In their own words

[Coatsy]

I found these very excellent first hand accounts on Lee White's very excellent ACW Blog. http://emergingcivilwar.com/2014/05/...picketts-mill/

"One soldier in the 23rd Kentucky recalled later, “Away we went-through the timber, up a hill, over a fence to an open field, down to a ravine, up another hill to another fence. Many brave comrades fell before reaching that second fence. What a shower of bullets met us! We fought each other through that fence.”

"We afterwards ascertained that the Yankees advanced in six lines of battle with the intention of turning our right by storm. If any but the very best troops in the army had opposed them, they would have been successful."

And http://emergingcivilwar.com/2014/05/...federate-line/


"The enemy made repeated assaults on Granbury’s brigade and the right half of the Sixth and Seventh Arkansas Regiments, but were repulsed each time with heavy loss. During the fight they overlapped Granbury’s Texans on the right, and the Eighth and Nineteenth Arkansas Regiment (consolidated) was taken out of line on the left and placed on Granbury’s right in open field, and it lost, in very short time, ninety killed and wounded. "



Everything that we are doing is mirroring actions that occurred May 27th. Are you ready?

[cavscout148]

Re: In their own words

From the journal of Francis A. Kiene, Company I, 49th Ohio Volunteer Infantry.

May 27th - Friday. As it was cool and pleasent last night we had a
good nights rest...laid still till about 10 oclock when we got orders
to brake camp and soon started marching to our left after some manvering
...we deplayed into line and marched to our left through a thick woods
and some very uneaven ground. We were in momentary expectation of
meeting the enamy but we advanced for miles and not a shot was fired.
After we had marched about five miles in this way we stopt to wrest,
the boys scattered out, some laid down to sleep while others went to
cooking some dinner...as we had nothing to eat since early in the
morning and it was not less than 4 oclock...At about 5 oclock Elic
Anderson of the 21st came up and he told us that the 21st was marching
past and forming on the left of our Devision...at this time a number
of shots were fired to our left...it was quite amuseing to see the boys
spring to their feet and make ready for fight but all was soon again
silent. At about half past five fireing commenced in our front and
it soon became evident that a battle was opening after about half an
hours fighting we got orders to advance, we had not gone fare before a
rebel battery got enfiladeing fire along our whole line though they
shot a little to high to do much damage. Canister rattled through the
woods like has I head never before seen the like but we steadily
advanced after gitting down in a deep gully we had to charge up a
steap hill...the boys hollowed and cheered as we went up here the
musket balls of the rebels began to play marching music for us when we
came up near the brow of the hill, we got to our line wich was
already three regiments deep, it was the intention to charge the rebels
who lay onley about fifteen steps ahead but the men were so much exhausted
that but fiew went on to make the charge and of those fiew hardly a man
got back alive. I got up so near that the smoke of the rebel guns
curled up against me when I looked around not a man was on his feet
near me. I could onley see James Sackett to my left within 10 or 15
feet of the rebel lines in the act of fireing. The rebels had thrown
up a light works of sticks and logs and what every they could find.
I now stardet back to the main line and laid down...not till now had I
noticed the fear full carnage, the dead lay in heaps and those who were
not get hurt clung so close to the ground that a person could heardly
distinguish the liveing from the dead. I crept up close below three dead
men to git out of range of the balls...a man who crept up in front of
me was instantly killed...the ball entering his shoulder, had not he
been there it is likely that the same ball would have struck me.
Lieutenant Gibs now came up in front of the line and told the men to
stop fireing as there was another line of our men a head but he had
stood only a fiew seconds when he was killed. A fresh line was now
comeing up and Colonel Gray and Lieutenant Cook were urgeing us to make
a charge with the new line as it came up but the men were so exhausted
that they all lay down while a fiew of us advanced to make the charge.
I was one of the unfortunate ones after I got a fiew paces a head of
the line I fired at some rebels behind a large log than kneeled down to
loaden, just as I was drawing my ramrod a volley was fired, two balls
Struck me at once...one onley passing through my coat colar while the
other passed through my left elbow joint...as my arm was bent in the
act of drawing the ramrod the ball struck a little below the joint past
through the little hollow and came out a little above, it numed my arm
and droped it powerless by my side,, of all that advanced I only seen
Lemuel Lambert git back unhurt. I immediately started for the rear...after gitting hack a short distance I droped my gun and picked up my
arm, not untill now did I know that I was woundet for I had supposed
that something had struck my arm and numed it for the time but now I
see the blood stream down by my side. I did not feel much uneasy
but huried back passed James Sacket who was with S. Haris who was
mortally wounted. I felt very dry but as good luck would have it I
got to a spring and done myself good by drinking all the water that I
wanted...after gitting a little further back I came to where our men
were establishing a new line, here I took off my caterage box, threw
it a way after first cutting off the plate buckle to take with me as
a reminberance, every thing else I had I took with me and started for
the rear in search of a hospital where I could git my arm dressed.
Troops were fast comeing...all in the best of spirits...after walking
some distance I got to the Division field hospital, here after waiting
some time I got my arm bound up. The woundet were arriveing very
fast but fiew had yet come in of our regiment. A fiew rebel shells
past over us as we were waiting for our turn at the doctors createing
a greateal of bustle and confusion although we were intirely safe
being in a deep gully. After I succeedet in gitting some warm
coffee I started for the General Hospital wich was said to be half a mile
off. I could have got an ambulance but as there were many who were
worse than I I concluded to walk but I found it reather a long walk
being fatigued and bleeding very freely all the time and the distance
being instid of half a mile not less than 5 miles. It soon got dark
but I had no dificulty in finding the way as there was a continual
string of ambulances. At about one oclock I got to the hospital so
weak that I could hardly lift one foot before the other. After some
inquiry I was shown a place to lay down under a Bower.

[Coatsy]

Re: In their own words

Thanks Josh!

I saw your entry regarding the 49th Ohio a day or so ago via FB.