Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-02-25
Letter From Col. AIaggi.

LII
Roanoke island, Feb. 9, 1862. :
To Brig. Gen. Reno: On Friday, the 7th at
five p. m, my regiment disembarked. form
ed the line rapidly and in good order Then
Gen. Parks came in your name, and asked
from my regiment company of skirmishers,
in order 10 go IN advance to explore the wood,
which from the place OF dsenbarkment was
crossing the wood toward our right side.
gave him company d. OF 80 men strong
commanded by Capt. 7. S. Foster. After.
wards you came and gave me the order TO got
the crossroad and take possession of all that
ground placing my p!ckets for the night, in
order 10 cover the main body. | did so, pIac-
ing section of artillery al the cross road,
supported by company c.. and throwing right
and left, from water TO water, two other COM
panies in small pickles, covered by semtries
at a distance OF fifteen PAGES EACH and placing
the rest OF the regiment at the entrance OF the
wood as support. l had already detailed two
sections as scouting party, who would have
relieved each other during The night, in order
| to explore the ground in front OF the pickets
and advance as far as possible without giving
the alarm, in order to discover the position Of
| the enemy.
But at that time your General and General
Foster came and gave me the order to change
| the position, concentrating them on the road
anu Sdii thSlD " tilG llOHl i ulu SO SIX COM
| panes were in front with two pieces OF arii
lery, with a proongation of pickets in the two
roads which open through the woods at an
| angle OF sixty degrees. The remaining four
| companies, with the other three pieces of ar.
tlllery, were to the rear, precisely at the cross
road which lay four hundred yards behind the
first. Those companies had pickets right and
| left, but with the order to no firing to the
front, and III case of an attack to act as sup
| port.
We stood all night without fire, and raining
| - - N..'.+A of the men silent and
| every half hour made tile companies fail lin in
with the greatest silence. Ali officers and
men OF the regiment, without exception, com.
ported themselves with remarkable patience
anu endurance during twelve hours OF dark
ness ana raining. Not word OF prumblny
not an expression OF WEAKNESS. A. halcnast
SIX small scouting party which sent little
beyond my pockets returned. permitted NV
meh 10 ight hrvs III order to dry themselves
as much as possible Atseven o'clock. A, NJ.
an AID OF General Foster came and ordered me-
TO allow the first brigade to pass through nv
line OF pckets. ~
The brigade came hall an hour later, head.
Gu oy ,he general himself, in the following or.
DER 10Th Massachusetts, 23l Massachusetts
z'th&hassachusetts 9th battalion Rhode III
anu, ana lOth Connecticut, and inmediatev
upon your arrival we followed them tnIIoyinJ,
your order to detile through swami and watar
to the rear, and to the left of the 05rh ond
inen batting, took the two flank companies
u ana u, armed with Harpers Ferry rifss
ana SABRE oayonets, and after having assured
myself OF the position of the battery of H.
enemy, and, by the different Shot. of ,h "He
guns OF the extension Of the ground which
tney could sweep on our lett (their rightly /
ordered the two companies to iumn intn a
ueep swamp aud commanded them to omen
hre by lie marching slowly to the front and
leit. forba lie those two companies to waste
any OF their ammunition and fire only when
perfectly sure OF their aim.
we had soon i'll front the infantry of tLo on.
envy which supported the light flank of tho
battery. 1t was then that the fire beonn IN he
really hot, and had many men nut hors de
GOmoat' Among those, | regret to say, Cant
- o. roster was Sho. by bullet through
Tue ieit ieg out we steadily kept up the firing
Tor more than two hours ADVANCING towarI
the front aud left at the same time. AT tLis
moment tile 10Th having changed their posi-
tloa, TWO OF my companies formed in line and
III lie" minutes all the rest OF the battalion
advanced bv my order, guided nv M.ior
Clark. AT the edge OF The swami and IN
yards VI wv
| , Inc regiment once in line, l charged that
instance ana ordered the men to lay down and
load covered by small natural elevation.
| during that march we suffered four or five
minutes very thick fire. and lost fifteen men.
The battery was already aaukcd You came
and said to me. "Charge and take it!' We
arose and did SO. AT our left flank were three
companies OF the fifty first New York Our
state color was the first on the battery after
wards the flag OF the fifty first, immediately
after our regimenta flag. One of our men
found IN the battery rebel flag, with the mot,
to, "Aut vtncere, dm mort" Alter a few mo.
ments OF joy, put again in line The r.,ri,nnnt
IN 'ne ROAD behind The battery, and led by you
we proceeded toward camp Georgia a. Il
OF my regiment, which was in front, found the
enemy retreating; they turned and fired bnt
Were soon repuIsed, with loss of Three load
anu some wounded. They senta lau of trnre
aud surrendered "No
am glad to say that l never saw any better
pehaVior, ny any soldiers, young or veterans.
no not OeileVe that it was possible in such
e'uu"u \" continued swamp and pond of
water can be so called that any one couId
surpass the brilliant and gallant eondurt NJ Ill
my command. II should mention the names
OF those officers who have distinguished th.n,.
selves, should be Obliged to send Won the
names OF all, beginning from the major TO the
last second lieutenant, as every one of them
deserve 1t. i shall mention two-Capt. r S
Foster and Lieut. 4, A. Stearns, acting adiu.
| , ''''~ho' because lUey fought more bravely
Du' because they were, by the force of cir,
Gu'nslances, Obliged to stand for longer time
III more dangerous position than any others
The last two had been, during all the 6pht
cooIIy and bravely at my side from the bcein.
ming I'LL the end. Both have been wounded
the first by bullet in the lett leg, and The
second slightly in the right temple and in the
neck And also would call your attention
To- the faithful services Of surgeons Gutter and
Warren, and the chaplain vino bravely fol-
lowed the troops through the fight, to bear
PACK the dead and wounded Ali the wound.
ed were conveyed to the hospital. and onr deaJ
were Immediately buried | send ynu liz |
OF The killed and wounded
have the honor to be
Your obedlent subordinate.
A. g. MAGGI