Continued from March 8, 2021.
From the time they emerged from cover when the first shot was fired till they advanced within less than ten rods of the confederate works and fell back to their original position was only 10 minutes. But in that terrible charge four men more than half of all Pugh's brigade fell upon the field before the terrible fire of artillery and musketry which they so gallantly confronted.
Col. Earle of the 53rd Illinois went down at the head of his regiment within a 150 feet of Breckenridge's line.
Captain John Potter, now of Potter, Moe, & Co. bankers at White Sulphur Springs, Montana, who was in charge of his company of that regiment, received a shot in the thigh and was left on the field at a point not 10 rods (165 feet) from the rebel works. When his brigade fell back he painfully arose on his uninjured leg and tried to hop back to his line but soon fell to the ground.
He then crawled a little way to a small stump not 20 feet from where he fell and there partially sheltered himself. The rebels had watched his movements but, as they were about to evacuate their position did not want the encumbrance of wounded prisoners, made no movement to capture him.
--Old Secesh
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