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had not been moved from the
river, were brought into action, and in front of our wearied ranks.
The gunboats also opened their broadsides upon the enemy, and
rained down a storm of shot, grape and shell which has no precedent
in the records of artillery warfare. The thunder was terrific.
It seemed as though all the elements of destruction in nature
had united their power, rage and violence. The rebels at first
lay flat, but finally retreated. Their men who were captured
tell incredible stories about the effect of our fire; such as
that a shell from one of our mortars, falling among a dense mass,
killed and wounded one thousand men.
"Buell's forces began to come in about dark,
and during the night our plans were arranged for the next day.
In the morning our Generals made the attack simultaneously along
the whole line of the enemy. General Lew. Wallace, with his Division
on the right, the Third Brigade under General
Whittlesey, being on the right of the Division. General Wallace
kept the Brigade in partial concealment from the enemy, to meet
the purposes of the rebels in flanking the right. This was a
very painful position, and a trying one to the soldiers. It made
it necessary that we should remain part of the time inactive,
under the fire of the rebel batteries and infantry. Thus exposed
to all the dangers of the conflict, and surrounded by all its
terrors, and at the same time deprived from the stimulus of the
excitement which results from an active participation in the fight,
is truly a trying position.
"The expected attempt of the enemy to outflank
the right was finally made; when they found that our center, against
which they had been directing their main efforts, could not be
broken, they brought up rapidly some of their guns, and began
playing upon our right, preparatory to making a charge. This
was a sore time for the Third Brigade, which was unsheltered from
the fire of the enemy. When the batteries opened upon us, we
all laid as close to mother earth as possible, while the shot
and shell flew whizzing over our heads. Had we been standing
erect, it seems as though every man would have been cut down.
As it was, we were wonderfully exempt from casualties, losing
only one man killed, and a few wounded. Colonel Leggett had three
bullet holes made in his clothes. Colonel Whittlesey, seeing
our danger, unsupported by artillery, and ten regiments could
be seen preparing to charge upon us, immediately had a battery
of six guns brought up. Let me assure you the sight of those
war dogs coming to our assistance, was truly refreshing. They
were quickly placed in position, and opened upon the enemy with
such destructive effect that they soon broke and retreated. They
began now to retreat along the whole line, leaving the field and
the victory with us.
"From the far East and the distant West the
cheering intelligence reaches us that our brothers in arms are
not idle; but that, with hearts to dare and arms to strike, are
pressing down from all sides upon the foe. This is very encouraging.
It gives us confidence in ourselves, confidence in our Generals,
and confidence in the favor of Providence."
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