. Reminiscences of the war of the rebellion, 1861-1865 . as ordered to makea further detour to the left. We soon reached an oldchurch in the woods, and further on was a collection ofnegro cabins, the only visible occupant being an old negrowoman. Here the major ordered the regiment to halt,made inquiries of the old darky, who said that throughthe woods a little way, was a rebel fort and a whole lotof soldiers. Forward was the command, and entering thewoods we soon found ourselves in soft swampy land,through which ran a creek. Across the swamp andcreek was a foot bridge. We had scarcely stepped
. Reminiscences of the war of the rebellion, 1861-1865 . as ordered to makea further detour to the left. We soon reached an oldchurch in the woods, and further on was a collection ofnegro cabins, the only visible occupant being an old negrowoman. Here the major ordered the regiment to halt,made inquiries of the old darky, who said that throughthe woods a little way, was a rebel fort and a whole lotof soldiers. Forward was the command, and entering thewoods we soon found ourselves in soft swampy land,through which ran a creek. Across the swamp andcreek was a foot bridge. We had scarcely stepped upon the bridge, the Majorat the head of the regiment, and I within a few feet ofhim, when our skirmishers opened fire, and a generalfusilade from the enemy followed, the bullets singing byour ears. Major Randlett immediately, in a loud voicegave the command, Left front into line, he and myselfadvancing rapidly across the foot-bridge. The regimentcame into line of battle by this movement, advancingthrough the swamp and creek, waist deep in places, 374. BATTLE OF DRURYS-BLUPF into an opening, where we met the enemy outside of theirworks; they had opened fire, and so close were some ofthem when firing in our faces, that they threw downtheir arms and begged for their lives. Into a field and upa slope the charge was made with a yell; the rattle ofmusketry was now intense; our boys were drop-ping to the ground, killed and wounded, the zipand ping of the rifle ball in rapid succession, the crack ofartillery and shells exploding, uniting with the shriek ofthose who were wounded were the unearthly soundsknown only to men who have been through the firing was now hot and heavy. From buildings on ourleft came a rapid fire from every window; our two leftcompanies w^ere ordered by the colonel to charge uponthe buildings. We were then moving up the slopes in thedirection of the rebel works; men were falling all aroundme, but it was the last in my thoughts that I should be hit mys
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectuniteds, bookyear1911
