The Maine bugle ... campaign; 1-5 Jan. 1894-Oct. 1898 - Maine.gov

56 THE MAINE BUGLE.
arm, "Isn't this a devil of a bob-tail flush?" These are some
of the scenes of this human battle-field.
At eight o'clock the garrison seemed to weaken : its firing
was not so rapid. Whether this was caused from want of
ammunition or exhaustion could not at first be determined.
The Third Brigade, now commanded by Colonel Alden, did not
cease to press the enemy across the plane, while the other bri-
gades were fighting on the parapet. About this time General
Ames, wishing to make " assurance double sure," sent to Gen-
eral Terry for re-enforcements. He immediately forwarded
Colonel Abbott's brigade, which arrived at the bridge and left
bastion at quarter to nine in the evening, and also Blackman's
Twenty-seventh United States Colored Regiment, which, how-
ever did not enter the fort.
These re-enforcements could not well be used in the hand-tohand
conflict for the traverses. Nor did it seem advisable to throw
them across the interior plane towards the rear of the sea-face
of the work, for here the Second Brigade had been checked
during the day, mainly because of the obstructions presented
by ruined barracks, lumber, and other rubbish, and which would
have inevitably thrown any force into confusion in attempting
to pass over the ground at night. Bearing these facts in mind,
General Ames ordered Colonel Abbott to move his command
by flank between the palisading and the foot of the land-face
of the work till the head of the column should reach the angle
of the fort, then facing to the right, go over the fort in line of
battle. The darkness and noise made this movement practi-
cable.
When Colonel Colvin, who commanded the leading regiment
of Ames' Third Brigade, heard that Abbott was coming, he in
* friendly emulation called on the men to drive the rebels out of
their works before the re-cnforcements could arrive. At nine
o'clock, however, a general assault was made, and the garrison
of the fort fell back in retreat along the sea-face, the rear-guard
keeping the Union forces engaged as they advanced in the dark-
ness as far as Battery Buchanan.
The writer of this paper, who had partially recovered from
his hurt, had, by order of General Ames, taken charge of the