The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-08-14
rode up to Col. Oolville, and pointing to

those colors!" Forward" shouted our
gallant Colonel, and as one man we COM
menced to move down the slope towards
little run at its foot, which the enemy
evidently wished to gain. Now their can
non We're pointed to us, and round shot,
grape and shrapnel tore fearfully through
our ranks, and the more deadly Enfield
rifles were directed to US alone Great
heavens, how fast our men fell. March
ing as tile-closer, it seemed as if every step
was over some fallen comrade. Yet no
man wavers; every gap is closed up-and
bringing down their bayonets, the boys
press shoulder to shoulder and disdaining
the Fictitious courage proceeding from
noise and excitement, without a word or
cheer, but with silent, desperate determin-
alton step firmly forward in unbroken
line. Like the veterans of Tontenoy:
''They steadily step down the slope
And steadily climb the hill
Steady they load-and steady they fire
And march right onward still"
No, surprising those famous men of old
they never fire
Within hundred, within fifty steps of
the foe Three times their colors are shot
down-and three times arising 60 for
ward as before One fourth of the men
have fallen, and yet no shot has been fired
at the enemy, who paused moment
to look with awe upon that line of Ieveled
bayonets, and then panic stricken turned
and run; but another line took their place
and poured murderous volleys into US,
not thirty yards distant. "Charge!" cried
Col. Colville-and with wild cheer we
ran at them. Who that was an actor
there, can give the order, or detail the
charges Of those eventful and exciting
movements, when neither ball or shell was
heard-and we could not see our COM
rades fall, when every faculty was absorb
ed in the one thought of whipping the
enemy in front | know we reached the
brink of the little run and gave them one
volley which swept them from the earth
| but new line rises from the bed of the
run at our feet, and brigade advances
down the hollow on our right; both open
fire and our men fall, many pierced by balls,
both from the right side and front, which
crossed each other in their courses through
the body. We fire away three, four, five
irregular volleys, and but little ammuni-
| ton is wasted when the muzzles of oppos-
ing guns almost meet The enemy seemed
to sink into the ground. They are checked
and staggered; one division came up at
| this instant, and before we recovered from
the bewildermen. of the shock, we
scarcely know how, but the rebels are
swept back over the plain.
But, good God! where was the First
Minnesota Our flag was carried back to
the battery, and seventy men, scarce one
of them unmarked by scratches and bullet
holes through their clothing, are all that
formed around it; the other two hundred,
alas, lay bleeding under it. Noble and
heroic men, this alone must tell the tale
of your glory! Poets have sang "The
Old Guard at Waterloo" and the "Light
Brigade at Balaklava," but the simple
truth-telling lists of figures show that nei-
Their the one nor the other suffered such
an awful proportion of fallen, as in this
charge of scarce six minutes duration, as
did the first Minnesota. It reads like the
legend of "Chevy Chase
Our field officers, rendered conspicuous
by their great personal statures, and cool
and dashlng gallantry, had all fallen, each
pierced by several balls, and the command
devolved on Captain Messick Here will
mention that the fifth corps reinforced the
left and centre of the third, as we did it's
right with equal success, and meanwhile
Gen. Ewell had attacked the extreme
right of Gen. Meade's position held by the
corps, but unsuccessfully; and thus, with
the enemy repulsed at all points, night
fell upon the field, and we turned our at
tention to helping our wounded and gath
ering together our dead.
Scarcely had we began our mournful
task, when came the order to move and
join our brigade at our position of the
morning. So leaving our boys to the ten
der mercies of doctors and hospital attend
ants, We moved our squad" to the desig-
mated point Here we were reinforced by
Company Of" which had been skir-
mishing, and while doing service as
efectually as the regiment, had happily
been more sheltered. Tired and weary,
we might not sleep, or even build
fires to make coffee, but rested on our
arms all the long, damp, drizzly night, in
wakeful anticipation of an attack. Red
and fiery through the morning mists
at length arose the sun on the Sd of July.
The forenoon passed as did the previous
one. About noon two guns were fired as
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