andersonville-第48部分

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though；　and　that　we　were　stripping　for　the　fight；　which　we　would　soon　be
in。　　Just　at　this　moment　we　saw　an　ambulance；　with　the　horses　on　a　dead
run；　followed　by　two　or　three　mounted　officers　and　men；　coming　right
towards　us　out　of　the　very　woods　Logan　had　cautioned　the　Colonel　to
avoid。　　When　the　ambulance　got　to　where　we　were　it　halted。　　It　was　pretty
well　out　of　danger　from　the　bullets　and　shell　of　the　enemy。　　They
stopped；　and　we　recognized　Major　Strong；　of　McPherson's　Staff；　whom　the
all　knew；　as　he　was　the　Chief　Inspector　of　our　Corps；　and　in　the
ambulance　he　had　the　body　of　General　McPherson。　　Major　Strong；
it　appears；　during　a　slight　lull　in　the　fighting　at　that　part　of　the
line；　having　taken　an　ambulance　and　driven　into　the　very　jaws　of　death　to
recover　the　remains　of　his　loved　commander。　　It　seems　he　found　the　body
right　by　the　side　of　the　little　road　that　we　had　gone　out　on　when　we　went
to　the　rear。　　He　was　dead　when　he　found　him；　having　been　shot　off　his
horse；　the　bullet　striking　him　in　the　back；　just　below　his　heart；
probably　killing　him　instantly。　　There　was　a　young　fellow　with　him　who
was　wounded　also；　when　Strong　found　them。　　He　belonged　to　our　First
Division；　and　recognized　General　McPherson；　and　stood　by　him　until　Major
Strong　came　up。　　He　was　in　the　ambulance　with　the　body　of　McPherson　when
they　stopped　by　us。

〃It　seems　that　when　the　fight　opened　away　back　in　the　rear　where　we　had
been；　and　at　the　left　of　the　Sixteenth　Corps　which　was　almost　directly　in
the　rear　of　the　Seventeenth　Corps；　McPherson　sent　his　staff　and　orderlies
with　various　orders　to　different　parts　of　the　line；　and　started　himself
to　ride　over　from　the　Seventeenth　Corps　to　the　Sixteenth　Corps；　taking
exactly　the　same　course　our　Regiment　had；　perhaps　an　hour　before；　but　the
Rebels　had　discovered　there　was　a　gap　between　the　Sixteenth　and
Seventeenth　Corps；　and　meeting　no　opposition　to　their　advances　in　this
strip　of　woods；　where　they　were　hidden　from　view；　they　had　marched　right
along　down　in　the　rear；　and　with　their　line　at　right　angles　with　the　line
of　works　occupied　by　the　left　of　the　Seventeenth　Corps；　they　were　thus
parallel　and　close　to　the　little　road　McPherson　had　taken；　and　probably
he　rode　right　into　them　and　was　killed　before　he　realized　the　true
situation。

〃Having　piled　our　knapsacks；　and　left　a　couple　of　our　older　men；　who　were
played　out　with　the　heat　and　most　ready　to　drop　with　sunstroke；　to　guard
them；　we　started　on　again。　　The　ambulance　with　the　corpse　of　Gen。
McPherson　moved　off　towards　the　right　of　the　Army；　which　was　the　last　we
ever　saw　of　that　brave　and　handsome　soldier。

〃We　bore　off　a　little　to　the　right　of　a　large　open　field　on　top　of　a　high
hill　where　one　of　our　batteries　was　pounding　away　at　a　tremendous　rate。
We　came　up　to　the　main　line　of　works　just　about　at　the　left　of　the
Fifteenth　Corps。　　They　seemed　to　be　having　an　easy　time　of　it　just　then
no　fighting　going　on　in　their　front；　except　occasional　shots　from　some
heavy　guns　on　the　main　line　of　Rebel　works　around　the　City。　　We　crossed
right　over　the　Fifteenth　Corps'　works　and　filed　to　the　left；　keeping
along　on　the　outside　of　our　works。　　We　had　not　gone　far　before　the　Rebel
gunners　in　the　main　works　around　the　City　discovered　us；　and　the　way　they
did　tear　loose　at　us　was　a　caution。　　Their　aim　was　rather　bad；　however；
and　most　of　their　shots　went　over　us。　　We　saw　one　of　themI　think　it　was
a　shellstrike　an　artillery　caisson　belonging　to　one　of　our…batteries。
It　exploded　as　it　struck；　and　then　the　caisson；　which　was　full　of
ammunition；　exploded　with　an　awful　noise；　throwing　pieces　of　wood　and
iron　and　its　own　load　of　shot　and　shell　high　into　the　air；　scattering
death　and　destruction　to　the　men　and　horses　attached　to　it。　　We　thought
we　saw　arms　and　legs　and　parts　of　bodies　of　men　flying　in　every
direction；　but　we　were　glad　to　learn　afterwards　that　it　was　the　contents
of　the　knapsacks　of　the　Battery　boys；　who　had　strapped　them　on　the
caissons　for　transportation。

〃Just　after　passing　the　hill　where　our　battery　was　making　things　so
lively；　they　stopped　firing　to　let　us　pass。　　We　saw　General　Leggett；　our
Division　Commander；　come　riding　toward　us。　　He　was　outside　of　our　line　of
works；　too。　　You　know　how　we　build　breastworkssort　of　zigzag　like；　you
know；　so　they　cannot　be　enfiladed。　　Well；　that's　just　the　way　the　works
were　along　there；　and　you　never　saw　such　a　curious　shape　as　we　formed　our
Division　in。　　Why；　part　of　them　were　on　one　side　of　the　works；　and　go
along　a　little　further　and　here　was　a　regiment；　or　part　of　a　regiment　on
the　other　side；　both　sets　firing　in　opposite　directions。

〃No　sir'ee；　they　were　not　demoralized　or　in　confusion；　they　were　cool　and
as　steady　as　on　parade。　　But　the　old　Division　had；　you　know；　never　been
driven　from　any　position　they　had　once　taken；　in　all　their　long　service；
and　they　did　not　propose　to　leave　that　ridge　until　they　got　orders　from
some　one　beside　the　Rebs。

〃There　were　times　when　a　fellow　did　not　know　which　side　of　the　works　was
the　safest；　for　the　Johnnies　were　in　front　of　us　and　in　rear　of　us。
You　see；　our　Fourth　Division；　which　had　been　to　the　left　of　us；　had　been
forced　to　quit　their　works；　when　the　Rebs　got　into　the　works　in　their
rear；　so　that　our　Division　was　now　at　the　point　where　our　line　turned
sharply　to　the　left；　and　rearin　the　direction　of　the　Sixteenth　Corps。

〃We　got　into　business　before　we　had　been　there　over　three　minutes。
A　line　of　the　Rebs　tried　to　charge　across　the　open　fields　in　front　of　us；
but　by　the　help　of　the　old　twenty…four　pounders　（which　proved　to　be　part
of　Cooper's　Illinois　Battery；　that　we　had　been　alongside　of　in　many　a
hard　fight　before）；　we　drove　them　back　a…flying；　only　to　have　to　jump
over　on　the　outside　of　our　works　the　next　minute　to　tackle　a　heavy　force
that　came　for　our　rear　through　that　blasted　strip　of　woods。　　We　soon
drove　them　off；　and　the　firing　on　both　sides　seemed　to　have　pretty　much
stopped。

〃'Our　Brigade；'　which　we　discovered；　was　now　commanded　by　'Old　Whiskers'
（Colonel　Piles；　of　the　Seventy…Eighth　Ohio。　　I'll　bet　he's　got　the
longest　whiskers　of　any　man　in　the　Army。）　　You　see　General　Scott　had　not
been　seen　or　heard　of　since　he　had　started　to　the　rear　after　our　regiment
when　the　fighting　first　commenced。　　We　all　believed　that　he　was　either
killed　or　captured；　or　he　would　have　been　with　his　command。　　He　was　a
splendid　soldier；　and　a　bull…dog　of　a　fighter。　　His　absence　was　a　great
loss；　but　we　had　not　much　time　to　think　of　such　things；　for　our　brigade
was　then　ordered　to　leave　the　works　and　to　move　to　the　right　about　twenty
or　thirty　rods　across　a　large　ravine；　where　we　were　placed　in　position　in
an　open　corn…field；　forming　a　new　line　at　quite　an　angle　from　the　line　of
works　we　had　just　left；　extending　to　the　left；　and　getting　us　back　nearer
onto　a　line　with　the　Sixteenth　Corps。　　The　battery　of　howitzers；　now
reinforced　by　a　part　of　the　Third　Ohio　heavy　guns；　still　occupied　the　old
works　on　the　highest　part　of　the　hill；　just　to　the　right　of　our　new　line。
We　took　our　position　just　on　the　brow　of　a　hill；　and　were　ordered　to　lie
down；　and　the　rear　rank　to　go　for　rails；　which　we　discovered　a　few　rods
behind　us　in　the　shape　of　a　good　ten…rail　fence。　　Every　rear…rank　chap
came　back　with　all　the　rails　he　could　lug；　and　we　barely　had　time　to　lay
them　down　in　front　of　us；　forming　a　little　barricade　of　six　to　eight　or
ten　inches　high；　when　we　heard　the　most　unearthly　Rebel　yell　directly　in
front　of　us。　　It　grew　louder　and　came　nearer　and　nearer；　until　we　could
see　a　solid　line　of　the　gray　coats　coming　out　of　the　woods　and　down　the
opposite　slope；　their　battle　flags　flying；　officers　in　front　with　drawn
swords；　arms　at　right　shoulder；　and　every　one　of　them　yelling　like　so
many　Sioux　Indians。　　The　line　seemed　to　be　massed　six　or　eight　ranks
deep；　followed　closely　by　the　second　line；　and　that　by　the　third；　each；
if　possible；　yelling　louder　and　appearing　more　desperately　reckless　than
the　one　ahead。　　At　their　first　appearance　we　opened　on　them；　and　so　did
the　bully　old　twenty…four…pounders；　with　canister。

〃On　they　came；　the　first　line　staggered　and　wavered　back　on　to　the
second；　which　was　coming　on　the　double　quick。　　Such　a　raking　as　we　did
give　them。　　Oh；　Lordy；　how　we　did　wish　that　we　had　the　breech　loading
Spencers　or　Winchesters。　　But　we　had　the　old　reliable　Springfields；　and
we　poured　it　in　hot　and　heavy。　　By　the　time　the　charging　column　got　down
the　opposite　slope；　and　were　struggling　through　the　thicket　of
undergrowth　in　the　ravine；　they　were　one　confused　mass　of　officers　and
men；　the　three　lines　now　forming　one　solid　column；　which　made　several
desperate　efforts　to　rush　up　to　the　top　of　the　hill　where　we　were
punishing　them　so。　　One　of　their　first　surges　came　mighty　near　going
right　over　the　left　of　our　Regiment；　as　they　were　lying　down　behind　their
little　rail　piles。　　But　the　boys　clubbed　their　guns　and　the　officers　used
their　revolvers　and　swords　and　drove　them　back　down　the　hill。

〃The　Seventy…Eighth　and　Twentieth　Ohio；　our　right　and　left　bowers；　who
had　been　brigaded　with　us　ever　since　'Shiloh；'　were　into　it　as　hot　and
heavy　as　we　had　been；　and　had　lost