Novel Methods of fighting.
Then commenced a novel method of fighting.
There were quite a number of abandoned muskets with bayonets on them lying on the ground around the fort.
Our men began pitching them over the embankment, bayonet foremost, trying to harpoon the men inside, and both sides threw over cannon balls and fragments of shells and earth, which by the impact of the explosion had been pressed as hard as brick.
Everybody seemed to be shooting at the fort, and doubtless many were killed by their friends.
I know some of the
Yankees were undoubtedly so killed.
In almost less time than I can tell it we were in condition to go in.
Col. H. H. King ordered the men near him to put their hats on their bayonets and quickly raise them above the fort, which was done, and, as he anticipated, they were riddled with bullets.
Then he ordered us over the embankment, and over we went, and were soon engaged in a hand-to-hand struggle of life and death.
The enemy shrank back, and the death grapple continued until most of the
Yankees found in there were killed.
This slaughter would not have been so great had not
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our men found negro soldiers in the fort with the whites.
This was the first time we had met negro troops, and the men were enraged at them for being there and at the whites for having them there.
The explosion had divided the pit into two compartments.
As soon as we had possession of the larger one, the
Yankees in the smaller one cried out that they would surrender.
We told them to come over the embankment.
Two of them started over with their guns in their hands, but, their intentions being mistaken, they were shot and fell back.
We heard those remaining cry: ‘They are showing us no quarter; let us sell our lives as dearly as possible.’
We then told them to come over without their guns, which they did, and all the remainder, about thirty in number, surrendered and were ordered to the rear.
