Identifier: battlefieldpriso00urba (find matches)
Title: Battle field and prison pen, or Through the war, and thrice a prisoner in rebel dungeons
Year: 1882 (1880s)
Authors: Urban, John W
Subjects: United States -- History Civil War, 1861-1865 Personal narratives United States -- History Civil War, 1861-1865 Prisoners and prisons
Publisher: (Philadelphia, Hubbard Brothers) Edgewood Pub. Co
Contributing Library: New York Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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ve us atfirst the impression that the Union loss was theseverer; but a closer inspection of the field re-vealed the fact that the loss of the enemy waseven greater. The nature of the wounds inflicted proved theclose proximity in which the combatants contestedfor the mastery. Some of the dead had theirheads broken In by blows from butts of rifles, andothers lay dead with bayonets thrust throughthem, the weapon having been left sticking In theirbodies. Some of the wounded begged piteouslyto be helped to the rear; and altogether, it wasthe most sickeninor sio^ht I had ever witnessed.We had hardly more than advanced over theground when Col. Roberts received orders toabout-face his regiment, and march a few steps tothe rear of the position held by the Zouaves. Atthis place the ground formed a small elevationseveral feet hlorh, and behind this Col. Robertsformed his line. He had hardly more than doneso when a chorus of yells, which was enough tom^ke us believe that all the dernons frorn the
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REPULSING A CHARGE. 121 lower regions had broken loose, announced thatthe enemy was advancing to the assault. Col.Roberts ordered the regiment to lie down, andnot fire a shot until the rebels reached the openground. Some of the men could hardly be re-strained from firing as they came yelling throughthe woods; but the officers kept telling them tokeep cool and wait for the word of command. After a few moments of painful suspense, theenemy like a swarm of bees burst from the woodinto the open ground. The single word Fire!from our gallant Colonel, and the rifles of thefirst reofiment sent a shower of lead into therebel mass which swept their line like a scytheof death. The rebel line broke and fled in theutmost confusion, and in a few moments after themen, with loaded rifies and without the loss of aman, were prepared to give them the same recep-tion. We did not have to wait long, however, toget the chance ; for they, having reformed theirlines, again advanced to the attack. They wereaga

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