78

THE BATTLE OF OLUSTEE.

mounted troops were advancing against him, hadformed square to resist cavalry. Colquitt ar-rived just iu time to save the square from "beingripped open by the enemy’s artillery. He threwforward skirmishers and quickly formed line ofbattle under a brisk fire, the 19th Georgia on theright, the 28th on the left, with the section ofGamble’s battery in the center. The 64th andthe two companies of the 32d Georgia were formedon the left of the 28tli. The 6th Georgia wasthrown still farther to the left to check any move-ment by that flank; the cavalry was divided anilthrown to the two flanks. In this order the lineadvanced, the enemy yielding slightly but stub-bornly contesting the ground. Finding the enemyin force in his front, Colquitt called for reenforce-ments, but General Finegan had anticipated himand Colonel Harrison was at hand with his bri-gade. The Oth Florida Battalion was put in linoon the right of the 19tli Georgia , and the 23d onthe left of the 64th Georgia . Colonel Harrisonwith his own regiments, the 32d Georgia and 1stGeorgia Regulars, took position between the 23dand 64th Georgia , and by Colquitt’s order assumeddirection of affairs on the left of the line. Instead,therefore, of attacking the Confederates in a se-lected position strengthened by field-works as theUnion officers supposed, the battle was joinedabout 3 o’clock P. m. on level ground covered withopen pine forest, offering no advantage of positionto either.

General Seymour’s plan was to concentrate hisartillery in the center, strongly supported on bothflanks by the first brigade, and while the twobrigades in rear were hastening into position, tooverwhelm his enemy by a rapid fire of his supe-rior artillery, and then charge. Hamilton’s andLangdon’s batteries were hurried forward to joinElder’s, which had been in advance with the cav-alry. The 7th Connecticut , which so gallantly hadled the first assault on Battery Wagner, July 1.1th,1803, had first felt and driven back the advancedConfederates, and in turn had itself yieldedground, was withdrawn to unmask the lino; the7tli New Hampshire moved forward into lino onthe right and the 8th United States Colored Troopson the left of the batteries. The fire of the latterwas exceedingly effective. The section of Gam-ble’s battery was soon put hors tie combat. It wasreplaced by the Chatham Artillery of Savannah,which, tinder Captain John F. Wheaton, was drawnfrom the right to the center under a galling fire.The whole Confederate force on the field movedforward and the action became general along thowhole line. The 7tli New Hampshire , a veteranregiment armed with superior rifles, broke andfled in confusion; not, however, until it had suf-fered severely in killed and wounded. The moststrenuous efforts of its colonel, Abbott, and ofColonel Hawley, aided by staff-officers, could notstem its flight and reform it. The 8th United States

The old regular soldiers of the artillery seem tohave home themselves with conspicuous gallantry.Captain Taingdon speaks of a driver, whose name surelydeserved to he recorded, who, with his life-blood stream-ing from a mortal wound, struggled to extricate his

(colored) on the left experienced the same fate.Its colonel, Fribley (white), had fallen mortallywounded; other commissioned officers and manyof the rank and file had fallen, when it too fledand did not appear again as a regiment on thefield. Barton’s brigade replaced the 7th NewHampshire and Montgomery ’s the 8tli UnitedStates Colored Troops, but the flight of those regi-ments had groatly exposed the artillery. Thoughit continued its fire with admirable effect, the menand horses were falling fast, and some of these,becoming unmanageable, dashed and locked theircarriages against the trees, until so many of the menand horses were killed and wounded that five gunswere abandoned to the advancing Confederates. &By that time the Confederates had exhaustedtheir ammunition, and there was none near athand. Tho regiments were halted, the few men whohad ammunition returning a slow fire to the verybrisk fire from tho other side, while staff-officers,couriers, and orderlies were riding at utmostspeed between the line and an ammunition-car onthe railroad some distance in the roar, bringing upcartridges in haversacks, pockets, caps, in anythinginto which they could bo crammed, and distributingthem along tho line. To hold a line under a heavyfire which it cannot return is a severe trial to thesteadiness of tho best troops. During this tryingpause Lieutenant Hugh II. Colquitt of the gen-eral’s staff was a conspicuous object to tho troopsin both lines as he galloped in front of the Confed-erates, waving a battle-flag and exhorting themen to stand fast, not to lio down or shelter them-selves behind the pine-trees, lest tho enemy shouldsuppose the lino had broken and melted away,and assuring them that their cartridge-boxes wouldsoon bo replenished.| Tho men were equal tothe emergency and stood fast until they were sup-plied with ammunition. In tho meantime the 27thGeorgia Regiment, Bonaud’s Battalion, the 1stFlorida Battalion, and a section of Guorard’s Bat-tery arrived from tho intrenched lines in the rear.They were put in position near and a little inadvance of the center, to hold tho enemy in checkuntil the other commands could be supplied withammunition. By direction of General Colquitt,Colonel Harrison had formed tho 6tli and 32dGeorgia regiments on tho extreme left, thus secur-ing an effective cross-fire on Seymour’s right. Ageneral advance along tho whole Confederate linefollowed, and tho Union lino yielded ground, firstreluctantly and sullenly, then with some precipi-tation which presently became a confused flight.When tho Union line gave way, tho Confederatessprang forward with a yell and pursued the enemyseveral miles and until night closed in on thesceno and stopped pursuit.

During tho engagement Colonel Smith’s cavalryhad guarded tho flanks, Lieutenant-Colonel A. ILMcCormick, 2d Florida Cavalry, on the right, andColonel Duncan L. Clinch, 4tli Georgia Cavalry, on

team and carry off the gun until he fell dead in the res-olute hut. vain attempt,—S. J.

j. Senator Hawley told me that, ho was impressed withtho daring gallantry of the young aide-de-camp, and sub-sequently learned ids name from SonutorColquitt. — 6 . J*