　Grower；　examined　his　wound；　and　told
him　that　he　could　only　live　a　few　hours。　　Grower　received　the　news
tranquilly；　had　the　Doctor　write　a　letter　to　his　wife；　and　gave　him　his
things　to　send　her；　and　then　grasping　the　Doctor's　hand；　he　said：

〃Doctor；　I've　just　one　more　favor　to　ask；　will　you　grant　it？'

〃The　Doctor　said；　'Certainly；　what　is　it？'

〃You　say　I　can't　live　but　a　few　hours？'

〃Yes；　that　is　true。'
〃And　that　I　will　likely　be　in　great　pain！'

〃I　am　sorry　to　say　so。'

〃Well；　then；　do　give　me　morphia　enough　to　put　me　to　sleep；　so　that　I　will
wake　up　only　in　another　world。'

〃The　Doctor　did　so；　Colonel　Grower　thanked　him；　wrung　his　hand；　bade　him
good…by；　and　went　to　sleep　to　wake　no　more。〃

〃Do　you　believe　in　presentiments　and　superstitions？〃　said　another　of　the
Fourteenth。　　There　was　Fisher　Pray；　Orderly　Sergeant　of　Company　I。　　He
came　from　Waterville；　O。；　where　his　folks　are　now　living。　　The　day　before
we　started　out　he　had　a　presentiment　that　we　were　going　into　a　fight；　and
that　he　would　be　killed。　　He　couldn't　shake　it　off。　　He　told　the
Lieutenant；　and　some　of　the　boys　about　it；　and　they　tried　to　ridicule　him
out　of　it；　but　it　was　no　good。　　When　the　sharp　firing　broke　out　in　front
some　of　the　boys　said；　'Fisher；　I　do　believe　you　are　right；'　and　he
nodded　his　head　mournfully。　　When　we　were　piling　knapsacks　for　the
charge；　the　Lieutenant；　who　was　a　great　friend　of　Fisher's；　said：

〃Fisher；　you　stay　here　and　guard　the　knapsacks。'

〃Fisher's　face　blazed　in　an　instant。

〃No；　sir；'　said　he；　I　never　shirked　a　fight　yet；　and　I　won't　begin　now。'

〃So　he　went　into　the　fight；　and　was　killed；　as　he　knew　he　would　be。　　Now；
that's　what　I　call　nerve。〃

〃The　same　thing　was　true　of　Sergeant　Arthur　Tarbox；　of　Company　A；〃　said
the　narrator；　〃he　had　a　presentiment；　too；　he　knew　he　was　going　to　be
killed；　if　he　went　in；　and　he　was　offered　an　honorable　chance　to　stay
out；　but　he　would　not　take　it；　and　went　in　and　was　killed。〃

〃Well；　we　staid　there　the　next　day；　buried　our　dead；　took　care　of　our
wounded；　and　gathered　up　the　plunder　we　had　taken　from　the　Johnnies。
The　rest　of　the　army　went　off；　'hot　blocks；'　after　Hardee　and　the　rest　of
Hood's　army；　which　it　was　hoped　would　be　caught　outside　of　entrenchments。
But　Hood　had　too　much　the　start；　and　got　into　the　works　at　Lovejoy；　ahead
of　our　fellows。　　The　night　before　we　heard　several　very　loud　explosions
up　to　the　north。　　We　guessed　what　that　meant；　and　so　did　the　Twentieth
Corps；　who　were　lying　back　at　the　Chattahoochee；　and　the　next　morning　the
General　commandingSlocumsent　out　a　reconnaissance。　　It　was　met　by　the
Ma