Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-06-13

Ill human appearances, only something provi-
dental.
1 Col. Connors remnant of a regiment was
repenishing itself with ammunition, at the mo-
ment the reverse began. The fact that our
main attacking column was precipitously re-
treating, hotly pursued by the enemy, was at
once known to the forces north of the road,
yet to abandon their own position and 60 TO
the rescue would invite still worse, if not uni
versal disaster. The catastrophe had come so
suddenly, and the enemy were advancing so
rapidly, that there was little time for delibera-
ton The dlsprited column, broken into
fragments. pressing feversly toward the rear,
presently came dimly in view across the road.
followed by the rebel column. The Brock
road had been nearly reached by pursued and
pursuers In five minutes more the confed.
crate phalanx would have attained il! And
them
j Suddenly Col. Conner wheeled his COM
mdnd parallel with the Plank road, and de-
Eberately delivered voley after volley in rapid
succession, directly into the flank of the rebel
divisions. Never did section of line of battle
change front more opportunely, and seldom,
if ever, was volley crueler and of more telling
effect. The enemy faltered, half dismayed
at the ambush which they supposed for the
time they had been coaxed into; half panic
stricken, it was with difficulty that their off
GERS could keep them from fleeing.
I They Instantly perceived they were en-
countering an organized resistance-its mag
ntude they could only guess at the slaugh-
ter in their ranks. They ins,inctively felt
that their enemy had been playing base trick
upon them by retiring so steadily before them.
They were not to be decoy oycd-not they, and
wonld advance no farther. The check was
complete. At least fifteen minutes ELAPSED
before they recovered from the shock and
! bat infa al 4 oc
troops they had been pursuing. gained the
Brock road and the entertainments along il
once out otthe din, half-impenetrable forests.
the work of speedily reforming scattered bat
taiions and educing something like order was
possible, and comparatively easy. Never
was point of time more precious to the
Union cause, or MORE providentially gained.
Indeed, The enemy did not, for about three
hours, venture beyond the point where the
Hank volieys were poured into them.
say. never was brief period of time
more valuable to the Union forces, yet hand
full of men, less than three hundred, with
fatally directed volleys, were instrumen ntal in
obtaining it; what seemed like imminent de-
feat was warded off by the resolute standing,
aEld the widest disorder, of small body
of troops under the lead of an intelligent
brave and beloved officer. And it was not
without cost. As soon as the enemy began
to recover from their surprise. they pro-
ceeded to change front, and open fire upon
their assaiants. Col. Conner sprang for
ward into tine road to beckon a charge upon
the toe,-almost instantly he was struck By
a bullet and fell helpless to the ground
His fall was taken by his troops as their
signal to retire; the enemy were lowering
close on their fianks, and they fell back to the
Brock read, their wounded leader being borne
from the field, a cripple for life, and narrow
ly escaping capture.
Such, Mr.. Editor. was the manner in which
the wound that necessitates those crutches
was received. MASSACHUSETTS.
May, 1872.
7. 81 recall to mind letter written by
Gen. Webb, then chief Of staff of the Army
Of the Potomac to Gen. Conner, under date
OF April, 1861 few days after the surrender
of Lee, while the Colonel was at Washington,
still unable to be removed to his home in
Maine. The letter said -
Your stopping your Regiment
where you did was most important thing 10
the troops cro,rded in Right dorm the plank road 1t
prevented Longstreers determining the state of
confusion they in. WILCOX (rebel Generan
TOLD ME THEY (the rebel eouIan) lost TWENTY
MINUTES foILowih" Is THERE, AND LOST THEIR
CHANCE TO GO IN Ito the Brock road) WITH U.s.
To this testimony of Gen. Webb will ap-
pend from Rebellion Record, VOL l, p. 443
The brigade OF Col. Frank on the ex.
treme left was broken and fell back precipitously.
The pressure was so great along the " hole line OF
The command thus assaulted, that was also broken
in several places. Portions OF the line retreaed in
disorder
Also extract from Ilcadley'e History, vol
., p. 352 =
" Hancock steadily pushed the enemy
for Il mile and 4 half, taking Ia small riie pit and
/ five stand OF colors. But at length liancocks
victorious career was stopped. The rebels, rally
ing, fell on his exhausted battalions, whose ammu
milton was now getting low, and bore them steadi-
! lY back. HIS EXTREME LIFT FOR TIE MO-
MENr WAS TURNED HuT riiE MlsC HikF WAS QuICK-
/ IL REPAIRED r -(hy ten. Connors regiment,
had the author hut known it,
The following is from Deming's Life of
Grant, p. 3S7 -
" Hancock hurled Hill from hi, posi-
ton, carried the whole confederate front, and drove
/ for a mile its broken columns. only to be tossed
back 10y the combined corps of Hill and Longsreet
/ FOR ONE WILD MOMENT OR TWO, 1T SEEMED
AS If THE FIELD WAS LOST = = the eXuitant rebels
dashed with frenzy which threatened universal
dlscom Iture. But fortunately Hancock rallied hi
brigadet and in turn struck the rebel column upon
their exposed flank, and again precipltated them
upon their forest fastness. :"
Greeley's American Conflict, vol. ,, p. 569;
Coppee's Grant and His Campaigns, p. 29S
Richardson's Personal History of Gen. Grant,
p. 800 speak OF this fortunate check to the
enemy yet all of the acknow lodged ''histo-
happened.
! Hancock n person was ut the Brock road and
nothing of this episode, and kaew nothing
about it until it
Chandler has returned from Boston