Saturday, November 17, 2012

Fighting With Bayonets.

HDQRS. FOURTH BRIGADE, LONGSTREET'S DIVISION, July 21, 1862.

Captain W. C. Y. Parker had two successive encounters with Federal officers, both of whom he felled with his sword, and beset by others of the enemy he was severely wounded, having received two bayonet wounds in the breast and one in his side and a musket wound breaking his left thigh.

Lieutenant Michie had a hand-to-hand collision with an officer, and having just dealt a severe blow upon his adversary he fell, cut over the head with a saber-bayonet from behind, and had afterward three bayonet wounds in the face and two in the breast, all severe wounds, which he survived,
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Report of Captain Sylvester H. Gray, Seventh Connecticut Infantry.

Private Lyon, Company K, jumped upon the parapet, thrust his bayonet into the head of the chief of a gun (whom I have since ascertained was a captain, and was killed) that was about to be fired, and fired his gun at the same time.

Corporal [Giles] James, of Company I, thrust his bayonet into the head of one of the gunners, and broke it off in endeavoring to pull it out.
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"THE GREAT GALLANTRY OF THE NEGRO TROOPS AT MILLIKEN'S BEND.

"We publish below a very interesting letter of Captain, M. M. Miller, of this city, of the Ninth Louisiana (colored) Regiment. Captain M. is a son of W. H. Miller, esq., for many years a citizens of Galena. At the time of the breaking out of the rebellion he was a student in Yale College, and had nearly completed his course. He left studies, however, and returned home; enlisted as a private in the celebrated Washborne Lead Mine Regiment, from whence he was taken and made captain of a colored company. His statement can be relied on a liter ally true, and we venture to say the history of the world shown no more desperate fighting than that by his company at Milliken's Bend. Every maned but one in his company was either killed or wounded, and many of them in a hand-to-hand bayonet struggle:

MILLKEN'S BEND, June 10, 1863.

DEAR AUNT: We were attacked here on June 7, about 3 o"clock in the morning by a brigade of Texas troops, about 2,500 in number. We had about 600 men to withstand them, 500 of them negroes. I commanded Company I, Ninth Louisiana. We went into the fight with 33 men. IU had 16 killed and 11 badly wounded. 4 slightly. I was wounded slightly on the head, near the right eye, with a bayonet, and had a bayonet run thought my right hand near the forefinger; that will account for this miserable style of penmanship.
Authors note.  This is just part of the letter, you can requst the full letter.
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6th., Maine.

Private George Brown, Company K., bayoneted two of the enemy in succession, and then, as the resistance was obstinate, he brained a third with the butt of his musket.
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Captain Theodore Gregg, Forty-ninth Pennsylvania Infantry.

 A large rebel officer, who appeared to be in command of the force, rushed upon me, and catching me by the throat, ordered me to surrender, at the same time bringing his revolver to my head. I succeeded in taking his revolver from him, and after a sharp struggle left him dead on the spot. A rebel soldier who had come to the rescue of his officer attempted to run me through with his bayonet, but was killed by Sergeant Bacon, of Company G.
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Hand to Hand.

Lieutenant, James Johnston, of the One hundred and Twenty-first New York, received a bayonet wound through the thigh. Private O'Donnell, Ninety-sixth Pennsylvania Volunteers, was pinned to the parapet, but was rescued by his comrades. A private of the Fifth Maine, having bayoneted a rebel, was fired at by the captain, who, missing his aim, in turn shared the same fate. The brave man fell by a shot from the rebel lieutenant. The struggle lasted but a few seconds.
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Testimony of Ransom Anderson (colored), private in Company B, Sixth, U. S. Heavy Artillery:

I do hereby certify that I am a member of Company B, Sixth U. S. Heavy Artillery, and that I was in the battle of Fort Pillow on the 12th day of April, A. d. 1864, and that I was severely wounded during the progress of the engagement. When the surrender occurred I was taken prisoner. I also certify that while a prisoner and wounded I was further wounded by being cut in the head and hands by one Lieutenant Williams, C. S. Army. I also certify that I saw John Pritchard, of Company B, Sixth U. S. Heavy Artillery, shot while a prisoner and while lying by my side upon the ground. I also certify that I saw Coolie Pride, of the same regiment and the same company, stabbed by a rebel soldier with a bayonet and the and the bayonet broken off in his body, after the said Coolie Pride had been taken prisoner by the Confederates. On the morning of the 13th day of April, A. D. 1864, after he had been taken prisoner, I saw Daniel Lester shot dead by a rebel soldier.
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10th., Mississippi, Chickamauga, 1863.

Private Barney McCabe, died within reach of his bayonet.
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31st., Georgia.

I desire to state that one of the enemy, after surrendering, leveled his gun to fire at our passing line, but a bayonet thrust from the hands of Captain W. D. Wood, of the Thirty-first Georgia, prevented the intend barbarism.
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11th., Massachusetts.

 Private John Lawler, of Company D, stove in the skull of one rebel with the butt of his musket and killed another with his bayonet.
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Sixtieth Virginia Infantry.

Private Christian, in the bayonet charge of the 30th, was assailed by no less than four of the enemy at the same instant. He succeeded in killing three of them with his own hands, though wounded in several places by bayonet-thrusts, and his brother, Eli W. Christian, going to his aid, dispatched the fourth.

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